American Journal of Educational Research

ICT-Based education is a system of instruction that involves combination of computers and communication technologies. ICT Integration is important in combating digital divide, bringing about digital opportunity and paradigm shift from teacher centered to student centered learning, whereby the teacher passes the information quicker and in a more understandable manner. This study aimed at evaluating ICT-Based Education and Students Behavioral Change at University of Arusha, Tanzania. Questionnaire was the only means for data collection and Cronbach alfa of above .887 was established to signify that questionnaire items were highly reliable. T-test, ANOVA and Pearson product correlation coefficient tested three null hypotheses by the help of SPSS. The study established that University of Arusha educators are competent in the use of PowerPoint, Excel, Microsoft Word, online search procedures and internet programs and believe that ICT integration propels student centered approaches and increases the rate of learning. Educators, however, indicated lack of skills in online marking and data management procedures and limited integration of ICT resources in teaching learning transaction. Finally, the study established a positive and strong relationship between competence and application of ICT in teaching-learning transaction. This implies that the higher the competence, the likelihood of educators to integrate ICT in teaching-learning transaction.

American Journal of Educational Research. 2014, 2(11A), 30-38. DOI: 10.12691/education-2-11A-5
Pub. Date: December 15, 2014

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Learner-Centered Teaching: Can It Work in Kenyan Public Primary Schools?

by Elizabeth Metto and Lazarus Ndiku Makewa

Special Issue

Learner-centered teaching is known, through research, to enhance effective learning. In these methods, learners play the key role in learning while teachers only help them to develop the necessary knowledge and skills that will enable them handle life issues and tasks independently. The developed countries to a greater extend practice these methods but many of the developing countries, Kenya included have continued to use the old teacher-centered teaching methods. Through a review of related literature, this study sought to uncover the factors that have hindered the use of learner-centered teaching methods in Kenyan public primary schools. The findings revealed multiple elements that have combined to prevent the practice of learner-centered teaching. These are grouped into teacher factors, teaching and learning material factors and learner factors. It was concluded that if Kenyan youth are to be prepared effectively to face life challenges of the 21^st century, the country’s education stakeholders should endeavor to make teaching learner-centered rather than teacher-centered. The most important recommendation is that systematic teacher training should be provided for effective implementation of learner-centered teaching.

American Journal of Educational Research. 2014, 2(11A), 23-29. DOI: 10.12691/education-2-11A-4
Pub. Date: December 15, 2014

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Frustration Factor in Group Collaborative Learning Experiences

by Lazarus Ndiku Makewa, Dorcas Gitonga, Baraka Ngussa, Samwel Njoroge and Joshua Kuboja

Special Issue

This study was carried out in the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton, Kenya. It sought to find out students’ frustration level after group learning experiences, how often they went through these experiences, how frustration affected their Bachelor of Education Program, how BED with its group collaborative learning methodology met their expectations, if they were getting quality training and finally if they would take part in the future in another course requiring group collaborative learning. A larger percentage of students stated that they were frustrated as they went through collaborative learning. However, they did not feel that frustration as factor has any effect on their Bachelor of Education program. Collaborative learning as a set of instructional strategies, when used properly, can help learners to meet specific learning and social interaction objectives in structured groups. It can also promote social interaction to facilitate knowledge construction. Further, if students are well prepared to work in small groups and if the groups are well organized, students’ collaboration can increase students’ achievement more than traditional methods of learning. It is therefore recommended that in the course of the lesson, teachers set time for group work to motivate the learners, not only interacting with the content, but also with the group members.

American Journal of Educational Research. 2014, 2(11A), 16-22. DOI: 10.12691/education-2-11A-3
Pub. Date: December 15, 2014

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Learner Attitude towards Chemistry, Study Skills and Examination Preparedness: A Case of a Public School in Eastern, Kenya

by Winnie Muthoni Ngila and Lazarus Ndiku Makewa

Special Issue

This study intended to test if there was significant difference in chemistry preparedness in terms of attitude towards chemistry, study skills and exam preparedness between boys and girls, between boarders and day scholars and between low and high achievers. Two hundred and eleven (211) subjects participated. A questionnaire was designed to measure preparedness in chemistry in relation to attitude towards chemistry, study skills, and exam preparedness. To address the hypotheses, frequency distributions and other descriptive statistics including means, standard deviations and percentages were used. Independent sample t-tests were performed to address the first and the second hypotheses to determine whether differences between variables existed. The results indicate that there is homogeneity of variance amongst attitude towards chemistry, study skills and exam preparedness. The findings also inform that preparedness in chemistry in terms of attitude towards chemistry, study skills, and exam preparedness is the same in both boys and girls but boys lagged slightly below girls in attitude towards chemistry. There was no significant difference in chemistry preparedness between genders in relation to these variables. Borders and day scholars have similar preparedness in chemistry in terms of attitude, study skills and exam preparedness. The results further show that day scholars have a slightly higher preparedness in chemistry than the boarders. Higher achievers have more positive attitude towards chemistry, better study skills and higher exam preparedness.

American Journal of Educational Research. 2014, 2(11A), 8-15. DOI: 10.12691/education-2-11A-2
Pub. Date: December 15, 2014

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Constructivism Experiences in Teaching-Learning Transaction among Adventist Secondary Schools in South Nyanza, Tanzania

by Baraka Manjale Ngussa and Lazarus Ndiku Makewa

Special Issue

This study sought to investigate experiences of constructivism principles in teaching-learning transaction among Adventist Secondary Schools in South Nyanza, Tanzania. A sample of 65 students was randomly selected to fill the questionnaire. T-test, ANOVA and Pearson-product moment correlation coefficient analyzed null hypotheses. Students established that their established their teachers always employ constructivism principles and that student academic performance is influenced by teaching modalities, active participation and classroom setup. High performing students tend to engage in active participation more frequently than their lower performing counterparts. Classroom setups influence performance of students, modalities of teaching and the rate of students’ active participation. It is therefore recommended that classroom sessions should be dominated by activities that lead learners to actively seek solutions to existing problems and discover new information through a varied range of guided activities. School administrations are called upon to ensure that classrooms have sufficient space; teachers are also encouraged to make sure that seating arrangements are well organized to allow students-teacher and student-student interaction. Further study can be conducted on teachers’ demographic characteristics and application of constructivism theory in teaching-learning transaction.

American Journal of Educational Research. 2014, 2(11A), 1-7. DOI: 10.12691/education-2-11A-1
Pub. Date: December 15, 2014

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The Reason for Learner-Centered Approach

Special Issue

American Journal of Educational Research. 2014, 2(11A), 0-0. DOI: 10.12691/education-2-11A-0
Pub. Date: December 15, 2014

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