INFLUENCE OF TEACHERS’ USE OF GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN KINANGO SUB-COUNTY, KWALE COUNTY, KENYA
Abstract
Statement of the Problem: Teachers’ use of graphic organizers play an important role in implementation of social studies curriculum in schools. However, in Kinango Sub-county, implementation of social studies curriculum in public primary schools has faced numerous challenges. Many teachers do not complete their syllabus in time and pupils register low grades in social studies examinations.
Purpose of the Study: To assess the influence of teachers’ use of graphic organizers on implementation of social studies curriculum in public primary schools in Kinango Sub-county, Kwale County, Kenya.
Methodology: The study adopted mixed methodology and descriptive survey research and phenomenological research designs. Target population was 3188 respondents which comprised 154 headteachers, 634 social studies teachers, 2 Curriculum Support Officers (CSOs) and 2398 Class VIII pupils from which a sample of 356 respondents was obtained using Yamane’s Formula. Stratified sampling was applied to create two (2) different strata based on number of zones in Kinango Sub-county. From each zone, 19 headteachers and 100 social studies teachers were selected using purposive sampling. All the CSOs were purposively selected. However, from each zone, 58 class VIII pupils were selected using simple random sampling. This procedure realized a sample of 38 headteachers, 200 social studies teachers, 2 CSOs and 116 class VIII pupils. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically based on the objectives and presented in narrative forms. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages and inferentially using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Analysis with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 23) and presented using tables.
Findings: The study found that syllabus coverage in social studies is below average which has occasioned low performance in KCPE. This is attributed to the teaching strategies adopted by social studies teachers such as infrequent use of graphic organizers.
Recommendations: The study recommends that social studies teachers should continue using graphic organizers such as charts and pictures and venture into use of slides and Venn diagrams.
Keywords: Teachers, Graphic Organizers, implementation, social studies curriculum, public primary schools.
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