Abstract:
African communities have a relatively rich body of indigenous knowledge and related
technology. This is embodied in the continent’s cultural and ecological Indigenous
Knowledge Systems and has been used by the African people for thousands of years to
solve their specific developmental and environmental problems. According to Kenya
National Examinations Council report, Secondary School students’ performance in
Chemistry has been poor for many years. This has been attributed to many factors
including Cultural knowledge systems. However, it is not quite clear how this has
influenced students’ performance in Chemistry. The current concern in Samburu county
among parents and other stakeholders in education is that, students’ performance in
chemistry was more likely to be negatively affected. The purpose of this study was to
assess the influence of Community Indigenous Knowledge of Science on Students’
Performance in Chemistry in secondary schools of Samburu County. Cross-Sectional
study design under the descriptive survey research was used. A stratified random sample
of 9 secondary schools including both the public and private was drawn. From the target
population of 752 form three students of Samburu County in the year 2013, stratified and
simple random sampling was used to select a sample of 224 students. The instruments
were validated and pilot tested before use. The reliability coefficient for Chemistry
Performance Test (CPT), Students’ Questionnaire (SQ) and Students’ Interview Schedule
(SIS) was 0.80, 0.68 and 0.72 respectively. The instruments were scored and data was
analyzed using descriptive statistics where means, percentages and frequencies were used
to analyze the data. Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient was used to establish the
relationships between the different variables in the study. All statistical test of significance
were conducted at coefficient alpha (α) equal to 0.05 with the help of the computer
program, statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). The results of the study showed
that students’ performance in chemistry was below average whereby boys’ schools
performed better than both the girls’ and co-educational schools. There was no statistically
significant relationship between Community Indigenous Knowledge and Students’
Performance in Chemistry. Community Indigenous Knowledge of Chemistry and its
application in treatment of diseases promote students’ understanding of chemistry. The
researcher recommended that the Ministry of Education should initiate in-service courses
for science teachers to equip themselves with the skills of Community Indigenous
Knowledge of Science to enhance their effectiveness in teaching of science subjects. The
findings of this study are of great benefit to teachers, curriculum developers and policy
makers in addressing the current poor performance of chemistry and realization of
strategies for boosting performance of chemistry in secondary schools countrywide.
