Your search

A series of two 2-week workshops was conducted in East Africa in 1987 by the German Foundation for International Development to assist educators in the development of instructional materials for distance and adult education. These workshops were designed to: (1) bring together writers of distance education materials to share their experiences and learn together; (2) build a core of experienced distance education materials designers and writers who would disseminate their skills throughout...

Compares African children's stories with Kenyan primary school literature with regard to structure, use of characterization, forms of dramatization, and social contexts of storytelling. Argues that school texts, published mostly by multinational firms, have been adapted to only surface characteristics of African cultures. Proposes that features of oral tradition be incorporated into language-arts materials for cultural maintenance purposes. (KS)

The extent to which the educational system reaches women in Kenya will in some measure dictate the pace of national development. Data indicate that significant progress was made in the area of education for Kenyan women during the 1975-1984 decade. This was particularly so at the primary school level where near-parity was achieved in the enrollments between boys and girls, and, to a lesser extent, in the adult literacy role for women. There are, however, regional disparities and significant...

Many countries have recently launched massive programs to promote nation-wide adult literacy, but while these efforts have been commendable, it has been observed that neo-literates who acquire literacy through such programs have great difficulty in retaining it; hence an urgent need to develop suitable programs of post-literacy and continuing education has been felt. In 1980, Unesco's Institute for Education initiated a major research project designed to respond to this need. The research...

This study attempted to identify specific social environmental factors of the home that are related to science achievement at the primary school level and to determine the extent of the relationships between achievement in science and the factors identified. A sample of 200 subjects were given three instruments in a group setting, a mental ability test, an achievement test, and a student questionnaire. Findings indicate that: (1) boys achieved better in science than girls and that younger...

At the end of the seventh grade, students in Kenya are required to take the Certificate of Primary Education Examination (CPE), which is used as a selection instrument to determine whether students will be allowed to continue an academic course of education at the secondary school level. While the full range of subjects in the primary school curriculum includes 15 subjects, only 5 of these are covered in the CPE. The examination covers achievement in English and mathematics, and includes a...

Research on the role of educational radio in the classroom sponsored by the Agency for International Development over a ten-year period in Nicaragua, Kenya, and the Dominican Republic is reviewed. An introductory section outlines the reasons for using radio for instructional purposes: (1) it is widespread and democratic; (2) serious radio use is still a novelty in most classrooms; (3) it can entertain and teach simultaneously; (4) it can establish a uniform standard of excellence; (5) it can...

This study sought to evaluate the mathematics curriculum of the Halane Teacher Training Institute in Somalia with a view toward: (1) determining its weaknesses and recommending measures for improvement; (2) examining its relevance to the present needs of the Somali society; (3) determining the suitability of instructional materials and other support resources; and (4) investigating the present organization of teaching practice and the time allocated to it. Thirteen of 15 mathematics teachers...

This four-part volume examines trends, problems, and issues related to school science equipment. Part 1 focuses on laboratory work and practical activities in science and technology education, considering equipment and curriculum development, equipment development related to curricula in Brazil, uses of local resources for practical work, elementary technology materials for science curricula, project work and the needs of a technology laboratory, and the development and utilization of...

The aim of this study was to investigate the implementation of modern mathematics in the primary schools of Somalia. In particular, three concerns were addressed: (1) teachers' confidence and ability in teaching mathematics; (2) students' interest in mathematics; and (3) students' examination performance in mathematics. Subjects were 30 teachers and 150 pupils in Primary One (age 8) in four schools in Mogadishu and Afgoye. Observations, teachers' notes, interviews, questionnaires (for...

Faced with the fact that over 50% of its citizens are illerate, and recognizing the link between illiteracy, poverty, and disease, the government of Kenya, in 1963, created an adult literacy program. The program's objectives were (1) to train literacy teachers, (2) to produce materials for teaching and learning and for continuing education after literacy was achieved, and (3) to appoint officers from the Ministry for Housing and Social Services in each district, province, and division to...

The report presents evaluation data on a program designed to use National Geographic Society materials (periodicals, filmstrips, maps, etc.) as part of a curriculum on African cultures for gifted students (grades 5-6). Among program goals were to develop pupil skills and knowledge horizontally and vertically; to introduce anthropology, sociology, and archaeology as subjects in the elementary curriculum; and to encourage institutional involvement in the educational process. The program...

This guide was developed for script writers on the Radio Language Arts Project, which was designed to develop, implement, and test the effectiveness of an instructional radio system to teach English as a second language at the primary school level in Kenya. The project was planned to produce a radio-based, English language program with approximately 195 taped 30-minute lessons for each school year, appropriate tests, teacher orientation materials, and classroom observation and data-gathering...

An investigation was made of the effectiveness of the teacher education curriculum for primary school mathematics teachers in Tanzania. Subjects were a random sample of 8 teacher trainees in each of 4 selected colleges, as well as 4 school principals, 12 tutors, and 16 serving teachers. Data were gathered by means of questionnaires and observations. Results showed that colleges in Tanzania do not have a prescribed mathematics textbook. It was also indicated that topics such as probability,...

This research was undertaken to study the effectiveness of elementary school teachers with pupils, aged 8, entering Gambian schools. The investigator attempts to describe what teachers do, to search for associations between theoretically or empirically derived variables and learning, and to infer the power of given factors in instructional procedures which may make practical differences in sought outcomes. Following a review of relevant literature on teacher effectiveness, the methodology of...

A comparative study is reported of basic education in 10 African countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia, Benin, Mali, Upper Volta, and Angola. Basic education is defined as learning experiences to which all citizens are entitled or which are required to help them develop their potential to function effectively as individuals and members of society. Data sources include findings of seminars on basic education and teacher training for basic education and other relevant...

The Radio Language Arts Project (RLAP) is a pilot program being developed in Kenya to provide a cost effective English-as-a-second-language program via radio to rural children. The RLAP will use an integrative language arts approach focusing on language function, meaning, and communication activities, with listening and oral language preceding reading and writing. Each 20- to 30-minute broadcast will consist of several brief segments of varied learning activities designed to teach or...

Five science reading booklets were developed to foster the development of communication, observation, and experimentation skills in Uganda elementary school students. Topics selected, resulting from interviews with teachers and students, included: 1) rain; 2) round worms; 3) caterpillars; 4) butterflies; and 5) insects in the school ground. Booklets were evaluated after an initial trial (focusing on vocabulary level, time required to read the readers, student interest, whether related...

A survey of basic education in 13 Eastern African countries (Madagascar, Burundi, Comores, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, and Somalia) covers basic education programs and UNICEF's supporting role. Basic education is seen as a concept evolved in the region, involving formal school systems and educational programs for out-of-school children, adolescents, and adults; and having goals determined by political philosophies of different...