Challenges of implementing of history and government curriculum in secondary schools in Ugenya district, Kenya

Abstract

Implementation of History and Government curriculum in many secondary schools in Kenya is perceived as one of the easiest things to do and so schools consider the subject as a booster to their overall academic mean score in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCS E) examinations. However in Ugenya District, the mean score in the subject has declined from 7.67 in the year 2006 to 5.14 in the year 2010. This trend is causing concern among stakeholders and there is outcry for identification of challenges faced by schools with a view to reversing the downward trend in the mean score in the KCSE examinations. The purpose of this study is to identify challenges of History and Government curriculum in Ugenya District. Objectives of the study are to establish teacher-based challenges in implementing History and Government curriculum, find out student-based challenges in implementing History and Government curriculum, determine resource-based challenges in implementing History and Government curriculum and to establish curriculum-based challenges in implementing History and Government curriculum. The conceptual framework is based on teacher-based challenges, student-based challenges, resource-based challenges and curriculum-based challenges which are the independent variables, entry behavior and school culture are the intervening variables while implementing of history and government curriculum is the dependent variable. The study population will be 18 principals, 25 teachers 1200 form four students and one DQASO. From these, a study sample of 16 principals, 23 teachers 400 students and one DQASO may be selected. Simple random sampling will be used to select students while principals, teachers and DQASO will be selected through saturated sampling. Data from principals, teachers and students will be collected through questionnaires while an interview schedule will be used to collect data from the DQASO. To ensure face validity research instruments may be presented to two experts in the Department of Educational Communication and Technology to study them and advice the researcher. Reliability of the instruments may be ensured through piloting involving 10% of the total population of principals, 8% of teachers and 10% of the students. Data will be collected through questionnaires administered to the principals, teachers and students and an interview schedule for the DQASO. Quantitative data will be analysed through descriptive statistics using percentages, frequency counts and means. Qualitative data will be organized, categorized and reported in terms of emergent themes. It is hoped that the findings of the study may help teachers, education officers and interested persons on ways of overcoming challenges of implementing History and Government curriculum in secondary schools.