The Use of Learner Centred techiniques in the Teaching of English language in Selected secondary Schools of Lundazi District

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the use of learner centred techniques in the teaching of English language in the secondary schools of Lundazi district of eastern province. The objectives of the study were to: establish the nature of classroom activities which facilitate the teaching and learning using the learner centred approach; establish how children were learning English using learner centered techniques; identify the attitudes of the learners towards learner centered techniques in secondary schools of Lundazi District; and identify the challenges in using the learner centered activities in the secondary schools of Lundazi. The research design for the study was a mixed method which adopted a concurrent triangulation. The population comprised of all the secondary schools of Lundazi District, its teachers of English and grade 12 learners of 2015. The sample size was 100 respondents. 72 respondents were pupils, 24 were teachers of English while 4 were heads of departments for languages in the secondary schools. Random sampling was used to select pupils and schools while purposive sampling was applied on teachers and heads of departments. Focus group discussions were used to collect data from 32 learners and 24 teachers while 39 answered a likert scaled questionnaire and 4 heads of departments were interviewed. Microsoft excel was used to analyse quantitative data while thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. Findings of the study indicated that projects, field trips, debate, group discussions, pair work, quizzes, question and answer, role play and drama were the classroom activities used to teach English in learner centred approach. Learners were taught in groups which were too large with limited teaching and learning materials. Learners preferred learning English using the learner centred techniques despite teachers not using them regularly. The numerous challenges unearthed included; inadequate teaching and learning material, over enrollment, rushing to cover the whole syllabus and teaching to make children pass examinations. The study recommended that teacher training institutions should use learner centred approach to train teachers so that teachers could also use the techniques learnt to teach learners. Government should control enrollment in government schools so that quality learning can be realized through teaching English using learner centred techniques in the secondary schools. Key words: Learner centred techniques, teaching English, Lundazi District.