Policies and practice of home science education in secondary schools

Abstract

Policy formulation, implementation and evaluation in relation to Home Science education raise fundamental questions of efficacy. Since independence in Kenya in 1963, there have been several commissions to look into the education system, resulting in policy decisions that have changed the curriculum in secondary schools. Curriculum change was driven by the need to ensure that education is relevant to the needs of the learners, of good quality and contributes to the achievement of Kenya’s development goals. The literature however reveals that little has changed in terms of what is taught in Home Science, leading to questions regarding its relevance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the policies and practice of Home Science education in Kenya. Document analysis was conducted to establish the policies guiding Home Science education in secondary schools, while teacher practices were obtained through the use of questionnaires. The study revealed that while there have been several attempts to review Home Science education in Kenya, these attempts have been incidental to whole sector review and not planned specifically for Home Science. The findings imply that policies guiding Home Science education need to be reviewed to make the subject more relevant to national development goals.