dc.description.abstract |
Revision in the education system ought to bring about general improvement since the
impetus behind any curriculum reform is the drive to update the knowledge
component of curriculum such that the gap between the researcher at the frontier of
knowledge and the teachers in school can be narrowed. This study sought to assess
the implementation of Life Skills Education (LSE) curriculum in the Kenyan
secondary schools. The government‟s approval to use education strategies like LSE as
a stop gap measure in response to psycho-social challenges facing young people in a
fast changing world is well meaning; but unless proper measures are put in place
during implementation, the well intended objectives of LSE curriculum may not be
attained. Despite the government‟s efforts to equip young people with psycho-social
competencies through various educational strategies like AIDS education, G&C, the
recent LSE curriculum, youths in school have continued to succumb to various
psycho-social challenges like alcohol and drug abuse, unfocused social relationships
resulting to HIV infections, teenage pregnancies and school dropout, general
indiscipline and poor academic performance; there still exists a gap between
knowledge and positive behavior among learners. The purpose of this study was to
assess the implementation of LSE curriculum in the Kenyan secondary schools by
establishing if teachers and education managers had received sufficient training,
assessing the attitudes of teachers towards LSE curriculum, evaluating the adequacy
of LSE instructional resources provided, and ascertaining the sufficiency of
educational support accorded teachers. The study was based on Cole‟s (2004) theory.
The study adopted a mixed methods design using descriptive survey strategy,
involved 198 secondary school teachers purposively selected from stratified 19
secondary schools in the Lugari District, Kakamega County and DQASO from DEO‟s
office. Questionnaires, interview schedules and document analysis were used to
collect data. Data was analyzed using descriptive and correlation statistical techniques
with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study revealed
that; teachers of LSE curriculum were insufficiently trained, some (42%) of teachers
had negative attitudes towards LSE curriculum, LSE instructional resources were
scantily available, and education support was insufficient. The study concluded that
LSE curriculum was not being successfully implemented in the Kenyan secondary
schools. The study recommended that; KIE should organize pre-service and intensive
in service trainings on implementation of LSE curriculum to improve the teachers‟
competence and capacitate education managers to provide proper education support;
KIE should broadcast more LSE lessons through Educational media service for
secondary schools, print more textbooks and reference books for LSE curriculum and
avail them in local bookshops; TSC should employ more teachers in secondary
schools in order to reduce the workload of most teachers to manageable levels; to
enable teachers plan and teach LSE curriculum; Policy makers (KIE, MoE) should
formulate policies that guide the implementation of non- examinable subjects; hence
make the implementation of LSE curriculum successful and beneficial to learners. |
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