Investigating challenges influencing Students' choice to study Kiswahili at Ordinary Level in a selected Secondary School of Wakiso district.

Abstract

The focus of this study was to examine determinants for the students‟ choice of Kiswahili language subject at ordinary level in a selected secondary school of Wakiso district. Among other factors, the study was purposely based on classroom practices used in teaching Kiswahili. Therefore the objectives were: to investigate the extent to which course contents are challenges influencing learners‟ choice to study Kiswahili at ordinary secondary school level; to investigate the extent to which the methodologies used in teaching Kiswahili are challenges influencing earners‟ choice to study it; and finally to investigate the extent to which the modes of assessing Kiswahili learners are challenges influencing learners‟ choice to study it. Constructive alignment theory guided and informed the study. Data was collected from 01 school administrator, 01 teacher of Kiswahili and 34 senior three students (both those currently offering the subject (24) and (10) students who dropped the subject) from the selected secondary school in Wakiso District; using interviews, focus group discussion, observation and documentary analysis. The findings of the study were qualitatively analyzed. The study found out that the majority of students who offer Kiswahili in S.1-S.2 drop the subject at the end of lower ordinary secondary school level. Most of the course content taught at ordinary level matches with learners‟ level and age but seems abstract to them because teaching-learning tools that would simplify it for them such as audios, videos, projectors, films, charts and locally made teaching-learning resources are not used in the lessons. Teacher-centered teaching methods are the most widely used classroom practices in the teaching of Kiswahili in the school. Lack of learners‟ full participation and involvement in developing Kiswahili notes, makes it boring for them and continue to develop negative attitude towards the subject. Also, there was no significant alignment found between learning outcomes used in Kiswahili curriculum and the UNEB assessment goals. Therefore, the study recommends that the government needs to sensitize learners to develop good attitude towards Kiswahili (and to get rid of claims that Kiswahili is less preferred because it is the language always used to violate people‟s rights.) There is need to retool teachers of Kiswahili on how to integrate information technology and other learning-teaching aids in lessons and be retrained and equipped with new methods used in teaching. During developing or reforming curricula, government, NCDC and other concerned bodies like UNEB need to take into account interests of learners so as to address issues that stood out in the study. There is also need for Kiswahili teacher educators/institutions/ministry of education to conduct nationwide in-service training sessions to retool and skill teachers of Kiswahili about this new approach to teaching and learning. The national examining body, UNEB needs to do consultation with NCDC and read through Kiswahili curriculum documents as well as school-based syllabi before setting the end of ordinary level Kiswahili paper that sums up the end of the course so that the web of consistency between the objectives, learning activities, teaching methods and assessment modes is sustained. UNEB should also make follow-ups and guide teachers on how to set yearly exams at the school level instead of waiting for end at the end of the course.