Challenges in management of resources and their Impact on implementation of secondary schools Physics curriculum in Isiolo District, Kenya

Abstract

Physics being a major pillar in technology, has continuously had poor results in Kenyan secondary schools. Poor performance can be attributed to a number of factors among them being inadequate implementation of the physics curriculum due to various challenges in resource management. The problem is of global concern given that most of the technologies are science-based. Physics being a branch of science that has a wide contribution to technology is widely appreciated in many fields. These include agriculture, communication, transport and medicine. The poor resource management, results to poor implementation of physics curriculum, consequently leading to poor performance of physics in national examinations which will mean a definite downfall in our technological fields. The purpose of this study was to determine challenges in management of resources for effective implementation of physics curriculum in Isiolo District. The study adopted a descriptive survey design to investigate the prospects of revitalizing management of resources for implementation of physics curriculum. The sample in the study consisted of 92 students from Form One up to Form Four, 6 physics teachers and 6 principals. The data collection methodology involved administration of questionnaires and interviews. The information that was collected was analyzed as per the objectives of the study and put into frequency tables using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences Programme. The study found that the main challenges in management of resources for implementation of secondary physics curriculum were; 66.7% of teachers claimed that they were not involved in procurement of laboratory resource; 83.3% said laboratory rooms are inadequate; 70% pointed out that there are no electronic and media resources in schools; 83.3% noted that students are absent most of the times during physics lessons; all the teachers found there was a problem of time table collisions; all the teachers pointed out that schools do not provide resource persons to facilitate physics learning and lack of teachers which leads to overloading of the available teachers. The study recommends the Ministry of Education to come up with proper procedures to be followed in every school in procurement of science resources. The government should also fund the schools to enable them to have computers so that the learning by use of electronic and media resources can be made possible. Schools should also avail funds for hiring resource persons to demystify the learning of physics in Kenyan secondary. The constituency development fund managers should consider construction of physics laboratories in schools which are in their area of jurisdiction as it was found to be a major challenge in physics curriculum implementation. Once proper management of resources is achieved, the menace of poor performance in physics will be reduced.