ABSTRACT
Social Studies in Pre-Primary Schools refers to the learning of all human activities and the people in the society that one lives in. Global Studies show that a child who is effectively taught social studies obtains social skills and values in the society. The purpose of this study was to find out the influence of the classroom environment on learning of social studies in pre-primary schools in Eldoret East Sub-county in Uasin Gishu County. The specific objectives of the study were guided by three research objectives; to establish the suitability of the classroom setting, to find out the availability of instructional materials used in teaching and to evaluate the appropriateness of the teaching approaches used in teaching social studies. The study was guided by the social learning theory by Lev Vygotsky, (1896- 1934). The theory purports that social learning occurs in three themes; interactive activities, pairing a learner with more knowledgeable others (MKO) and giving tips to a learner on how to handle difficult tasks in their zone of proximal development (ZPD). The study employed descriptive survey design. The target population comprised of 9 zones with 150 Pre-primary schools, 150 head teachers and 440 Pre-primary teachers. Stratified random sampling was used to select schools, while simple random sampling was used to select individual participants. Hence the sample size was 3 zones, 108 schools, 15 head teachers and 205 pre-primary teachers. The data was collected using the questionnaires, interview schedules and observation checklists in which the teachers and the researcher administered on the instruments respectively. The data was organized and analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Quantitative data analysis is descriptive statistically displayed in frequency tables, percentage while qualitative data was analyzed using themes. The findings showed that learning of Social Studies in pre-primary schools was majorly influenced by availability of instructional materials at 24.0%, followed by the appropriateness of the teaching methods at 8.1%, while classroom suitability influenced learning of Social Studies at 4.8%. The study may be useful to the policy makers, curriculum developers, curriculum support officers and the school managers who may utilize the findings by ensuring that the classroom environmental conditions are conducive for learning. The study may be a source of information for teachers to improve on the teaching and learning standards of social studies in Pre-primary schools, and finally the learners’ academic scores in social studies will increase and skills and values will be expected to improve.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Introduction
This section presents the background information, problem statement, and the purpose of the study, objectives, and research guiding questions, significance of the study, limitations, and delimitations of the research study, assumptions, theoretical and conceptual framework and finally operational definition of terms.
Background of the Study
Our world is a social learning sphere and we spend most of our time in interactions as members of social groups. We apply social skills everywhere as we share with others, get along with other people in various settings and display quality social skills for cohesive living among many others (McClelland & Morrison, 2003). Social studies education has been seen to play an integral part in the building of nations, therefore, the development of social skills in formative years lays a critical foundation for later academic achievement as well as work-related skills, such as cooperation, respect, turn-taking, sharing and team spirit.
The National Council for the Social Studies board of directors in USA (NCSS, 2017), purported that social activity in elementary years equipped learners with knowledge and understanding of the past events that would help them cope up with the present life. Precisely NCSS, (2017) meant that, unless learners acquired foundational knowledge, attitude, and skills in early years, it would likely be that the teachers in higher levels of learning would be unsuccessful in preparing them for effective and responsible citizens. Therefore, the learning of social education when developed
systematically from an early age provides children with the social skills to relate appropriately in the physical and social environments.
Globally, studies suggest that for social studies to be well performed teachers should build interest of their students in the environment around them. In Canada Umameh (2011) reported that classroom environment was significantly related to student academic performance in Canadian Schools. A Study on learning environmental carried in Columbia by Linda (2007) suggests that Social studies subject require meaningful teaching, reflective planning, instructions, and assessment. Therefore, teachers should know the subject matter and then engage students in the learning process through variety of instructional strategies and right teaching approaches.
In Africa, low performance in Social Studies in primary schools in Nigeria have been attributed to inadequate instructional materials, Adeyemi (2008) stated that social studies is an activity based subject and therefore depends on instructional materials utilization for effective teaching. In Ghana, Dadzie (2010) elucidated that lack of instructional resources in schools and poor classroom infrastructures negatively affected the quality of instruction in Social Studies. In West Africa Isola, (2010) conducted research on instructional materials and academic performance and concluded that material resources have a significance effect on students’ performance in all subjects. In Kenya Lilian, (2015) investigated the classroom environment on pupils’ academic performance in primary schools in Bungoma Sub County, Kenya and the study pointed out that availability of physical facilities in schools contributed positively to pupil’s performance. Similarly, Wambua (2018) affirmed that unavailability of material resources affected classroom learning environment which
contributed to poor performance in social studies in lower primary grades in Kibwezi zone, Kenya.
