Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions of Integrated Environmental Education in the Secondary School Curriculum for Managing Environmental Degradation in Machakos Sub County, Kenya

Abstract

This study investigated implementation of integrated environmental education in the secondary school curriculum for managing environmental degradation in Machakos Sub-County. The study was thus informed by Fullan’s theory of educational change (1991, revised 2006, 2007). The theory views educational implementation as a model of interactions between characteristics of change (need clarity, complexity, quality & practicality) as independent variables on the one hand and teachers’ and students’ environmental literacy (awareness, knowledge, attitudes, skills, participation) as dependent variables. The study employed cross-section survey design under the quantitative approach. Probability sampling designs were used to select participants of the study. The target population of this study included public secondary schools, principals, and teachers and form 4 students from public secondary schools in Machakos Sub-County. Instruments for data collection included questionnaires and document analysis schedules. Quantitative analysis techniques were used to analyse data. The t- test statistic was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05significance level. Study findings demonstrated that both teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the integrated environmental education in the secondary school curriculum were generally weak hence little attention was paid to adequate integration of EE in the school curriculum.  This negatively impacted teachers’ and students’ involvement in and commitment to implementation of EE in the school curriculum hence the persistence of environmental degradation in Machakos Sub County.  The study confirmed that some elements of environmental education were integrated in the subjects that were taught in the secondary school curriculum albeit inadequately and unevenly distributed, apparently marginalizing particularly climate change and land degradation hence reducing the crosscutting nature of EE.  The study recommended that KICD should include a given percentage of EE topics in the curriculum; The Ministry of Education should clearly define environmental policies and prescribe them for schools.