| dc.description.abstract | Learner participation in environmental conservation activities is key in ensuring
learners gain the skills of conserving the environment during their pre-primary years.
In ensuring that learners participate in environmental conservation activities, teachers
are expected to use instructional approaches that promote active participation of
learners in activities. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of
instructional approaches on learners’ participation in environmental conservation
activities among pre-primary children in Kaiti constituency, Makueni County, Kenya.
The objectives of the study included: to establish the influence of project approach on
learner participation, to examine the influence of excursions approach on learner
participation, to determine the influence of inquiry-based learning on learner
participation and to establish the influence of roleplay approach on learner participation
in environmental conservation activities in Kaiti constituency, Kenya. The study
employed descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised of
119 headteachers, all the parents of pre-primary children and 238 pre-primary school
teachers in Kaiti constituency. The sample unit was 65 headteachers, 30 parents of pre primary children and 131 pre-primary teachers of the public pre-primary schools in
Kaiti constituency. To sample the schools, headteachers and the pre-primary teachers,
simple random sampling technique was used. Convenience sampling was used to
sample the parents of the pre-primary school children. Data was collected using two
research instruments which included questionnaires for pre-primary teachers and the
headteachers and interview guides for parents. Validity of the research instruments was
established by developing the instruments in consultation with the supervisors and
experts in the department of education Chuka University. Reliability was tested using
split half method and determined by Cronbach’s Alpha. A reliability coefficient of
0.716 was obtained in the study. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically based on
the research objectives. Quantitative data was coded and analyzed using the Statistical
Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 25.0). The study hypotheses were tested at
0.05 level of significance using Chi-Square. The findings of the study demonstrated
that project approach, excursions, inquiry-based and role play approaches had
significant influence on learner participation in environmental conservation activities.
The findings of the study may benefit teachers, curriculum developers and policy
makers in ensuring that pre-primary learners are taught using instructional approaches
that promote learners’ participation in environmental conservation activities. | en_US |