Pre-primary teachers according to Njoki (2014) have abilities to enable the learners to balance their experiences through interactive social studies activities. Uwezo Education Kenya’s (2014) findings indicated that there was a positive relationship between the classroom environment and high literacy skills in children and therefore there was a need for schools to create a conducive classroom environment. The Kenyan government in its bid to attain Education for All (EFA) embraced the importance of social studies education and the learning activity was included in the pre-primary curriculum, subsequent evaluations of the curriculum activity was done in order for the educational goals in Early Childhood Education (ECDE) to be realized, (ECDE framework K.I.E 2006). The goal included was goal No.7 which focused on providing education that enabled the children built good habits; acquire acceptable values and behaviors for effective living as an individual and as members of the of the society (ECDE Syllabus, 2006).
The ECDE syllabus (KIE, 2006) highlighted several important facts about social studies including that the learning activity area helped the learner to acquire the understanding that, human beings live together in the society and maintained good relationship with other children. In addition, the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) highlights that learners should acquire, values, right attitudes and life skills. These can only be achieved through effective teaching of relevant learning areas such as Social Studies.
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) carried out a research on the possible causes of ethnicity conflicts, tribal clashes and discrimination in Kenya. The study revealed that there was no good relation and harmony between persons of different ethnics and racial communities due to the gaps in socialization skills. The study recommended that learning institutions were to provide an excellent platform to socialize learners into principles of non-violence values and so built a multi-ethnic nation. These early interventions if addressed effectively, would enable children to grow into potential youths to confront causes of conflicts and discrimination in the society, to prevail peace in schools, hence community co-existence and respect for diversity was to be realized(NCIC, 2014). In this regard, the classroom environment was one of the platforms to be used in schools to socialize learners and serve as a laboratory for children to learn social studies education.
According to Obaki (2017), a classroom design and the teacher’s careful selection of materials and use of relevant teaching approaches in all learning areas creates a responsive learning environment and develops an environment that creates a desired children’s social behavior. Interestingly, most of the studies carried out in Pre-primary levels had not explored on influences of the classroom environment on learning of social studies in pre-primary schools. Therefore the researcher found it necessary to carry out this study in Uasin Gishu County at the public pre-primary level in order to establish the influence of the classroom environmental conditions on learning social studies. This was because the County government had supported the public pre- primary schools by constructing permanent classrooms in most of the public primary schools and had deployed at least two trained ECDE teachers in every Pre-primary school (U.G County News Letters, 2014-2016).
The research study intended to focus on the classroom environmental conditions, based on some classroom dynamics that included physical appearance, appropriateness, and adequacy of instructional materials and appropriateness of teaching approaches used in the classrooms by teachers of social studies. In addition, the county of Uasin Gishu in the past years had experienced effects of post-election violence. Since Post-election violence was a collection of social problems, then classroom environment was expected to serve as a laboratory at pre-primary levels for teaching social skills and values of living together effectively. Therefore this study sought to find out the influence of classroom environmental conditions, in terms of physical appearance, instructional materials, and teaching approaches on learning of social studies in pre-primary schools.
Statement of the Problem
Research highlights that social education promotes the development of moral and social skills in children and also enables them to be effective participants in the community. Global and regional studies indicate that children who were competent in social studies developed moral and social skills, easily coped with academic challenges and social problems and were effective participants in the community compared to those who were incompetent in social studies. Further, studies have pointed out that the use of effective teaching methods and resources in social studies improved children’s grade scores and increased skills in socialization.
In Kenya today, there is a high demand of coercive living, in which values and skills learned in social studies are a means to achieving them. Studies have highlighted the importance of teaching social studies in a conducive classroom because the learners’
early formative experiences shaped their attitudes for mutual coexistence in the classroom, school and community. However, no study has been conducted in Kenya to establish the effects of the classroom environment on learning of social studies in pre-primary grades.
The county of Uasin Gishu in the past years had experienced effects of post-election violence. Since Post-election violence is a collection of social problems, then classroom environment was expected to serve as a laboratory at pre-primary levels for teaching social skills and values of living together effectively. In addition, the County government of Uasin Gishu through the initiative of the County Development Fund (CDF) had supported most of the public pre-primary schools by constructing permanent classrooms and had enhanced the teaching standards by deploying ECDE trained teachers in every public pre-primary schools. Therefore, based on the above, the researcher intended to find out the influence of the classroom setting on the learning of social studies in the public pre-primary schools in Eldoret East Sub County, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to find out the influence of classroom environment on the learning of social studies in Public Pre-primary schools in Eldoret East Sub- County, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya.
Objectives of the Study
The objectives of the study were:
- To establish the suitability of the classroom settings on children’s learning of social studies in pre-primary schools.
- To determine the effect of instructional materials used on children’s learning of social studies in pre-primary schools.
- To evaluate the appropriateness of the teaching methodologies used on children’s learning social studies in pre-primary schools.
Research Questions
- How did the suitability of the classroom settings influence children‘s learning of social studies in pre-primary schools?
- What was the effect of instructional materials used on children’s learning of social studies in pre-primary schools?
- How appropriate were the teaching methodologies used by teachers on children’s learning of social studies in pre-primary schools?
