Use of textual materials and teaching learning activities by teachers of English in Eldoret municipality, Kenya

Abstract

This paper sought to establish the relevance of teaching and learning activities and textual materials, in relation to the teaching and learning theories and approaches that were designed to achieve teaching goals. Basically, the study sought to determine the relevance of textual and nontextual materials to the goals of curriculum delivery and evaluate how their choices influenced teachers' theoretical dispositions. These were achieved through the objectives of the study which included analysing the textual material which teachers used in curriculum delivery and evaluate the teaching and learning activities teachers designed and their correspondence to stated second language teaching and learning theories. The study involved 30 teachers of English in 10 selected secondary schools within Eldoret Municipality. Of the teachers, six taught in girls' schools, six in boys' schools and 18 in mixed schools. Proportional stratified sampling and simple random sampling techniques were employed to select two girls' schools, two boys' schools and six mixed schools. This was a qualitative descriptive crosssection survey study. Data was collected by use of structured interview with selected teachers, observation of teacher’s lessons in classes, and structured questionnaires. The study concluded that several factors including teacher personality and training, planning procedures, form of language used in the classroom and the calibre of learners influenced teachers' choice of the textual materials and teaching learning activities in the teaching of English language skills.