Influence of Selection of Literature in English Guidebooks on Academic Performance of Learners in Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya

Abstract

The development and selection of English literature guidebooks has gained prominence in in the last decade in Kenya. Literature guidebooks are integral tools in enhancing learners and teachers understanding of specific literature set text with aim of improving grades of students in literature. The current study examined influence of selection of literature guidebooks in learning and teaching of English. It was guided by the following objective: to evaluate factors influencing selection of guidebooks as learning and teaching resources, student academic performance in Literature. Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory guided this study. The study employed descriptive research survey design with 714 target population comprising 700 students and 14 teachers. The study was delimited to secondary schools in Bumula Sub County within Bungoma County. The Sub-County was sampled purposively due to consistently registered poor mean scores in English as a subject. The schools were then stratified with consideration of the seven wards, gender, day and boarding schools as well as mixed or single gender schools. In addition, a sample size of 119 respondents was finally based on 10%-30% of targeted population by use of simple random sampling. Data was acquired by use of questionnaires and structured interviews. The commonly used literature guidebooks for The River and the Source set book were highlighted as Guide to The River and the Source by Richard Oketch et al, Moran Publishers, Guide to The River and the Source by Margaret Roche, Focus Publishers, National Institute of Education Guidebooks for The River and the Source. The selection of literature English guidebooks was determined by cost of the guidebook, year of publication, language used in the guidebook, logical explanations used in the book, vocabulary used, the readers attitude towards literature, interpretation of words, language unbarrenness, availability, etiquette portrayed, layout of book and illustrations used, recommendation from the head of department, color of the cover and appropriate font size. In terms of analysis the findings revealed that format and structure of most of the above guidebooks are relevant to the literary needs of secondary school learners as evident through a well outlined table of contents. It was further found out that consistency and logical arrangement of the layout influence the selection and use of Guide books. The study concluded that indeed selection and use of guidebooks in learning and teaching of literature in English influence performance of English as a subject in secondary schools. The study recommends that there should be an improvement by authors of the literature guidebooks to better English as a subject through appropriate activities for practice, give a critical detail of the set books being reviewed, and enhance appropriate language that is affordable to the learners.