A study of materials availability for teaching and learning environmental education in primary schools in Emkwen location, Bomet division, Kericho district, Kenya

Abstract

The aim of this project was to study the availability of the materials used for teaching and learning Environmental Education at primary schools. The major objectives were: (i) to find out the kind of materiaLs available for use in teaching and learning of EE. (ii) to find out the various sources of those materials. (iii) to establish whether the teachers use the immediate environment to teach EE. (iv) to determine whether the teachers and pupils prepare their own materials for reaching and learning Environmental Education. (v) to investigate how the materials used for teaching and learning Environmental Education are stored in the primary schools. (vi) To find out whether the teachers of Environmental Education share ideas on the use and production of materials for teaching and learning Environmental Education. The study was carried out at four primary schools in Emkwen educational zone of Kericho District. The schools are Kamogoso, Segutiet, Morit and Kiplelji. Design Two instruments were used to collect the information - a questionniare and a checklist. A questionnaire for forty eight teachers teaching GHC a combined course, Agriculture, Science, and Home Science. The information contained in it reflected on how the teachers attach to the use of teaching and learning resources and the type of these resources found in their schools. A checklist to record all the materials found in these schools were completed by the researcher helped by the teachers in charge of the subject panels. Findings This study found that: (i) most of the materials used in the primary schools are received from the Ministry of Education. (ii) some of the materials used are very old and are rarely used. (iii) Agriculture and workshop tools are supplied to or bought by the schools. (iv) There are few other sources of Environmental Education teaching and learning materials. (v) 100% of the teachers agree that teaching and learning materiam in Environmental Education are necessary. (vi) Most teachers (95.8%) utilize the local environment in teaching their pupils. (vii) Sixty seven per cent of the teachers take students to study soil erosion during the EE field trips. (viii) 100% of the teachers agreed that teaching and learning materials help the learning process to be more effective. (ix) 87% of the teachers base their criterion on selecting the materials used by the lesson objective. (x) 90% of the teachers record the materiaE used in Environmental Education in exercise books. (xi) 83% of the teachers agreed that they meet with other members of staff to share ideas on the production and use of teaching and learning ~aterials in teaching Environmental Education. (xii) 88% of the teachers do not visit the nearest large library to obtain more information on Environmental issues. On the basis of the findings, the researcher made the following recommendations: - The Ministry of Education should supply more materials for teaching EE to the Schools. - Teachers and pupils should prepare more materials for teaching and learning Environmental Education. - More types of books and journals are needed, especially those dealing with the Kenyan situations. - The District Environment officers and Environment Education Inspector should organize seminars and workshops on the production and use of materials for teaching and learning Environmental Education. - Other non-governmental organizations should be requested to extend their services on environmental issues to primary schools