Challenges of implementing SMASSE skills in teaching of Mathematics in public secondary schools in Bureti district Kericho county, Kenya

Abstract

Despite the completion of all cycles of SMASSE project with nearly all teachers having undergone training on effective teaching approaches of ASEI/PDSI, implementation of these skills seems not to be taking place since performance in mathematics is still poor in Kenya, Bureti district included. It was expected that SMASSE project was going to improve performance in the subject. In view of this, the purpose of the study will be to investigate the challenges of implementing SMA SSE skills in teaching mathematics in public secondary schools of Bureti District. This study aimed at finding out the challenges that hinders teachers of mathematics in Bureti district from using these approaches in their lessons. The study was guided by the following objectives: To examine the teaching approaches used by mathematics teachers in public secondary schools in Bureti district, To establish teachers' perception of training at SMASSE INSET in Bureti district, To determine the attitude of teachers and learners towards mathematics in Bureti district and To find out the SMASSE follow-up activities carried-out in Bureti district. The study used survey design to investigate the challenges facing mathematics teachers in implementing SMASSE skills. Stratified sampling was used in selecting 23% of schools from boys, girls and mixed schools from each category and in selecting students in sampled schools. The study used questionnaire for teachers and deputy principals in gathering information. Collected data was coded and analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methods. Quantitative data were obtained from closed ended items in mathematics teachers' and deputy principals' questionnaires. They were coded and entered in the computer using quantitative SPSS program. The data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics: percentages and frequencies. The data was presented with the aid' of graphs. Qualitative data was grouped into different categories/themes consistent with the research objectives and deduction and generalizations made using patterns and trends of responses. The following were found to be the challenges in the implementation of SMASSE inset: that. the application of SMASSE skills is time consuming hence might not allow the teachers to cover syllabi in time required in some of the schools, large workload that is brought by higb teacher-learner ratio in all the schools in Kenya, inadequate facilities in the schools to enable teachers implement the skills, indifferent learners in some of the schools, there was poor training during the INSET and that most of the trainers in the district did not have previous good records of performance in their schools. The study's recommendation for further studies was: the study was carried out in one district and similar studies could be carried out in other parts of country for further information and generalization. The study only focused on challenges of implementing SMASSE skills. The impact of SMASSE on performance in mathematics should be studied