Students and Teachers Constraints in the Implementation of the Integrated English Syllabus in Secondary Schools in Mumias Sub County, Kenya

The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) and the general public have expressed concern over the persistent poor performance of students in English at the KCSE level and some have attributed this to the integrated approach of teaching language and literature. Despite the shift in the examination structure by the KNEC in 2006 to integrate the four skills of language with aspects of literature, the teaching approach in the preparation of learners for the English examinations has not fully adopted the integrated approach. This study set to investigate the factors that influence the effective implementation of the integrated English language syllabus among teachers and students in Mumias Sub County, Kenya. The study was guided by Fullan’s theory of change which postulates that the implementation of any programme depends on resources, teachers’ capabilities, preparedness and involvement in educational reform and positive orientation towards the programme by teachers and students. The study adopted a descriptive survey study design. The instruments for data collection were questionnaires, interview schedules and observation guides. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used to identify the study sample which consisted of 25 English language teachers and 250 students selected randomly from 15 secondary schools in Mumias Sub County. The analysis of data was done using basic descriptive statistics based on the objectives of the study. Findings from the study showed that there are problems related to teaching methodology, availability and suitability of learning resources, the school environment, effective integration of English and literature, students and teachers’ attitudes and other socio-economic factors which account for low student achievement in English. The study suggests ways of designing appropriate teaching and learning resources, improving teachers’ pedagogical skills through strategies aimed at coping with the challenges faced in the teaching of integrated English and the provision of avenues for the teachers to play a critical role in designing an appropriate curriculum for the effective teaching and learning of the integrated English language syllabus.