Strategies Teachers Use In Implementing Integrated English Curriculum To Improve Performance In Public Secondary Schools In Kisii South Sub-County, Kisii County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

The performance in English in KCSE in public secondary schools in Kisii South sub-county has remained dismal. Studies have emphasized the use of learner centered strategies of teaching in order to improve the performance in English. However, the studies have not fully addressed the specific learner centered strategies in teaching English. The study sought to fill this gap by examining the strategies teachers use in implementing the Integrated English curriculum. The study was guided by four objectives. These were: to establish use of group discussion in implementation of Integrated English Curriculum, to explore the use of dramatization in implementation of Integrated English Curriculum, to find out how debate activities are used in implementation of Integrated English Curriculum, and to examine the use of recitation in implementation of the Integrated English Curriculum; in public secondary schools in Kisii South SubCounty, Kisii County. The study was based on the Behavioral learning Theory. The study adopted the mixed method approach and utilized the descriptive survey design. The target populations for the study were 29 public secondary schools, 61 English language teachers and 872 students. Stratified random sampling was used to sample 8 schools out of the 29 targeted schools. The schools were first stratified into the three zones and then simple random sampling was used to pick schools from all the three zones to make up the 8 schools required for the sample. A total of 40 teachers and 320 students were sampled from these 8 schools for the study. Questionnaires and observation guides were used to collect data from the English language teachers and students. Piloting was done in 2 schools to test the validity and reliability of the instruments. Quantitative data was analyzed using statistics and presented by use of tables, graphs, percentages and ratios while qualitative data was categorized into themes and analyzed by use of narratives. The findings of the study showed that of the four strategies of implementing the integrated English curriculum explored in this study, use of discussion would be the most preferred strategy; though rarely used in implementation. Recitation was the least used and least preferred strategy for implementing the integrated English curriculum. All stakeholders therefore have a mandate to work out ways to help teachers use these strategies to implement integrated English.