https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/25 2026-10-01T23:59:57Z 2026-10-01T23:59:57Z Njoroge, Martin C. Gathigia, Moses Gatambuki https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/895 2020-06-08T06:46:46Z 2017-12-30T00:00:00Z

The Treatment of Indigenous Languages in Kenya’s Pre- and Post-independent Education Commissions and in the Constitution of 2010 Njoroge, Martin C.; Gathigia, Moses Gatambuki An indigenous or community language is the language that nurtures the child in the early years of his or her life. The UNESCO land mark publication in 1953 underscores the importance of educating children in their community languages: an education that is packaged in a language which the child does not understand is simply difficult for the child. Kenya has had a number of education commissions that significantly address the place of indigenous languages in a child’s education. Further, Kenya Constitution on its part tackles language issues too. This paper, therefore, examines how the Constitution and the various colonial and post-colonial educational commissions that have been undertaken in Kenya treat indigenous languages. Should these indigenous languages be used as a medium of instruction? What are their benefits to a child’s life? To answer these questions, the historical method of study which utilizes mainly secondary and primary sources of data is adopted. The main sources of primary data which form the basis of the discussion and analysis in the paper are Kenya’s constitution (2010) and the educational commissions and reports in the two epochs: colonial and post-colonial periods. The main sources of secondary data scrutinized include: written documents such as books, journals and newspapers. The paper notes that the various educational commissions contain numerous recommendations that have informed Kenya’s education sector over the years on the way indigenous languages should be utilized for both individual and national development. This notwithstanding, the paper concludes that indigenous languages in Kenya have been given a short shrift to the advantage of English language hegemony. The paper proposes a sound implementation of the commissions’ recommendations in order to revitalize indigenous languages so that a Kenyan learner can reap benefits that accrue from the use of indigenous languages in education An article in Advances in Language and Literary Studies

2017-12-30T00:00:00Z Gichohi, Mary Watetu https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/893 2020-06-08T06:22:02Z 2017-08-31T00:00:00Z

Language Factors in the Transition from Pre-School to Lower Primary School in Nyeri South District, Nyeri County Kenya Gichohi, Mary Watetu The transition of children from pre-school to primary school is not a single event of change with not just immediate but also, far reaching consequences. Language factors and specifically the language of instruction is a key feature of children’s early learning understandings. The study aimed to establish the influence of language factors on the transition of children from pre-school to STD 1 in public primary schools in Nyeri South Sub-county. The study was anchored on the Ecological Developmental Model by Bronfenbrenner (1979) using the descriptive survey design. The target population was all the 56 public primary schools, their head teachers and STD 1 class teachers. A sample size of 18 public primary schools/ head teachers from the 56 targeted public primary schools and 18 STD 1 teachers out of 84 was used. To collect data, interviews were administered on head teachers and questionnaires on STD 1 teachers. Descriptive statistics such as means, frequencies and percentages were used to analyze quantitative data while qualitative information from head teachers and STD 1 teachers sampled was organized and described according to study themes. Findings were presented in form of frequency tables and graphical illustrations. The study found out that Kiswahili was the language used for instruction as well as communication, which suggest that vernacular was not used for either instruction or communication. The main challenge faced by teachers in teaching language to STD 1 pupils was the lack of use of mother tongue which interfered with children’s ease of communication and understanding. Language factors emerged as barriers to a smooth effective transition process. The study recommended that teachers should adhere to the Ministry of Education’s guidelines to have mother tongue as the medium of communication in lower primary to ease transition. An article in the International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention

2017-08-31T00:00:00Z Chebet, Everlyne David, Kiprop Ndaita, Justine https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/822 2020-06-03T08:21:38Z 2018-08-24T00:00:00Z

Influence of Teacher Preparedness on Mother Tongue Usage in Classroom Instruction among the Rural ECDE Centres in Nandi County, Kenya. Chebet, Everlyne; David, Kiprop; Ndaita, Justine Language policy emphasizes on mother tongue/first language-based education system with adequate teachers and learning resource materials. The policy of language in Kenya emphasizes on the importance of first language; teachers overlook everyday reality of its usage, and tend to be irrelevant to their needs. The objective was to establish the influence of teacher preparation mother tongue/first language usage as a medium of instruction in rural ECDE centres in Nandi County, Kenya. The study adopted the Interdependence Theory. A descriptive survey research design was used. Target population was 4 Quality Assurance and Standards Officer (QASO), 200 head teachers and 400 teachers from 200 ECDE centres in the county. The sample size was 241 respondents, these were; 4 QASOs, 79 head teachers and 158 pre-school teachers. The study used purposive sampling technique to select seventy nine head teachers and four Sub County QASOs. The study used simple random sampling technique to select 158 teachers from the sampled schools. The instruments for data collection were interviews and questionnaires. Questionnaires were administered to the pre-school teachers, while Sub County Quality assurance officers and head teachers were interviewed. The instruments were piloted in Kericho County that had similar characteristics as the study area. The reliability of research instrument was tested using Cronbanch’s Alpha coefficient. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings indicated that teacher preparedness, teacher attitude, instructional materials and medium of instruction accounted for 55.7% of classroom instruction. Classroom instruction was influenced by teacher’s preparedness. Good teacher preparation enabled them to implement the language policy effectively. The teachers lacked teaching and learning materials on vernacular languages. The study recommended that the government should support in-service training for pre-school teachers on the use of mother tongue/first language as a language of instruction; provide funds for the development and acquisition of L1 resources for teaching that ensures schools comply with the language policy An article in Africa International Journal of Management Education and Governance (AIJMEG)

2018-08-24T00:00:00Z Chebet, Everlyne https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/820 2020-06-03T08:05:49Z 2018-08-31T00:00:00Z

Mother Tongue Usage and Classroom Instruction. Does Influence of Teachers Attitude Matter? Evidence from Kenya. Chebet, Everlyne Mother tongue/first language-based education system with adequate teachers and learning resource materials. The policy of language in Kenya emphasizes on the importance of first language; teachers overlook everyday reality of its usage, and tend to be irrelevant to their needs. The purpose of this study was to establish the influence of teacher’s attitude on classrooms instruction. A descriptive survey research design was used. Target population was 4 Quality Assurance and Standards Officer (QASO), 200 head teachers and 400teachers from 200 ECDE centres in the county. The sample size was 241 respondents, these were; 4 QASOs, 79head teachers and 158 pre-school teachers. The study used purposive sampling technique to select seventy nine head teachers and four Sub County QASOs. The study used simple random sampling technique to select 158teachers from the sampled schools. The instruments for data collection were interviews and questionnaires. Questionnaires were administered to the pre-school teachers, while Sub County Quality assurance officers and head teachers were interviewed. The instruments were piloted in Kericho County that had similar characteristics as the study area. The reliability of research instrument was tested using Cronbanch’s Alpha coefficient. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings indicated that teacher attitude was a positive influence on mother tongue/first language usage in classroom instruction. The study recommended that the government should support in-service training for pre-school teachers on the use of mother tongue/first language as a language of instruction; provide funds for the development and acquisition of L1 resources for teaching that ensures schools comply with the language policy An article in the International Journal of Research in Education and Social Sciences (IJRESS)

2018-08-31T00:00:00Z