RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAMILY BREAKDOWN AND PRE-PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN’S LEARNING OUTCOME IN KIAMBU COUNTY, KENYA

The rising number of family breakdown worldwide is a great concern for children and families. Divorce and separation destroy the relationship between parents and children. Due to family conflicts and breakdown the child may be pre-occupied with worries at home, withdrawn and not able to fully get involved in school activities hence affecting his/her learning outcome. The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between family breakdown and a child’s learning outcome in Limuru Zone, Kiambu County. The Humanistic theory by Abraham Maslow guided the study. The study employed the descriptive survey design using a sample size of 10 (63%) public primary schools, 20 (49%) preschool teachers, 134 (10%) parents who divorced or separated with their spouses in the last 6 months to 5 years during the study period and 134 (10%) children of these parents. Questionnaires for parents were used to find out the prevalence of broken families in Limuru Zone and its effects on pre-primary children’s learning outcome while interviews were administered to teachers. A pilot study was conducted in two 3-streamed primary schools using six teachers, 10 parents and 10 children. Validity of the instruments was determined using content validity while reliability was tested through split half technique at a coefficient of 0.7. Analysis of quantitative data was done using means, tallies, frequencies and percentages while inferential data was tested using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient at 0.05 level of significance. The study concluded that family breakdown has significant effects on preprimary children learning outcome and recommended that MoEST should employ trained counselors in all public pre-primary schools to offer help to children as well as parents coming from broken families.  Article visualizations

TEACHERS’ PREPAREDNES IN IDENTIFICATION OF APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR USE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS PUPILS IN REGULAR PRE-SCHOOLS IN THARAKA-NITHI COUNTY, KENYA

Children with special needs are found in all ages and class levels within the school system. What is of concern is their school performance most of which is below average since they have some difficulties that affect their learning. Use of appropriate instructional strategies by special needs education (SNE) teachers, ensure that such children are actively engaged in meaningful and challenging learning activities that meet their educational needs by use of appropriate instructional strategies. The main objective of this research paper is thus to present findings of a study conducted on the preparedness of teachers with regard to competence to identify appropriate instructional strategies for use with special needs pupils in regular pre-schools in Tharaka South Sub-county of Tharaka-Nithi County, Kenya in order to enhance their learning. Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences was employed to guide the descriptive research study, using the survey oriented. Data were obtained from 31 (30%) regular pre-schools that were randomly sampled from 102 pre-schools and a similar number of pre-school teachers, purposively sampled. using questionnaires for teachers, as well as observation guide. Analysis of data was done both qualitatively and quantitatively. The findings of the study revealed that extra assignments and exercises were the instructional strategies majorly used by teachers (100%), self-pacing (64%), adapting curriculum (22%), remedial classes (53%), repetition of content (67%), and peer tutoring (95%). Chi square test further revealed a significant relationship (X² (4, N=31) =21.47,

PRE-SCHOOL TEACHERS’ ATTITUDE INFLUENCING THEIR PREPARATION OF TEACHING INSTRUMENTS IN UASIN GISHU COUNTY, KENYA

Teaching instruments are an essential component of teacher preparedness, lesson development, curriculum implementation and evaluation of instructional outcomes However, although studies reviewed showed there was a relationship between teachers’ attitude and their instructional practices, there was little information about any link between their attitude and preparation of teaching instruments and hence the focus of this study. Specifically, the purpose of the study was to evaluate the attitude of pre-school teachers’ influencing their preparation of teaching instruments (PTI) in Kesses Sub-county, Uasin Gishu, Kenya using the descriptive survey research design. A sample of 17 (25%) public pre-schools/ headteachers out of 68 of them and 34 (25%) out of 136 pre-school teachers were selected. Piloting was done in four pre-schools and data collected using questionnaires for teachers and oral interviews for head teachers. To enhance the validity of the instruments, the study content covered all the study objectives while the split half technique was used to determine reliability at a correlation coefficient of 0.76. Data were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative techniques while chi-square test was computed to establish the significant influence of teachers’ attitude on the preparation of teaching instruments. Although a number of teachers had problems with preparation of teaching instruments, the chi-test did not find a significant relationship between the two variables. The study recommended that a working partnership between teachers and stakeholders should be developed in order to establish a support system to help pre-school teachers in preparation of teaching instruments.   Article visualizations

INFLUENCE OF TEACHER TRAINING ON USE OF MUSIC AS A MEDIUM OF TEACHING MATHEMATICS IN PRE PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN NAIROBI CITY COUNTY, KENYA

Music is a significant teaching strategy in early childhood education it improves development of young children’s self-confidence, self-esteem and their expression orally and mentally. Despite the fact that, use of music is a strategy that motivates and sustains children’s interest in the learning of mathematics, research studies in this area are scanty. The purpose of this study therefore was to find out influence of preschool teacher training on the use of music as a mode of teaching mathematics within Kasarani, Nairobi County. The study sought to determine the link between preschool teacher training and use of music in teaching mathematics. The descriptive survey research design was used to structure and guide the study. The study’s dependent variable was use of music as a medium of teaching mathematics while the independent variable was preschool teacher training in use of music in teaching mathematics. Random sampling was used to select 15 preschools out of the 30 targeted and purposive sampling used to select 15 head teachers out of 30 and 45 out of 90 preschool teachers. An observation guide and questionnaires were used to collect data for preschool teachers and head teachers. The study findings established a significant association between teacher training and use of music during mathematic instructions. The study concluded that preschool teachers in Kasarani Sub-County were using music to teach mathematics and that trained teachers used music to teach mathematics than their untrained counterparts. The study recommended the Kenya institute of curriculum development should come up with modules on step by step guidelines on how to teachers should integrate music during maths lessons.  Article visualizations