Changamoto za Uchanganuzina Ufasiriwa Ushairi Katika Shule za Upill Nchini Kenya

Abstract

This research analysed the interpretation and understanding of Kiswahili poetry among secondary school students in Kenya. Kiswahili poetry is a compulsory segment of study in Kiswahili literature in secondary school whose performance according to the Kenya National Examinations Reports has been wanting for a long time now. As a result of this, many researchers have attempted to find a lasting solution to this problem. Our investigation was based on the Hermeneutic and New-Historicism theory with a view to investigate how their background alienation affect the interpretation and understanding of Kiswahili poetry. We incorporated poems from Sauti ya Dhiki (Abdilatif Adalla), Pambo la Lugha (Shaaban Robert) and Kina cha Maisha (Said A. Mohamed). The research was conducted both in the library and in the field. In the library we carried out literature review on the theory and in general on the teaching and interpretation of Kiswahili poetry. In the field, the research was conducted in two major counties: Trans Nzoia and Mombasa. Purposeful sampling of form three and four students together with teachers of Kiswahili poetry was done based on the theory, scope and research objectives. Questionnaires and project work were the main devices for data collection that assisted the research to access both the entry behavior as well as the students' ability in interpretation and understanding of Kiswahili poetry. The assessment was based on the four Hermeneutic interpretation levels viz: legitimacy, correspondence, appropriateness and coherence. The researcher used the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) for data analysis in which the findings were illustrated and presented by use of percentages and by way of tabulations and pie charts. The research has revealed that Hermeunitic and Historic alienation is the underlying factor behind the poor interpretation and understanding of Kiswahili poetry amongst secondary school students. The research has also established numerous challenges facing study and teaching of poetry in secondary school which include among others, negative attitude to poetry amongst 50% of the students, unsatisfactory examination results, dialectal interference, inconsistency in testing of poetry in national examinations, and lack of set book and teachers guide for poetry teaching. This research has made a significant contribution to solving the problem of interpretation and understanding of poetry by recommending Hermeneutic and New historicism approach in the learning and teaching of poetry at secondary school level.