Effect of smasse in-service education and training on biology teachers’ pedagogical skills and attitudes towards teaching biology in Rachuonyo South District, Homabay County

Abstract

SMASSE in-service education and training is a programme for mathematics and science teachers in secondary schools piloted in Kenya from 1999 to 2003 and rolled out nationally in 2004. It was conceived as an intervention to reduce the effects of factors that were perceived to be contributing to poor performance in mathematics and science, key of which are poor pedagogical skills and negative attitudes of teachers. However, its effect on these aspects had not been evaluated in Rachuonyo South district. This study evaluated the effect of SMASSE on teachers. pedagogical skills and attitudes to ascertain its relevance as an INSET programme. A descriptive survey research design was used in this study. The accessible population comprised all the SMASSE trained Biology teachers and the Biology students in Rachuonyo South district. A total of 60 Biology teachers and 300 Biology students formed the study sample. Simple random sampling was used to select the teachers while systematic random sampling was used to select the students. Two questionnaires were used to generate the required data from the teachers and students. Research specialists from the Faculty of Education and Community Studies, Egerton University, validated the instruments. The reliability of the instruments was estimated using Cronbach.s Alpha coefficient after pilot-testing. Reliability coefficients of Biology Teachers. Questionnaire (BTQ) and Biology Students. Questionnaire (BSQ) were 0.85 and 0.90 respectively. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Results indicated that the pedagogical skills scored higher on mean frequencies and effectiveness after SMASSE INSET than before. T-test indicated that the mean attitude scores were significantly different before and after SMASSE INSET at ¥á=0.05. The findings, therefore, show that teachers. pedagogical skills and attitudes after SMASSE INSET were better than before the INSET. It is concluded that SMASSE INSET has positively impacted on the pedagogical skills and attitudes of Biology teachers towards teaching Biology. It was however noted that some aspects of student-centred teaching approaches were still weak and irregular in Biology lessons. It is therefore recommended that the INSET be mainstreamed and regularised. It is also recommended that the principles of ASEI-PDSI be introduced in pre-service teacher education curricula. The findings of this study are useful in making teacher education, SMASSE INSET and other future INSETs more effective.