Facilitation and Implementation of Environmental Education in Primary Schools in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

This study investigated the factors that influenced facilitation and implementation of environmental education in primary schools in Nairobi County. The study targeted teachers and pupils in order to find out the extent to which they are involved in environmental conservation and protection. The research design was descriptive. Questionnaires with both open and close ended. The collected data was analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences and presented using tables and frequencies. The results indicated that methods used in teaching environmental education were lecture (41.7%) and discussion (26.7%). The environmental education was integrated in the primary school curriculum and was taught in Social studies and Science subjects. Pupils (81.7%) were aware of the need to conserve and protect the environment. A majority of schools organized environmental activities and tree planting is the most prominent activity in most schools (60%). of conserving the environment. However, these activities were limited due to lack of resources and absence of facilitation.  Seventy eight percent of teachers (78.2%) had no training on how to handle the teaching of environmental education. Inadequate teaching resources cited by 86.7 percent of the respondents and lack of training were the major challenges to environmental education. We recommended to curriculum developers that methods used in teaching environmental education should be practical oriented which pupils can utilize later in life. Schools should be provided with resources by county governments to facilitate environmental education activities.

Keywords: Curriculum, Environmental conservation, Pupils, Teachers