Institutional factors influencing implementation of adult basic education curriculum in Isiolo central division, Isiolo county, Kenya

Abstract

Education is a basic need to all citizens as proclaimed by the universal charter of
 Human Rights of 1948. Adult Basic Education (ABE) is a major component of
 Adult and Continuing Education (ACE) sub-sector of Education. The
 implementation of ABE curriculum in Kenya has had a lot of challenges. Despite
 all the government’s effort to fight illiteracy in Kenya, recent studies reveal that
 there are many Kenyans who are illiterates. Isiolo Central Division suffers the
 problem of learners dropping out of school due to early marriages, search for the
 green pasture for their animals among other reasons. However, there have been
 low enrolment rates in adult literacy classes in Isiolo Central Division. The study
 investigated the institutional factors influencing the implementation of Adult
 Basic Education curriculum implementation in Isiolo Central Division, Isiolo
 County, Kenya. The study in particular sought to determine the influence of
 teaching/learning resources, professional qualifications of the Adult Basic
 Education facilitators, supervision of ABE and availability of funds on the
 implementation of ABE curriculum in the Division. The study adopted the
 descriptive survey design. The target population comprised of one (1) Adult
 Education Officer, thirty two (32) adult facilitators and 1016 adult learners
 making a total of 1049 respondents. The study used Purposive sampling to sample
 one ABE officer and thirty two ABE facilitators while stratified random sampling
 was used to sample one hundred and two ABE learners. Questionnaires and focus
 group discussion were used to collect data. A pilot study and discussion with
 experts was used to realize instrument validity. Instrument reliability was
 obtained using a pilot study. The researcher established that most of the
 facilitators utilize teaching/learning resources and that the teaching/learning
 resources are valued by both learners and facilitators. The study found out that
 teaching/learning resources in ABE centres are provided by learners, government,
 religious groups and NGOs. The study established that learners value supervision.
 The study established that ABE centres are financed by private
 institutions/individuals, government, NGOs and religious groups. The researcher
 further found that the funds are used to acquire teaching/learning resources, to pay
 for salaries and pay for rent of the premises used. The study recommended that
 adequate teaching/learning resources should be provided in ABE centres; the
 ministry of education should hire professionally qualified ABE facilitators in
 ABE centres; ABE supervisors should visit and supervise ABE centres regularly
 and the government, private sector, NGOs and religious groups should increase
 the funds they provide to ABE in order to enhance the process of ABE curriculum
 implementation. The researcher suggested that study should be carried out to
 establish the impact of institutional factors on the performance of ABE learners in
 national examinations and another one on establish the impact of
 academic/professional qualification and experience of facilitators on the
 performance of ABE learners in national examinations.