RP-Department of Educational Communication and Technology

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Browsing RP-Department of Educational Communication and Technology by Author "Gathumbi, Agnes W."

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    An analysis of History Teaching Methodology in High schools: A case of Tigania and Igembe districts, Meru County, Kenya
    (The International Institute for Science, Technology and Education (IISTE), 2014) Mwathwana, M. I.; Mungai, C.; Gathumbi, Agnes W.; George, G.E.
    This is a part of a larger study that was set out to establish pedagogical and other factors which influenced academic performance in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) History examination in Tigania and Igembe Districts, Meru County Kenya. This study was aimed at establishing History teaching methods which influenced academic performance in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) History examination in Tigania and Igembe Districts, Meru County Kenya. The study was carried out using descriptive survey design. The study used probability sampling where simple random sampling was used. Data collection employed questionnaires for teachers, and focus group discussion for the form three History students. The respondents for the study included forty (40) teachers, and four hundred (400) students who formed sixty (60) groups. The data was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) computer program and descriptive statistics. Chi square was used to test the null hypotheses. Although some teaching methods were found to be commonly used while others were often or rarely used, the impact of teaching methods on KCSE History examination performance was only significant for debate, brainstorming and panel methods
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    The impact of History teaching/learning resources on student performance in KCSE History examinations: A case of Tigania and Igembe districts Meru County, Kenya
    (2014) Muriira, Isabella Mwathwana; Chegge Mungai; Gathumbi, Agnes W.; Gongera Enock George
    This study set to establish the impact which influenced academic performance in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) History examination in Tigania and Igembe Districts, Meru County Kenya. This study aimed at establishing how learning and teaching resources impact on performance in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) History examination in Tigania and Igembe Districts, Meru County Kenya. The study covered the period between 2005 and 2009. It involved public and private secondary schools (mixed and single sex, boarding and day school). The study was conducted using descriptive survey design. The study used probability sampling where simple random sampling was employed. The collection of data was done using questionnaires for head teachers and teachers, interview guide for parents, and focus group discussion with form three History students. The data was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) computer program and descriptive statistics. Chi square was used to test the null hypotheses. It was found that teachinglearning resources are statistically significant in learning and teaching of History. From the findings, most schools in the two districts (75%) lacked a library and of those schools which have a library only 18.2% are adequately stocked with History learning /teaching resources.
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    Information Technology Support Staff’s Competency Level in E-Learning Implementation: A Comparative Study of Kenyatta University, Kenya and University of Cape Coast, Ghana
    (Asia Pacific Institute of Advanced Research, 2015) Gathumbi, Agnes W.; Nyagorme, Paul
    E-learning is an area that has been embraced by many universities and other institutions of higher learning in many developing countries. An attempt to install and use e-Learning equipment and facilities has been met by many challenges. These are in hardware, software and manpower development to meet the needs of the students and staff. Provision of sustained technical support to the end-users is an area that has been overlooked in the adoption of e-learning platforms across the higher education institutions of developing countries. This was a comparative study that assessed Information Communication and Technology (ICT) competency level of Information Technology Support Staff (ITSS) of Kenyatta University (KU), Kenya and University of Cape Coast (UCC), Ghana. Descriptive survey design was used for the study. Purposive sampling technique was employed to select 68 ITSS for the study. Six hypotheses were formulated and tested using independent sample t-test. The study found that the ITSS in the two universities have low proficiency in the area of information system management, software application functions and hardware troubleshooting of the network facilities. The study further found that there exist statistically significant differences in the ICT basic literacy and patch management proficiency, between ITSS of UCC and KU. However, no statistically significant differences were established in the competency levels of system security administration, storage management, service directory administration and output management functions. Other conclusions and recommendations have been made for both universities.
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    Towards Comprehensive Professional Development of Teachers: The Case of Kenya
    (Academy of Process Educators, 2013) Gathumbi, Agnes W.; Mungai, Njoroge J.; Hintze, Denna L.
    The quality of the teacher is vital in any country as the teacher not only embodies the sociocultural ethos of the country, but, in practices within the classroom, ensures its continuation and potential improvement. It is also said that no people can rise above the level of its teachers. Developing countries like Kenya peg their development agenda mainly on the provision of quality education. One approach to improving education is through in-service training of teachers, both novice and experienced. Ideally, in-service training programs are professional development programs committed to improving educator practices and growing their facilitation skills. It is through in-service training that educational institutions realize multiple goals, ranging from training teachers in the use of the latest technology, to helping them grow their skills in implementing pedagogical best practices, and sometimes even aiding educators as they innovate in pursuit of improved educational outcomes. This level of professional development requires the support not only of educational institutions, but of cultures and governments as well. For this reason, this paper supports the institutionalization of in-service training as a method of implementing a comprehensive policy for promoting ongoing professional development for educators. This is a position paper drawing largely from literature and the professional development experiences of teachers, which highlights key challenges worthy of attention by policy makers in order to create a comprehensive policy institutionalizing in-service training in Kenya. It is our stand that a comprehensive policy addressing these challenges would transform in-service training programs from their current ad hoc and local tendencies which generally focus on generic aspects of teaching into highly professional development programs which focus on measures such as student learning outcomes.