The use of group work in teaching learners writing skills in secondary schools in Keiyo North Sub County, Kenya

Abstract

Writing plays a significant role in the school curriculum. However, studies have pointed out that secondary school have not appreciated the use of group work in teaching learners writing skills thus the students lack of basic skills of writing. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to assess the use of group work in the teaching of writing skills among learners in secondary schools in Keiyo North sub county, Kenya. The objectives were to: examine how teachers plan group work in teaching writing skills; determine the learning activities teachers in Keiyo North use when using group work to teach writing skills; observe teachers’ use of group work as a teaching strategy; establish the challenges teachers of English face in the use of group work for teaching writing skills. The study was guided by the constructivist theory by Jerome Bruner which posits mechanisms by which knowledge is internalized by learners. The study utilized descriptive survey research design and it targeted 43 teachers of English and 3,574 Form 4 students drawn from 19 secondary schools in Keiyo north Sub County. Purposive sampling was used to select 13 teachers of English while stratified, proportionate and simple random sampling procedures using the lottery technique were used to select a sample size of 364 Form 4 students. This study used the questionnaire, interview and observation schedules to collect data. Quantitative data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics including: frequencies and percentage and was presented in tables, figures and descriptions. Qualitative data were categorized and analyzed using content analysis procedures and reported in emergent themes based on study objectives and variables. The study found out that 46.2% utilized group work in teaching of writing skills. The majority of the learners were encouraged to provide meaning of words and make sense of what it means in sentences. Teachers involved punctuation marks, handwriting, spelling, paragraphing and adherence to coherency. The study cited challenges such as inadequate time, inability of students to complete their assignments on time and there was conflict between team members during discussion groups. The study concluded that teachers have knowledge and understanding of group work as a teaching strategy though they have not fully utilized group work in teaching writing skills. Group work enhanced students’ writing skills. Finally, the study concluded that teachers were faced with a number of challenges in the use of group work for teaching writing skills. The study recommends that teachers need to group students in smaller groups in order to cater for the needs of each and every member of the group. Teachers of English need to ensure that, there is compatibility among the group members in order to avoid misunderstanding. The findings from this study will be useful to teachers of English in secondary schools and their efforts towards improving writing skills so as to meet the needs and expectations of the learners. The findings may be useful to the Ministry of education through KICD in its efforts towards retooling and repositioning its efforts in boosting the development of writing. The successful implementation, completion and approval of this study will help students develop positive attitude towards use of group work in writing skills thereby leading to improved performance.