Language, Literature and Education: Research Updates Vol. 12

Various curriculum writers have underscored the role of teachers, who must be given the necessary resources and specialised support and, above all, be motivated to act. Developing countries face serious financial constraints, to the extent that modern technologies, such as film projectors, television and internet access, are rare and therefore available only in a few high-cost schools in Kenya. Curriculum developers point out that no curriculum can be implemented effectively without adequate resources. In Christian Religious Education (C.R.E.), these materials include the Bible, charts, pictures, resource persons, real objects, maps, audio-visual aids, newspaper cuttings, syllabus books and textbooks. These are the recommended instructional materials for the C.R.E. curriculum. Despite the recognised importance of instructional resources in curriculum implementation, limited attention has been given to their availability, adequacy and utilisation in the teaching of Christian Religious Education (C.R.E.) in public secondary schools in Kenya. The study therefore aimed to determine the availability, adequacy and use of instructional resources in the teaching and learning of C.R.E. in public secondary schools. A descriptive survey was conducted among forty-five (45) Form Four C.R.E. teachers in forty-five (45) public secondary schools selected through simple random sampling. Questionnaires and checklists were administered to the teachers. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics to determine frequencies and percentages, which were presented in tables. Thirty-five teachers (77.7%) indicated that class textbooks and Bibles were inadequate for teaching and learning C.R.E., while 35 (77.77%) reported that they never used teaching and learning resources. The use of resources enhances the quality of instruction and supports the achievement of curriculum goals. A teacher with adequate and relevant teaching materials and facilities is likely to be more confident, effective and productive. The study established that C.R.E. teachers made little effort to support classroom instruction with adequate resources and used few resources in delivering the C.R.E. curriculum. The findings therefore indicated that teachers rarely utilised teaching and learning resources in classroom instruction. In-service and refresher courses are needed to equip teachers with the knowledge and skills required for effective classroom instruction. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology should adequately equip schools with teaching and learning resources.