Effect of Child Centered Methods on Teaching and Learning of Science Activities in Pre-Schools in Kenya

Abstract

Despite many research studies showing the effectiveness of teacher application of child-centered learning in different educational settings, few studies have focused on teaching and learning activities in Pre-Schools. This research investigates the effect of child centered methods on teaching and learning of science activities in preschools in West Pokot County, Kenya. The study was descriptive in nature as it sought pre-school teachers and head teachers views. The instruments used for this study were; questionnaires, interview guide and observation checklist by the researcher. A total of 168 teachers and 35 head teachers responded to the research questionnaires. The research results showed that there existed significant relationship (p<0.01) between four child centered approaches and pupils teaching and learning of science in public early childhood education centres. For instance, use of child discovery (r=0.370 and p=0.001) and activity based approaches (r=0.360 and p=0.001) had higher correlations compared to child interest (r=0.215 and p=0.007) and child needs approaches (r=0.181 and p=0.024). The study concluded that teachers’ use of child-centred approaches affected pupils’ acquisition of science skills in schools. The study recommends that teachers should change their classroom learning to allow learners regular interaction with the outside the classroom (active learning).