Identification of Types of Natural Environments in Teaching Social Studies in Primary Schools Tambach Division of Keiyo North Sub-County, Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya

Abstract

The present teaching and learning recognizes the use of natural environment as a resource by teacher's. This has ascertained that there will be much time retention of knowledge by the learners as compared to the use of other medium of instruction. This paper assesses the types of natural environment in teaching social studies in Kenyan primary schools. This study employed a survey research design. Simple random sampling was used to select the social studies teachers and the schools to participate in the study. The sample was drawn from primary schools in Tambach division of  Keiyo North sub-county, Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya .The sample population  was seventy  two (72) comprising of forty eight (48) social studies teachers and twenty four head teachers from the respective 24 selected schools .The data  collection instruments used were questionnaires and observation  schedule used by the  researcher .The collected data  was quantitatively analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and presented using  tables. From the findings of the study, it was clear that most of the teachers use the types of natural environments to teach social studies in Kenya as a resource. From the observation it was also clear that the schools have adequate natural environment which were accessible and available for use by the social studies teachers. These are classrooms, playfields, catchment areas and water sources. However there were factors influencing the use of natural  environment in the teaching of the subject which were less finds  in schools ,large class enrolment ,scarcity of purchased aids and few incompetent social studies  teachers .Teachers are the backbone of educational institutions and the  future of the nation lied on them .Therefore to improve the quality of education there is dire need to spend on the teacher training towards the use of the cheap accessible and available natural resource .