TEACHER PREPAREDNESS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION IN BOMET COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Childhood education is crucial in the life of a child because it lays the foundation of intellectual and physical development. The government policies and research theories emphasizes plenty of instructional resources that are well sourced, managed, selected and used for the purpose of quality ECDE Curriculum implementation. The purpose of this study was geared towards the analysis of the teacher’s preparedness, attitudes and use of the instructional resources in ECDE centers in Kenya. The research was based on the theory of curriculum innovations. The study adopted a descriptive survey design and was carried out in Bomet Municipality Zone, Bomet County. Simple random and stratified sampling techniques were used to select respondents who comprised of a target population of 84 head teachers and 180 pre-school teachers to get the sample size of 25 head teachers and 54 pre-school teachers from the selected ECDE centers. Data was collected using questionnaires, observation checklists and an interview schedule. The instruments for data collection were piloted to validate the tools and determine their reliability. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, this included frequencies and percentages. Data was presented in the form of graphs, charts, and tables. The study provides useful information for the education policy makers to produce relevant learning resources and course books for the ECDE teachers. The Government of Kenya (GoK) can use the findings to consider funding the pre-school education and improve teacher preparedness and attitudes towards the use of instructional resources. Teachers can use the findings to adjust and improve their teaching methodologies in the use of instructional resources. The major findings of the study showed that teachers were prepared in the use of IR; however, the status of the available materials in the centers was either inadequate, obsolete, dilapidated or unsuitable for use. Article visualizations: