Use of Field Trip Method in History and Government Instruction in Secondary Schools
Abstract
The study’s objectives were to investigate the commonly used methods in History and Government instruction, that is the field trip method. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design, which employed a descriptive and qualitative survey. The sample was drawn from selected secondary schools in the Bureti district. A sample of 15 schools and 300 form three History and Government students were selected through a stratified sampling method. Purposive sampling was employed to select 25 History and Government teachers. A pilot study was conducted to ascertain the reliability of the instruments. Primary data was collected through the use of questionnaires, while secondary data was derived from documented information from schools’ past academic records and other related documents in the school and District Education Officer’s office. The study revealed that most teachers and students did not use the field trip method, though their views were that the use of the field trip method had more benefits than the teacher-centred methods which they always use. The study recommends that History and Government teachers should increase the use of the field trip method in their classroom instruction. The findings would help teachers to evaluate and improve their teaching methods, focusing mainly on providing learners with opportunities to engage in most of the learning activities
Downloads
References
Alleman, J., & Brophy, J. (1994). Taking advantage of out-of-school opportunities for meaningful social studies learning. The Social Studies, 85(6), 262-267.
Baron, C. (2010). Of pelicans and pearl divers: Understanding teachers’ and historians’ different approaches to using historic sites. In Annual Meeting of the College and University Faculty Assembly of the National Council for the Social Studies, Denver.
Bogonko, S. N. (1992). Reflections on education in East Africa. Oxford University Press.
Brooks, J. G., & Brooks, M. G. (2001). In search of understanding: The case of constructivist classrooms. New York: Merill Publishers.
Centra, J. A. (1993). Reflective faculty evaluation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Davidson, S. K., Passmore, C., & Anderson, D. (2010). Learning on zoo field trips: The interaction of the agendas and practices of students, teachers, and zoo educators. Science Education, 94(1), 122-141.
Eshiwani, G. (1993). Education in Kenya since independence. Nairobi, KE: East Africa Educational Publishers.
Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. W. (2012). Educational research: Competencies for analysis and application. New Jersey, NJ: Pearson Education.
Hennessy, S., Onguko, B., Harrison, D., Ang’ondi, E., Namalefe, S., Naseem, S. & Wamakote, L. (2010). Developing the Use of Information and Communication Technology to Enhance Teaching and Learning in East African Schools: Review of the Literature. Research Report No. 1.
Henson, K. T. (1980). Teaching methods: History and status. Theory into Practice, 19(1), 2-5.
Isutsa, M. (2004). A survey of resources available and those used for teaching Social Education and Ethics in secondary schools in Kakamega district. Unpublished M. Phil Thesis. Kenyatta University.
K.I.E. (2010). Summative Evaluation of the secondary School Education Curriculum. Nairobi. Kenya
Kimwarey, M. (2010). The use of Small Group method of teaching History and Government. A Case of selected secondary schools in Eldoret Municipality. Unpublished M. Phil Thesis. Moi University
Kodero, H. M., Misigo, B. L., Owino, E. A., & Simiyu, C. K. (2011). The salient characteristics of trained ineffective teachers in secondary schools in Kenya. SAGE Open, 1(3), 2158244011434102.
Koul, L. (1993). Methodology of Educational Research. New Delhi: Vikas Publishing.
Nespor, J. (2000). School field trips and the curriculum of public spaces. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 32(1), 25-43.
Newman, F. M., King, M. B., & Carmichael, D. L. (2007). Authentic Instruction and Assessment: Common Standards Rigor and Relevance in Teaching Academic Subject. Des Moines, IA: Iowa Department of Education.
O’Neill, G., & McMahon, T. (2005). Student-centred learning: What does it mean for students and lecturers. In O’Neill, G., & McMahon, T. (Eds), Emerging Issues in the Practice of University Learning and Teaching. Dublin: AISHE.
Okoth, A., & Ndaloh, A. (2008). PTE Revision Series social Studies–For Primary Teacher Education. Nairobi, KE: East African Educational Publishers Ltd.
Otieno, S. (2010, May 12). Report indicts school syllabus over deficiencies in core values. Retrieved from Standard Media Digital, https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/article/2000009396/report-indicts-school-syllabus-over-deficiencies-in-core-values#
Phipps, M. (2010). Research trends and findings from a decade (1997–2007) of research on informal science education and free-choice science learning. Visitor Studies, 13(1), 3-22.
Sajjad, S. (2010). Effective teaching methods at higher education level. Pakistan Journal of Special Education, 11, 29-43.
Stronge, J. (2013). Effective teachers on student achievement: What the research says. Routledge.
Copyright (c) 2021 Langat Albine Kipkoech
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
