Teacher Related Determinants Influencing the Provision of Quality Early Childhood Education in Njoro Division, Nakuru County, Kenya
Loading...
Date
2020
Authors
Ngotho, Agnes Wanjiru
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
The benefits associated with quality education have been acknowledged globally. Quality
early childhood education programmes have been found to help to build a strong
foundation for the child’s physical, mental, emotional, and social development that
prepare them for a lifetime. In regard to this early childhood education was believed to
prepare children for primary school. The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher
related determinants factors influencing the provision of quality early childhood
education. The study was set to establish whether factors such as teacher motivation,
qualification, financial resource and parental involvement influences provision of quality
Early Childhood Education. This study was guided by Bronfernbrenner’s ecological
theory. Descriptive survey research design was used. The target population for the study
was pre-school teachers and head teachers in Njoro Division, Nakuru County. The
division has 84 ECE centres. The respondents comprised of 84 Head teachers, 168 ECDE
teachers forming a target population of 252 respondents. Stratified sampling method and
simple random sampling was used to select the sample size for the study. The sample size
was 50% of 168 teachers (84) and 84 pre-school teachers (42) were selected giving a total
of 126 respondents. Questionnaires and interview schedules were used to obtain data
from the field. Questionnaires were piloted at to the ECDE centres in Njoro Division
comprising of nine respondents which were not included in the final study to test validity
and reliability of the instrument. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive
statistics which included mean, frequencies and percentages and presented in terms of
tables, graphs and charts. Qualitative data was coded and analysed thematically based on
the study objectives. The study established that teacher motivation, teacher qualification
and financial resources positively and significantly influenced the provision of quality
early childhood education. The study concludes that teacher motivation is critical to the
success in enhancing quality ECDE education. This because teachers are the most
important implementers, since they interface with the learners who have special
education needs. There is a positive statistically significant relationship between teacher
qualification and the provision of quality early childhood education. This means that
higher teacher qualifications are related to improvements in supporting children’s
development, including supporting language-reasoning experience, supervision and the
scheduling of activities, organization and arrangement of the room, providing varied
social experiences for children, and creating a warm and friendly environment for
interactions. ECDE had suffered financial constraints due to lack of government funding.
This led to lack of sufficient teaching classes and provision of required teaching and
learning materials. The study recommends that special motivational strategies that target
ECDE teachers on ECDE programs education should be implemented. All teachers who
work in an inclusive setting should be given a special allowance. It is important to have
teachers with qualification higher than certificate level of education in ECDE centres
because quality is closely linked to the level of staff qualification. Financial resources
should be taken into first consideration for ECDE support. Clear sources of ECDE
financing should be identified, proper channels of distributing the money sought for and
the amounts should be raised to the standards required.
Description
A Research Project Submitted in Partial Fulfilment
of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree
of Master of Education (Early Childhood) in the
School of Education of Kenyatta University,
Kenya.
Keywords
Early Childhood Education, Njoro Division, Nakuru County, Kenya