School-Relatedfactorsinfluencing Effective Implementation Of Primary School Curriculum In Nguu Division, Makueni County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

Schools play critical roles in the implementation of primary school curriculum.

However, syllabus coverage and pupils’ academic performance has been dismal. The

purpose of this study was to investigate school-related factors influencing effective

implementation of primary school curriculum in Nguu Division, Makueni County,

Kenya. The study objectives sought to; investigate the influence of schools’ staffing

levels; schools’ provision of instructional resources; schools’ provision of school

facilities and school management support on implementation of primary school

curriculum in Nguu Division. The target population for this study comprised of 32

head teachers, 221 teachers and one Sub-County Director of Education from which a

sample of 10 head teachers, 66 teachers from the public schools in Nguu Division and

one Sub-County Director of Education totaling to 77 respondents. Simple random

sampling was used to select the head teachers and teachers. Census sampling was

used to select one Sub-County Director of Education. The study was guided by the

Systems theory. Descriptive survey research design was used to gather information,

summarize, present and interpret data for the purpose of clarification. Questionnaires

and an interview schedule were used as tools for data collection. Once data was

collected from the field, it was coded and analyzed using SPSS. Qualitative data

generated from the open ended items were organized into themes. Quantitative data

was analyzed descriptively and presented using frequency distribution tables with

percentages and cross tabulations. The findings of the study established that: there

was teachers’ shortage in Nguu Division of Makueni and this influenced curriculum

implementation to a great extent, majority (40%) of the respondents strongly agreeing

with it. Most of the schools in Nguu Division did not have adequate teaching and

learning resources which greatly influenced curriculum implementation. According to

70% of the respondents, most of the schools lacked adequate instructional resources

while only 30% had adequate instructional resources and that there were 3-5 pupils

per text book (56%). The open ended question on the missing resources indicated that

they included but not limited to; text books, charts, exercise books, library and

computers among others. There was inadequacy of school facilities in most schools

which included; classrooms, desks and toilets, the administrative management skills

influenced the curriculum implementation to a very great extent. The study

recommended that the government should increase the number of teachers per school

to reduce teachers’ shortage so as to improve curriculum implementation. The

ministry of education should ensure staff balancing as per the school curriculum

establishment; the teachers should improvise teaching- learning resources like charts

so that schools could only purchase the ones which are hard to improvise. For the

parents, they should support the schools by providing local materials for free so as to

help schools in the construction of school buildings, and that the school

administration should invest in capacity building and motivation for teachers,

embrace team work and delegate responsibilities to teachers so as to improve their

curriculum implementation skills.