The use of active pedagogical approaches in teaching civic education in selected secondary schools of Kasama and Luwingu districts

Abstract

The study sought to assess the use of active pedagogical approaches in teaching Civic Education in selected secondary schools of Kasama and Luwingu districts. The study was guided by three research objectives; to ascertain the commonly used active teaching methods in teaching Civic Education in Secondary Schools; to determine the extent to which learners are engaged in Civic Education in Secondary Schools; and to explore challenges teachers and pupils encounter in using active teaching approaches to teach Civic Education. Social Constructivism Theory was invoked to support the study due to its emphasis on interactive and collaborative learning. An embedded design was employed to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. The sample of the study comprised 200 senior secondary pupils, 8 Civic Education teachers and 4 Social Sciences Heads of Department. Typical purposive sampling and systematic random sampling were used to select the participants. Data was collected using lesson observations, interview guide, focus group discussion guide and questionnaires. Qualitative data was analysed thematically while quantitative data was analysed using mean descriptive statistics, frequencies, tables and graphs. The questionnaire was trail tested and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse the co-efficient of internal consistency of the instrument using Cronbach Alpha. The result of the reliability testing was 0.661 which was acceptable to be used for the study. The study established that the commonly and frequently used active teaching methods were; question and answer; research work; brainstorming; and sometimes discussion. The learners were engaged during the lessons through questioning and learner-centred activities. Among the challenges teachers and pupils faced in using Active Teaching Methods (ATMs) include; limited time to cover the entire content of the syllabus, the difficulty in implementing the methods in large classes due to over enrolment, the language barrier emanating from failure by learners to use the official language (English) to participate in the lesson activities, inadequate teaching and learning materials and support equipment among others. Based on the key findings above, the study recommends that the school authorities should strictly monitor the teacher’s preparation of work to avoid use of the same Active Teaching Methods (ATMs) and secure enough teaching and learning materials to enhance the use of various ATMs in schools. Keywords: Active Teaching Methods, Active Learning, Civic Knowledge, Civic Skills, Civic Disposition.