Organization of Learning Environment in Teaching Language Activities: A Focus on ECD Learners

Abstract

This paper examines how teacher’s environmental organization relates to learning language activities in ECD. Organization of learning environment is a vehicle for getting learners from where they are to where they need to be an academic year later. To obtain the results for this study environment organization was examined using observation schedule. It examined the organization of learning environment used by teachers to prepare ECD learners cope with instruction of English language in lower primary. The study was founded on the theory of behaviorism by B.F. Skinner who believes that environmental factors govern language development. Descriptive Survey research design was used to have an in depth focuses of this study. The target population was 335 ECD teachers, 225 ECDE centers. Therefore sample size was 34 teachers and 22 centers. The results demonstrated that environment organization was associated with improvement in learner’s language activities performance. It also shows that most of the basic and favorable learning environment were lacking in most of the centers. The study therefore concluded that, majority of learners in ECD were not effectively prepared in language activities to cope with instruction of English language in lower primary. The study then recommended that, the Ministry of Education and KICD to organize regular seminars for head teachers, lower primary teachers and preschool teachers, so as to develop an organized programme that will ensure uniform preparation process of ECD learners in language activities to cope with instruction of English language in lower primary.

Keywords: Organization, Environment, Learning, Language Activities, ECD