PHD-Department of Early Childhood Studies

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Browsing PHD-Department of Early Childhood Studies by Subject "Early Years"

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    Determinants of Early Years Teachers’ Professional Identity in Nairobi City County, Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2021) Magoma, Phyllis M.; Esther Waithaka; Teresa Mwoma
    Early Years Education Teachers’ (EYET) professional identity is an emerging issue which has attracted a lot of attention. Professional identity affects teachers’ practices in teaching and the manner in which they interpret policies of education. Teachers day to day working practices are directly influenced by the environment in schools. Provision of a positive school climate for teachers also creates a favourable learning environment for pupils. In spite of the area being researched widely globally, in Kenya, it has received very little attention. Moreover, a lot of literature has highlighted the importance of education in the first formative years of children. EYET form a very important part of this process and that is why their professional identity and factors influencing it cannot be overlooked. Available studies on EYET in Kenya focused on teacher perceptions and attitudes towards teaching, attrition, motivation level, job satisfaction and not on their professional identity. This study intended to establish EYET professional identity and explore how factors related to teachers and school influence it. The study was based on Fredrick Herzberg’s (1950) theory of Satisfaction and Motivation. The dependent variable was EYET professional identity, while the independent variables were teachers’ demographic characteristics, school climate and type of school. The study was conducted in Nairobi City County. Target population was EYET in 44 primary schools in the sub-county. Questionnaires and interview schedules were used in collecting data. Content validity and internal consistency reliability were used to ensure the instruments were valid and reliable. Results were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics and presented using tables, figures and text. Results revealed that EYET professional identity was weak. Demographic characteristics influenced EYET professional identity and the relationship between teachers’ professional identity and school climate was highly significant. To improve EYET professional identity, key stakeholders should appreciate the work of the teachers, improve their working environment and ensure fair and adequate remuneration of teachers.
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    Inclusive Instructional Practices Influencing Competency-Based Curriculum Implementation For Early Years Learners with Disabilities in Primary Schools, Nairobi City County, Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2023) Otieno, Owino Clifford; Beatrice Bunyasi Awori; Rachel W. Kamau-Kang’ethe
    Inclusive education is fast taking centre stage in most educational programmes globally. It is therefore incumbent for all curricula and educational programs changes and implementation to take cognizant of this fact. This study focused on the inclusive instructional practices influencing inclusion of Early Years Learners with disabilities in the implementation of the competency-based curriculum (CBC) among primary schools. The study was to investigate the influence of inclusive instructional practices on CBC implementation for early years learners with disabilities who were learning in regular primary schools in Nairobi City County Kenya. The objectives of the study were to; establish an association between teachers’ training in SNE and their implementation of CBC for EYL with disabilities in primary schools; determine the association between instructional methods adaptation and CBC implementation for EYL with disabilities in primary schools; determine the instructional material resources adaptation and CBC implementation for EYL with disabilities in primary schools and to analyse the assessment strategies adaptation and CBC implementation for EYL with disabilities in primary schools. The study was premised on the theory of Complexity and Education by Davis and Sumara (2006), which holds that the fruitfulness and range of systems in which ambiguity and uncertainty occur, should be embraced. A concurrent embedded design based on the mixed-method approach was employed. The study location was Nairobi City County, Kenya. A target population of 657 participants was used with a sample of 16 head teachers, 48 teachers, and 2 Educational Officers. Stratified, random sampling and purposive techniques were employed to select the locale and the study sample respectively. Questionnaires, check-list and interview schedule were employed to collect data. Piloting was done in one school with a special unit and helped test the efficacy of the instruments. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of r>=.75 was deemed fit for reliability. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22 was used. Research hypotheses were tested using chi-square (X2) at at a significant level of α ≤ .05. Findings of this study revealed that neither teachers with high nor low levels of training in SNE had significant association with the level of implementation of CBC with the learners with disabilities in the regular class and that teachers with a high mean score on instructional methods adaptation for learners with disabilities also had high mean scores on CBC implementation in regular class. Teachers with high mean scores on instructional material methods adaptation also had high mean scores on CBC implementation for learners with disabilities in regular class and that teachers with high mean scores on assessment strategies adaptation also had high mean scores on CBC implementation for learners with disabilities in a regular class. It was concluded therefore that majority of the teachers were not trained in SNE for the adaptation and implementation of CBC for the learners with disabilities. Further, Schools still did not employ alternative instructional methods for adaptation and implementation of CBC for learners with disabilities and lacked alternative instructional material resources for adaptation and implementation of CBC for early years learners with disabilities. Finally it was revealed that schools did not employ alternative assessment strategies for adaptation and implementation of Competency-Based Curriculum for early years learners with disabilities. The study recommended the need for mass training of early years primary school grade teachers in Special Needs Education to enable them employ appropriate instructional and inclusive of learners with disabilities in implementation of CBC.