Instruction of reading for nationhood: English language teachers’ cognition in Kenya

Abstract

This paper discusses secondary school teachers' cognition of the instruction of reading to instill human values among students in secondary schools in Kenya. The main purpose of the study was to determine how teachers of English use curriculum implementation to enable learners to acquire moral values stipulated in the philosophy of education in Kenya. Data was obtained from 30 teachers of English within Uasin Gishu County. Instruments used to generate data were informal interviews and observation of classroom practice. The study established that several contextual factors such as the school administration, Quality Assurance and Standards Officers among others made teachers to belief that enabling students to score high marks was more significant than instilling human values. Teachers developed their cognition through benchmarking, collaboration with colleagues, teacher guide books, teacher workshops, teaching practice and teacher education. The findings are important to teacher educators, curriculum developers, Quality Assurance and Standard Officers, policy makers and researchers. They will realize that teachers are not robots to implement the curriculum as it is, they are rational beings and many factors affect their classroom practice.