A study of factors that negatively affect the teaching of art education in Getembe and Keumbo division of Gusii district

Abstract

There is a worldwide revolution in the primary school education with a major aim to meet the needs of the learner and the society. This move has been well received in Kenya. The recently declared innovations in the Kenya’s Primary Education are an attempt towards this end. Since the new 8-year primary education emphasizes, among other things, the essence of art education in the total education of the learner; and realized that there has been no research done specifically on the state of art teaching in the primary schools, it became necessary for an investigation to be made to find out whether or not, art education was affected by some factors within the schools’ set-up. The researcher assumed that improved teaching in art education would enhance the attainment of educational objectives for primary schools. Therefore the study sought to reveal variables within the head teachers, the art teachers, the pupils and the environment, which are thought to affect the teaching of art negatively. However, the study faced three limitations: inadequate finances, limited time and absence of previous research on the issues.

The sample for the study consisted of primary school art teachers and grade six pupils from twenty schools sampled from two divisions of Gusii District. The collected data was analyzed and reported in percentage form.

The findings of the study revealed that in Gusii District, art education was negatively affected by acute shortage of art materials, equipment and facilities; many teachers lacked competence to handle the subject; inadequate supervision on art; absence of seminars and in-service course in art; the low opinion held by both the head teachers, art that there was little relationship between school art and community art.