Factors Influencing Implementation Of Oral Literature In The Integrated English Syllabus In Public Secondary Schools In Nakuru Town East Sub County, Kenya

Oral literature has been taught as integrated in the English syllabus for some time in Kenya. Various researchers have carried out studies on the implementation of the integrated English syllabus. Their general conclusion is that there are factors influencing the implementation of oral literature. However, very little attention has been paid to factors influencing the implementation of oral literature in the integrated English syllabus in public secondary schools in Nakuru Town East Sub County. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors influencing the implementation of oral literature in the integrated English syllabus in public secondary schools in Nakuru Town East Sub County. In order to achieve this purpose, four objectives were addressed, namely: to examine the influence of school management support, learners‟ attitude, availability of learning resources and instructional strategies on the implementation of oral literature in the integrated English syllabus in secondary schools in Nakuru Town East Sub County. The study was guided by the curriculum implementation theory by Gross and the inquiry-discovery theory by Pestalozzi, Herbert Froebel, Montessori, and Dewey. The study employed a descriptive survey design. The target population included all teachers of English, all form four students, and all principals in secondary schools in Nakuru Town East Sub County. The accessible population was 80 teachers of English, 19 principals and 660 form four students. Krejcie and Morgan‟s (1970) table of determining sample size was used to select 66 teachers of English and 248 students as study participants. All the principals participated in the study. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview schedule. The questionnaire items were validated by the supervisors and other research experts in the department of curriculum studies. The questionnaire was piloted in 3 schools in Nakuru Town East Sub County. Cronbach alpha was used to determine the internal consistency of the questionnaire items. A reliability coefficient of 0.831 was obtained and considered satisfactory. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics which included frequency counts and percentages and inferential statistics which included correlation and regression analysis. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Data were analyzed with the aid of SPSS version 24. The study found out that school management support, the attitude of students, availability of learning resources and instructional strategies influenced the implementation of oral literature in the integrated English syllabus in public secondary schools in Nakuru Town East Sub County. There was a positive influence on school management support, the attitude of students, availability of learning resources and instructional strategies on the implementation of oral literature. The study recommends that schools should be well equipped with teaching and learning resources to ensure the effective implementation of oral literature. The study findings are expected to benefit teachers of English, the Ministry of Education, other researchers, KICD, school administrators, syllabus designers and developers in improving the implementation of oral literature in the integrated English syllabus.