Methods Used By Teachers to Teach Christian Religious Education in Secondary Schools in Kimilili in Bungoma County, Kenya (Published)
Christian Religious Education in secondary schools in Kenya occupies a key position in the 8-4-4 curriculum. This is so because it enables the learner to integrate all subjects of the curriculum into a more mature view of self, their relationship with the environment, both physical and cultural, other people and God. The purpose of the study was to establish factors that face the use of audiovisual resources for teaching Christian Religious Education (CRE) in Kimilili Division, Bungoma County in Western Kenya. Based on the study, this paper surveys the methods used by teachers in teaching CRE in the study area. The study adopted a survey research design. Random sampling was used to select both CRE teachers and students to participate in the study while stratified sampling was used to select the schools. The sample was drawn from secondary schools in Kimilili Division of Bungoma County in Kenya. The sample size was made up of 266 respondents, comprising 242 CRE students and 24 CRE teachers. Data was collected using questionnaires and observation schedules. The study used two sets of questionnaires; one for CRE teachers and another for students. The collected data was quantitatively analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented using tables and graphs. The findings showed that the CRE subject is mainly taught using verbal communication and the use of textbooks is common. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that curriculum planners and other educational stakeholders in Kenya should establish CRE resource centres in every County so that resources for teaching CRE can easily be availed to teachers for teaching the subject. This paper will help teachers and other educational stakeholders to understand the importance of combining various methods in teaching with the sole purpose of ensuring that learners are able to master, retain and live out the content that is taught in CRE in Kenya.
Keywords: CRE, Christian Religious Education, Kenya, Methods, Secondary Schools, Teachers
Teachers’ Perception on the Challenges of 9-Year Basic Education Curriculum Implementation in Edo State. (Published)
This study is carried out to find out the challenges faced in the implementation of the revised 9-year BEC in Edo state. The population for the study comprises all the school teachers from Lower, Middle and Upper Basic teachers in Edo State, Nigeria. A total population of two thousand eight hundred and eighty-four (2884) was focused for the study in Akoko Edo Local Government area. The sample of this study was six hundred (600) respondents selected across the state from public Lower, Middle and Upper Basic schools. Purposive sampling technique was used to group the state in terms of Senatorial District in the state.Random sampling techniques was used to select two (2) Local Government each from each senatorial district. Proportional sampling techniques was used to select five (5) schools in each Local Government making thirty schools (30). Strategfied sampling technique was used to select twenty (20) respondents from each schools selected in all the Local Government respectively. A total number of 600 respondents was selected from the 30 schools in the six (6) Local Government for the study. The research hypothesis there is no significance difference on the perceived challenges by teachers’ on the implementation of the revised 9-year BEC on the basis of year of experience was accepted and adequate recommendations were made.
Keywords: 9-year BEC, Challenges, Implementation, Perception, Teachers
Principals’ Supervisory Techniques and Teachers’ Job Performance in Secondary Schools in Ikom Education Zone, Cross River State, Nigeria (Published)
The study investigated the relationship between principals’ supervisory techniques and teachers’ job performance in Ikom Education Zone of Cross River State, Nigeria. Ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study. The sample was 86 principals, 344 teachers and 1,376 students drawn from a population of 86 principals, 1829 teachers and 35,359 students in public secondary schools in the study area. To achieve the purpose of the study, two null hypotheses were formulated. Data collection was carried out with the use of two research instruments titled “Principals’ Supervisory Technique Questionnaire (PSTQ)” and “Teachers’ Job Performance Questionnaire (TJPQ)”. The instruments were subjected to face validity and Cronbach Alpha reliability estimate. The reliability value obtained ranged between 0.73 and 0.78. These figures confirmed that the instruments were reliable in achieving the objective of the study. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis (r) was used for data analysis at .05 level of significance. Results obtained revealed that a significant relationship exist between principals’ supervisory techniques in terms of classroom visitation, workshop techniques and teachers’ job performance. Based on the findings, it was concluded that job performances of teachers would be enhanced when they are properly supervised by principals using the various supervisory techniques.
Keywords: Job Performance, Principals, Secondary Schools, Teachers, supervisory techniques
THE FORMS AND LEVEL OF MOTIVATION FOR TEACHERS OF KISWAHILI IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ELGEYO MARAKWET COUNTY, KEIYO SUB-COUNTY, KENYA (Published)
Language subjects (Kiswahili or English) are important to the education of a student. This is evident in entry requirements or clustering of subjects performed to enable learners join higher learning institutions. Currently, for one to be absorbed in courses like medicine, law and engineering, he or she must score grade ‘A’ in English or Kiswahili. To accomplish their task, teachers need to utilize all the professional training, be innovative, creative, dedicated to the interest of learners in school and helping them during extra time beyond the school daily timetable. Teachers should be motivated to accomplish the noble task. This paper is designed to identify the level of motivation for teachers of Kiswahili. The study was based on Expectancy theory by Victor Vroom who explained that motivation is a combination of three factors: Valence, Expectancy and Instrumentality. The theory stresses that students and teachers expect to get a reward from the effort they put in their work. Survey research design and Stratified random sampling was used to select teachers teaching Kiswahili from the selected 14 schools out of 29 schools in Elgeyo Marakwet County. The sample included teachers and students. Questionnaires and document analysis were used in data collection. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics mainly frequencies, percentages, variances and standard deviations; t-test was applied in testing the hypothesis. The paper recommends that Head teachers and other administrators need to adopt a workable motivation schedule to improve the teachers’ level of motivation and consequently performance
Keywords: Kiswahili, Level, Motivation, Performance, Teachers
TEACHER PROFESSIONALISM: A CASE FROM SISSALA EAST DISTRICT, UPPER WEST REGION, GHANA (Published)
The production of a storyline connecting issues of policy coherence with reference to reform initiatives designed to enhance teacher professionalism is the central purpose of this article. The storyline is synthesised from conversations with Ghana Education Service (GES) stakeholders and educational leaders about their opinions concerning the Ghana Education Service and teacher support towards policy implementation within the Sissala East District. Teacher professionalism has been taken out of a larger research work on “Implementation of Initiatives in Ghanaian Education: The effect on rural Ghanaian junior high schools” (Inkoom, 2012). The article articulates background data about demographic details of teachers in the Sissala East District; their professional development; teaching and learning, facilities and resources; and, issues of teacher deployment within GES and teacher education.
