THE 21ST CENTURY SKILLS GAP IN THE KENYAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM: A FOCUS ON PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN WEBUYE WEST SUB COUNTY, KENYA

Autors/ores

  • Sarah Likoko Department of Educational Planning & Management, Kibabii University, Kenya
  • Pamela Khaemba Department of Educational Planning & Management, Kibabii University, Kenya
  • Ismael Mabunde Department of Educational Planning & Management, Kibabii University, Kenya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v10i5.4828

Paraules clau:

21st century skills, education reforms, soft skills, competencies, pedagogical content

Resum

The quote from Alvin Toffler “the illiterate of the 21st century will be those who cannot learn, un learn and re learn can be used to describe the educational system of a country which hopes to equip learners with relevant 21st century skills”. However, there is a widespread consensus that education systems are failing to adequately prepare learners with the relevant 21st century skills necessary to succeed in life, and career and be better citizens. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. Primary data was collected using structured questionnaires and checklists. A census approach was used to select all 47 secondary schools in Webuye West Sub County. Purposive sampling was used to pick 4 teachers from each school. The four teachers were picked from the language department, Humanities department, Mathematics department, and Sciences department respectively. The sample size was 188 teachers. SPSS was used to analyze data. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation was used. Findings reveal that the educational system in Kenya prioritizes competitive exams while underplaying 21st century skills that are needed to make learners better citizens. This implies that there is a high 21st century skills gap between both the teachers and the learners in most of the public secondary schools in Kenya. The study concluded that in 21st century all educators (teachers) play a critical role in shaping the lives of learners. When the teaching and learning process is at its best, learners will be better citizens and better human beings in society and in the nation at large. Therefore, educators should act as mentors and peer coaches with fellow educators, pursuing continuous learning opportunities and unlearn, learn and relearn to make better educators.

 

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Biografies de l'autor/a

  • Sarah Likoko, Department of Educational Planning & Management, Kibabii University, Kenya

    Dr. Sarah Likoko is a trained teacher and a PhD holder in the area of Education Planning and Management. She is the chairperson of the Department of Educational Foundations, Planning and Management. She has vast of experience in teaching, research and postgraduate supervision. She is also actively involved in various School Management Boards where she has contributed immensely to the improvement of the quality of education.

  • Pamela Khaemba, Department of Educational Planning & Management, Kibabii University, Kenya

    Ms. Pamela Naswa Khaemba is a teacher by profession with an experience of over 10 years. Currently, a student at Kibabii University pursuing a PhD in Education Planning and Management. She is a holder of Master’s Degree in Education Planning and Management. She also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education Arts, from the University of Nairobi. She holds a Diploma in Education, from Kenya Management Institute KEMI. She has published in peer-reviewed journals. She has actively participated in capacity-building courses on how to establish excellent schools, organized by MOEST and addressing issues such as teacher management. Ms. Pamela derives pleasure in improving her personal abilities. She always seeks to achieve higher standards in any task she undertakes. She was recently competitively selected by IDRC – KIBU project team for a Doctor of Philosophy in Education scholarship award funded by IDRC- Canada in Collaboration with GPE.

  • Ismael Mabunde, Department of Educational Planning & Management, Kibabii University, Kenya

    Mr. Ismael Namisi Mabunde is a teacher by profession and a secondary school Principal. Currently, is a PhD student in Education Planning and Management, Kibabii University. He holds a Master degree in Education Planning and Management from Kibabii University, a bachelor of Education (Science) degree from Kenyatta University (1995-1999). He is a SMASSE trainer. He has published in peer reviewed journals.

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Descàrregues

Publicat

2023-05-10

Número

Vol. 10 Núm. 5 (2023)

Secció

Articles

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