The Role of the Integrated English Approach on the Learners' Performance in Grammar in Secondary Schools in Nakuru Municipality

Abstract

The KCSE examination results reveal that English is poorly performed in the National Examination. Although the integrated English approach was introduced to increase fluency in the subject. students continue to perform poorly. Few studies have investigated the integrated approach to the teaching of English in relation to the learners‘ written performance. The objectives were to investigate how input through the integrated approach and input through the non-integrated approach affected the learners’ written grammatical constructions. The study sought to determine whether there was a relationship between these approaches and the learners’ grammatical performance. The study was premised upon the input hypothesis. which claims that we acquire language only when we understand input that contains structure that is a little beyond where we are now. i.e. [i +l] where i represents the current competence and l the next level. The theory was relevant because its tenets formed the basis for comparing the linguistic input through the integrated approach and input through the non-integrated. This was to ascertain appropriate target language input that facilitates acquisition. An experimental design of pretest-postest control group procedure was adopted to achieve the above objectives. The hypotheses were that there is no relationship between input through the integrated or the non integrated approach and the learners grammatical performance. Two groups of learners: the experimental group and the control. all form two. drawn from four secondary schools in Nakuru municipality were involved. The experimental group received the input through integrated approach while the control group was exposed to input through the non-integrated approach. The subject teachers were drawn from the same schools to assist in the teaching. Tests were administered to both groups and the mean scores computed and compared. The results were tabulated and the 2 sample t-test analysis was applied. The results showed significant differences in the test scores of the treatment group and the control group. From the analysis of the results. it was concluded that learners who received input through the non-integrated approach performed better than those who were subjected to input through integrated approach. These findings are important to educators and curriculum developers as they are expected to come up with informed decision pertaining to the teaching of English.