Keywords: Commitment, Motivation, Teachers, interventions, potential, professionalism
EFFECTS OF EDUCATIONAL SUPERVISION ON PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PERCEPTION OF PUBLIC BASIC SCHOOL TEACHERS AT WINNEBA, GHANA (Published)
Educational supervision is very vital in the professional development of teachers. The study therefore aims at investigating the perception of public basic school teachers at Winneba, Ghana, on educational supervision in relation to their professional development. In all, 106 teachers of the public basic schools in Winneba who had spent at least a year at their respective schools were randomly selected and used for the study. The questionnaire was used to collect the data. One key finding from the study is that generally, majority of the teachers perceived educational supervision as having a positive impact on their professional development in terms of developing experience; curriculum, teaching methods and materials; classroom management; characteristics of pupils; and assessment. They also perceive educational supervision as helping to identify the needs of teachers and accordingly, plans professional development activities. Another finding is that educational supervisors highlight the strengths of teachers’ performance and encourage them to reflect on their challenges through which solutions are found to overcome them. More so, there is no significant difference in the views of male and female teachers of public basic schools at Winneba, in terms of developing their experiences, classroom management, characteristics of the pupils they teach, and assessment techniques. However, there is a significant difference in their responses in terms of curriculum, teaching methods and materials. The study, therefore, recommends that frequent and effective professional development activities should be organized by educational supervisors to enable teachers identify and develop their strengths, and address their weaknesses. Also, educational supervisors should not be interested in finding faults of teachers but more importantly, dialogue with teachers to identify their strengths and weaknesses in order to improve on their professional knowledge, skills and experiences.
Keywords: Perception, Professional Development, Teachers, basic schools, educational supervision, public
JOB SECURITY AND JOB SATISFACTION AS DETERMINANTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT AMONG UNIVERSITY TEACHERS IN CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA (Published)
The purpose of this study was to find out the extent to which job security and job satisfaction predicted organizational commitment of university teachers in Cross River State, Nigeria. The relative contribution of each of the two independent variables to the prediction was also investigated. A survey design was adopted and the study sample consisted of 290 lecturers selected from 2 universities using purposive sampling technique. Two hypotheses guided the study. Instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multiple regression and t-test. The result of the study revealed that both job security and job satisfaction jointly had a significant effect (F = 9.87; P< .05) on organizational commitment of university teachers. There was also a significant correlation between the joint predictor variables and organizational commitment (R = 0.593; P<.05). Job satisfaction was a more potent predictor of organizational commitment (t = 3.38; P < .05) than job security ( t = 2.75; P < .05). The two independent variables made significant relative contributions to the determinacy of organizational commitment of university teachers. Premised on these findings it was recommended that the government and university management should improve upon existing motivational strategies to ensure job satisfaction of academic staff in order to enhance their commitment. Actions of government and university authority that would lead to threats of job security among academic staff should be avoided as this could jeopardize their sense of commitment.
Keywords: Commitment, Job Satisfaction, Job Security, Teachers, Universities
A Chemistry Class with Kitchen Resources and Students’ Entrepreneurial Ability (Published)
This paper examined entrepreneurial ability of chemistry students when taught saponification reaction with and without kitchen resources. Saponification reaction was taught using kitchen resources such as, ashes of unripe plantain, ashes of cocoa peels, ashes of husks of oil palm husks, palm oil, vegetable oil, coconut oil and kernel oil were used for the experiments. The sample comprised of 200 students drawn from four secondary schools in Calabar Education Zone of Cross River State. Two schools were used for experimental (using kitchen resources) and two for control (without kitchen resources). Cronbach was used to establish reliability of the instrument which was 0.81.The research used a mix design (quasi experimental and survey design) and 10 items questionnaire as instrument for the research. Data obtained were analysed using independent t-test .The results gave a significant t-value of 4.85. There was a significant difference in the entrepreneurial ability of chemistry students taught saponification reaction with and without kitchen resources. Teachers are encouraged to use kitchen resources in the teaching of chemistry to make students small entrepreneurs.
Keywords: Entrepreneurial ability, Kitchen resources, Students, Teachers