UTILIZATION OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES IN TEACHING AND IT’S IMPACT ON ACQUISITION OF TRIGONOMETRIC SKILLS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS: KITUI COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

This study  investigated the utilization of community resources in teaching and its impact on acquisition  of trigonometric skills in public secondary schools in Kitui County, Kenya. Bruner’s theory of constructivism constituted the theoretical framework for the study. The    study adopted a quasi-experimental research design. The study targeted a total of 4,847 respondents comprising 203 teachers of Mathematics and 4,644 form three students from 49 secondary schools in Mwingi Central Sub-County. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were used to select 485 respondents for the study. The study used questionnaires to collect quantitative data from teachers of Mathematics whereas pre-test and post-test examinations were used to collect data from the students. A pilot study was conducted in three (3) public secondary schools in Mwingi Central Sub-County. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 facilitated the analysis of quantitative data. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviation were used to analyze quantitative data. Findings of the study showed that most teachers of Mathematics utilized community resources at least once per month in teaching trigonometric concepts in public secondary schools in Kitui County. The community resources frequently utilized by teachers of Mathematics to a great extent in teaching trigonometry included trees, buildings, rivers and community resource centers. The study revealed that a significant difference existed in the level of performance between students exposed to the utilization of community resources and those taught using the conventional methods. The study found that most teachers of Mathematics indicated that students accessed community resources mostly through field trips, nearby shops and factories. The study revealed that most teachers of Mathematics agreed that exposure of students to environment improves their mastery of trigonometric skills and that resources in the schools’ locality can help students acquire trigonometric skills. From the findings it was concluded that utilization of community resources enhanced the acquisition of trigonometric skills among students in public secondary schools. The study recommended that Heads of Departments of Mathematics should ensure that teachers of Mathematics utilize community resources in the teaching of trigonometry. All teachers of Mathematics should have practical lessons every week where students are taken outside the school compound to study Mathematics using the community resources available.