Curriculum and its contribution to awareness of climate change among learners in secondary schools in Githunguri Sub-County, Kiambu County, Kenya
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Date
2017-12
Authors
Kariuki, Charles Ndiritu
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Climate change poses a danger to the current and the future generations. Sad to note
though is the fact that although developing countries have contributed the least to the
current mess, they will be more impacted due to their limited technology to adapt to the
consequences. As a remedy to the current situation, formal education has been identified
as a major tool of passing the required knowledge, skills and changing people’s attitude
towards climate change. However, most education curricula in developing countries have
little content on climate change. It is for this reason that this study set out to establish the
contribution of curriculum in creating awareness of climate change among learners in
secondary schools in Githunguri Sub-county of Kiambu County in Kenya. The study was
guided by three objectives: To establish the key areas of climate change addressed by the
current Kenya’s secondary school formal curriculum; to establish the extent to which
implementation of the curriculum contributes to awareness of climate change among
teachers and students and to evaluate effectiveness of curriculum developers in infusing
climate change content into Kenya’s secondary school curriculum. To achieve the set
objectives, the study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The study adopted
purposive, stratified and simple random sampling techniques to compose a representative
sample. Using stratified sampling technique, schools were divided into either boys, girls
or mixed before selecting a sample of 10 schools. From the sampled schools, stratified
sampling was used to dividing teachers into departments before employing simple
random sampling technique to select a sample of 8 teachers from each of the sampled
schools making a total sample of 80 teachers. Purposive sampling technique was used to
select form four students before employing simple random sampling to select a sample of
10 students from each of the schools making a total of 100 students as part of the sample.
Purposive sampling was also used to select a sample of 8 subjects for content analysis.
Purposive sampling technique was also employed to select 8 respondents from the
curriculum developer in Kenya. The study used a thematic area content analysis template
to undertake content analysis on sampled subjects. Data from teachers and students was
obtained using different questionnaires for each of the categories. An interview guide was
used to collect data from sampled Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development officers.
Quantitative data collected was analysed using inferential statistics while qualitative data
was analysed through descriptions and narratives. Statistical Package for Social Science
and Minitab programs were utilised to enhance quality analysis. Analysed data was
presented in tables of frequencies, graphs and charts. Analysed data established that
sampled subjects had an aggregate variation ratio of 0.44. A statistical test established
that the chi-square value was greater than the significant value, that is 0.567>0.495. A
conclusion was made that climate change content in the sampled subjects was inadequate.
On the relationship between implementation of curriculum and awareness among
teachers, the chi-square value was greater than the significant value, 0.794>0.659, and
therefore the relationship was not significant. However for students a significant
relationship was established with likelihood ratio being less than the significant value,
0.196>0.658. Finally the study established that 63% and 13% of sampled curriculum
developers rated the curriculum as poor or very poor respectively. This implied that
infusion of climate change content into the curriculum was not been effective. Results of
this study are likely to be beneficial in policy, practical and theoretical dimensions.
Description
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of degree of master of environmental studies (climate change & sustainability) in the school of environmental studies of Kenyatta University. December, 2017