Perceptions on the Effectiveness of Field-Based Study Approach in equipping Learners with History and Government Skills in secondary schools in Kericho County, Kenya

Geoffrey Kipngeno Korir, Dr. Patricia W. Wambugu, Prof.Thomas Rono

Effectiveness, Field-Based Study Approach, Influence, Perception, Skills.

History and Government education plays a key role in the development of society, as what happened in the past is critical to understanding the present and planning for the future. Despite its importance, secondary school students’ performance in History and Government in Kericho county has consistently been low. The low performance implies that the students do not possess the requisite knowledge and skills in the subject. Perceptions of effectiveness of teaching approaches have been cited as one of the factors which affect skills acquisition. This paper examined teachers’ and learners’ perceptions of the Field-Based Study Approach (FBSA) effectiveness in equipping learners with History and Government skills. The study was conducted in public secondary schools in Kericho County, Kenya. A descriptive survey research design was used. The sampling units were public secondary schools in the County. By the time of the study, there were 210 public secondary schools in the County. A sample of 163 teachers and 433 form four students, selected using purposive, stratified, proportionate and simple random sampling techniques, participated in the study. Teachers’ Perceptions (TPQ) and Learners’ Perceptions questionnaires (LPQ) were used to collect data. The face and content validity of the two instruments were validated by educational experts in the department of curriculum, instruction and education management. Cronbach Alpha formula was used to estimate the reliability of the instruments. TPQ and LPQ yielded a reliability coefficient of .956 and .785, respectively. Frequencies and percentages were used to describe and summarise data. The Chi-Square test for independence was used to determine the relationship between teachers’ and learners’ perceptions and the results accepted or rejected at 0.05 level of significance. The findings indicated that the perceptions of teachers’ and learners’ on the effectiveness of FBSA in equipping learners with History and Government were positive; however, they were not significantly related. The study’s finding may provide History and Government teachers with an insight into the effectiveness of FBSA. This may enhance teaching and students acquisition of skills and academic achievement in the subject.