Factors influencing the implementation of the 8.4.4 prevocational curriculum in Kenya primary schools: acomparative study of Nairobi City and Nyandarua district.

Abstract

In this study, the research presents the results of a research investigating the factors influencing the implementation of the 8.4.4 prevocational education curriculum in rural and urban primary school in Kenya, by comparing a sample of Nairobi city and Nyandarua district primary schools.

The research design was and international survey. Questionnaires were administered to a total of 84 teachers, 22 head teachers, and 660 pupils, from a total of 22 primary schools, 11 from each area. The questionnaires were designed to measure their attitudes towards the teaching and learning of Home science, Agriculture, Music, Art and Craft, the availability of resources; the quality and quantity of teachers; the community support given in the financing and management of schools; and the teaching/ assessment methods used.

The study established that there was an acute shortage of educational resources required by the prevocational subjects such as Home science, Music, Arts, and craft rooms, workshops, workshop tools and equipment, textbooks, and demonstration farms especially in Nairobi teachers found teaching the subjects of prevocational subjects and thus lacked confidence and professional competence. In addition, the teacher qualifications were higher in Nairobi than in Nyandarua.

On attitudes towards the prevocational subjects, pupils, teachers and head teachers were found to be more positively inclined in Nyandarua than in Nairobi.

On the teaching/ assessment methods, lack of essential facilities and equipment was found to be limiting the application of methods most suited to the prevocational subjects.

Lastly, the community support given to Nyandarua schools was found to more than that accorded to Nairobi Schools.

Among some of the major recommendations are the review of implementation strategy and a renewed public awareness campaign to popularize the aims, purposes and requirements of the 8-4-4-education system.