ABSTRACT
Science is essential to all people and it should be taught in all learning institutions since it helps in the growth of economy, industrialization and advancement in technology. Early years are important to build a solid foundation for learners in science subjects. In this regard science education and instruction should be made affordable and accessible to all learners by using locally improvised materials. Research done in Western countries like USA revealed that teachers used materials from the local environment to teach science in preschools. In Africa especially in Nigeria and Kenya, there is inadequate use of materials for science instruction and majority of teachers adopt the lecture method to teach science in pre-primary schools, blackboard appears to be the common material used. This really hinders proper science instruction to learners given that science is a practical subject and children learn best by doing. The purpose of the study therefore was to examine the pre- primary school teachers’ use of improvised materials in science instruction in Bungoma East Sub County, Bungoma County. The study specifically sought to determine the relationship between the frequency of use of improvised instructional materials in science instruction by pre-primary teachers and the factors which were believed to influence their use. Jean Piagets’ theory of learning guided the study. Co relational study design was employed. The dependent variable was the frequency of use of improvised materials in science instruction while independent variables were the availability of improvised materials, teachers training level and teaching experience and the level of head teachers support towards improvisation. Purposive and random samplings were used to select the study location. Stratified sampling was used to select the pre-primary schools from the 58 targeted schools (34 public and 24 private). Questionnaires and observation checklist were used to generate data where content validity and test retest techniques were used to determine validity as well as reliability of the instruments respectively. Results from data analysis were presented using tables and were organized according to objectives. The data collected was coded and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Quantitative techniques were used to analyze data which involved frequencies, standard deviation, means and percentages. Inferential statistics used to test null hypotheses was Chi- square at alpha value 0.05 (p<0.05). Results from the data analysis revealed that there were a variety of improvised science instructional materials in pre-primary schools although they were not adequately used. There was no significant relationship between teachers training level and the use of improvised materials in science instruction at (p=0.957). It was also evident that there was significant relationship between teachers teaching experience and frequency of use of improvised instructional materials at (p=0.001). It was also observed that there was significant relationship between head teachers level of support and teachers frequency of use of IIM at (p=0.012). The findings suggest that when teachers are well experienced and get adequate support from their head teachers, they are able to use IIM frequently and effectively. To improve the use of improvised instructional materials in the schools, the teachers, head teachers and other stakeholders need to work together and organize seminars, workshops and capacity building forums to get empowered at the district and county levels.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Introduction
This chapter presents the background of the study, followed by the statement of the problem, purpose of the study, objectives and hypotheses, significance of the study, limitation and delimitation, assumptions, theoretical framework, conceptual framework and concludes with definition of operational terms.
Background to the Study
Science is the foundation upon which today’s technological advancements are laid. Nations worldwide including Kenya, are striving hard to develop technologically and scientifically. Science is essential for citizens of a given country to learn and it should be taught in all learning institutions starting from pre-primary to higher institutions of learning. Science is vital in providing learners with the skills required for accelerating economic growth, industrialization and advancement in technology (MOEST, 2005). It is a core subject in helping Kenya to attain vision 2030 which is geared towards developing Kenyan economy and technology. Science has become an integral part of human society Owolabi (2004), and through it man has been able to better understand his environment.
Children are scientific in nature and so they are curious to learn everything that happens around them. Science enables them to understand the world in which they
live. They use all their senses in learning scientific processes that involve exploration, discovery, experimentation, organization of information and reporting. It is essential to provide a conducive and stimulating environment where children learn science by doing and carrying out activities (Tina, 2005).The children should thus be provided with many activities accompanied with relevant adequate materials from the surrounding environment. Pre-primary school teachers play crucial role in bringing positive learning of science in children. Therefore, they should improvise, organize collection and make materials from the natural environment to be used in teaching and learning.
Improvised instructional materials (IIM) are acquired from the local environment, either within or outside the school environment. They are sourced by teachers, parents, learners, community members and other charity organizations. Improvisation involves the process of selection and creation of relevant instructional elements for teaching and learning process to achieve the educational goals and objectives (Eshiet, 1996).Science IIM is effective in teaching and learning process because the learners are familiar with them hence they enjoy learning. They also motivate learners, encourage classroom participation, enlarge the limited knowledge of learners as well as improving the quality of teaching and learning (Ibe Bassey, 2012). According to KIE (2008) IIM enhance smooth transition of children from home to school as it makes it easier for them to connect new knowledge to their own daily life experiences.
