Impact of Teachers’ Qualification on Secondary School History Teaching and Learning in Kajara County, South Western Uganda

Abstract

The study examined how teachers’ qualification impact on the teaching and learning of history in senior four of Kajara County, Ntungamo District. The study sought to establish how communication skills affect the teaching and learning of senior four history class in Kajara County, Ntungmo District, find out how teachers’ explanation skills affect the teaching and learning of senior four history class in Kajara County, Ntungamo District and establish how writing skills affect the teaching and learning of senior four class in Kajara County, Ntungamo District. The study employed a cross sectional survey design with both qualitative and quantitative approaches of data collection and analysis. Interviews, focus group discussions, documentary analysis and questionnaire were used to collect data. The study population consisted of secondary school administrators, history teachers and students in selected private and government schools in Kajara County, Ntungamo District. A sample size of 251 was used. Qualitative data was analyzed with the help of social science (SPSS) while qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. Findings revealed that teachers with good communication skills facilitate effective teaching and learning of history to secondary students in Kajara County, Ntungamo District facilitated by audibility, effective teacher-student rapport and improved student presentation skills. It was established that teachers with good explanation skills facilitate effective teaching and learning of history to secondary school students. Teachers with clear history instruction involved learners in history lesson activities effectively. The study concluded that teachers’ communication skills, explanation skills and writing skills have negligible influence on effective teaching of history to secondary school students in Kajara County, Ntungamo District. It is recommended that government and other stakeholders should come up with Continuous Teacher Development Programs and in-service programs to raise teacher’s communication skills explanation skills and writing skills to patch up the gaps in the teaching and learning of history to secondary students in Kajara County, Ntugamo District.