Impact of educational policy changes on home science education in secondary schools in Kenya: 1981 to 2005

Abstract

Home science is a pre-vocational subject in the Kenyan secondary school curriculum. It is designed to equip the learner not only with theoretical concepts, but also with skills that may lead to self employment. However, impact of the educational policy changes on home science education is yet to be established. The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of policy changes between 1981 and 2005 on home science education in secondary schools in Kenya. Specific objectives of the study were to find out policies guiding home science education, examine changes in home science education and assess impact of the policy changes on home science education. The study was conducted in secondary schools in Nyanza Province of Kenya. Respondents were 30 home science teachers and 151 form four home science students. Research instruments were questionnaires, interview schedule and document analysis guide. Results of the study indicated that policy changes led to evolution of the home science education in Kenya in terms of structure but very few changes occurred in terms of the content. Gains made include localization of content and textbooks. However, the curriculum has increasingly become more theoretical, yet it was meant to be practical. Teachers expressed concerns about lack of in-service training whenever new changes were introduced into the curriculum. The findings raise questions about the process of vocationalization of the curriculum in relation to planning, implementation and evaluation strategies in Kenya. Key words: Home science education, contextual policy analysis, impact, curriculum evaluation.