Globally, like in USA science instruction in pre-primary schools follows the National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC) guidelines on developmentally appropriate practices (DAP). A study conducted by Ngasike (2012), indicated that the guideline advocates for cohesive science teaching and learning through play, exploration of the natural environment, experiments, creativity and problem solving. The teacher has to arrange the classroom well to ensure learners learn science well and their misconceptions are cleared. The programme ensures that children have adequate materials from the natural environment to use in learning science. This shows that science learning reflects what goes on in the child’s environment thus ensuring that teaching and learning of science is meaningful and relevant to the life of the learners. IIM are acknowledged globally and used in pre-primary science instruction and Africa let alone Kenya, should similarly follow suit.
In Nigeria, the government has tried to put several mechanisms to boost science performance in the country. In spite of all efforts to make science education effective, there has been consistent poor performance in the subject and Poopola, (2002) indicates that the problem can be traced back to the poor teaching methods in the early years. Therefore, in the new approach to teaching science in the primary schools, the aim is not to pour in facts and to rely on textbooks, rather to construct an environment full of materials in which a child can explore for himself/herself by feeling, comparing and discovering relationship through his own observation. The
effective teaching of science concept therefore, requires effective communication techniques by teachers and learners since science consist not ordinarily imparting the facts but encouraging the students to observe and reason. For this effective communication to take place in science classes, researchers suggested the use of interactive approach to science teaching with audio, visual audio-visual and tactile materials to stimulate learners interest in learning and improve their academic achievements. Esu, Enukoha and Umorem (2004) assert that these instructional materials are the pivot on which the wheel of the teaching-learning process rotates. They help to promote greater acquisition and higher retention of factual knowledge as well as contribute to the development of attitude and behavior change. They challenge pupils’ creativity and help to overcome physical disabilities and hindrances to learning in the subject matter (Igwe, 2005).
Instructional materials are not widely used in schools by teachers and learners. Ezeasor (2012) study on assessing teachers’ use of improvised materials in science education revealed that most science teachers did not improvise science materials nor use IIM in teaching sciences in schools. This was attributed to poor funding, lack of time on the part of the teacher, lack of creativity and poor improvisation skills. Similarly Ofoegbu (2012) study on resources for teaching basic science and technology in Nigerian primary schools found that the teachers used only textbooks and chalkboard during instruction. This inhibits the pre-primary learners in developing their inherent potential and also the use of senses in learning science. Therefore, there is need to embrace improvisation of instructional materials from
the local environment. The above studies were done in Nigeria and yet they cannot be generalized in Kenyan pre-primary schools hence the need for the current study to ascertain the availability and frequency of use of IIM in pre-primary schools.
Since science is vital in both developed and developing countries, the basic scientific education foundation should be laid in early childhood using culturally relevant improvised materials where children can learn science in culturally responsive ways (Ngasike, 2010). Science instruction for young children should be activity oriented with variety of materials from the local environment to manipulate and construct their own scientific knowledge given that, science is compulsory from pre-primary to secondary schools (Republic of Kenya, 1999). Children ought to access education that is based on their culture to ensure easy transmission of knowledge, attitudes and values about the society (ECDE National policy framework, 2006). Children should be taught using improvised and culturally relevant instructional materials since it has the local content like pictures, plants, foods, hides, models, story books, charts, fruits, soil, animals and real objects. Therefore this study had the main objective of assessing teachers’ frequency of use of IIM in pre-primary school science instruction.
To be able to provide Education For All (EFA) and to attain Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs), the main objective is to provide quality education and training to every child despite the background they come from. Children can access cheaper and quality education through use of locally improvised materials
from the local environment. This can also motivate children to come to school and to reduce the absenteeism rate as indicated by Uwezo report (2011).Use of IIM makes learners enjoy learning and retain learnt content for long. The role of the teachers is evidently significant, they need to provide locally improvised materials in the classrooms as well as use them in the teaching and learning process.
