Date of Award
12-1-2014
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Master of Education (MEd)
First Advisor
ANJELINA BIJURA
Department
Institute for Educational Development, East Africa
Abstract
Active participation of the learner in the English language class is the foundation upon which the learning of the language takes place. This is because learners‟ scholastic accomplishment may be greatly affected by their active engagement in class as they interact among themselves, with teachers and with instructional resources. Children learn best when they participate enthusiastically in the classroom so as to communicate more effectively and enhance critical thinking. Therefore, teachers should promote strategies that reinforce learning capacities to be more interactive to inculcate skills for life-long learning. This study sought to explore the role of the learner in the ESL classroom in a rural public primary school in Vihiga County, Kenya. It utilised a qualitative case study approach focusing on class six pupils and their teachers. Data was gathered using multiple methods that comprised of; document analysis, classroom lesson observation, focused group discussions and a one-on-one interview with the teacher. Findings from the study indicated that pupils in that school were not sufficiently enabled to actively participate in the classroom because the teacher dominated classroom talk while the learners listened passively. Moreover, learners were rarely engaged in collaborative learning activities that would have enhanced their utilisation of the English language and encouraged self-regulated learning activities. The teacher‟s use of the old transmission methods of teaching instead of being a facilitator as proposed in student-centred learning, was the main challenge to the learners playing their role effectively in the ESL classroom. The study, therefore, recommends that since teacher-centred methods have proved less effective than student-centred methods then educational stakeholders should make it imperative that teachers act as facilitators in the ESL classroom. In addition, there is need to ascertain the competence and preparedness of teachers who teach English at the primary school level. Finally, further research, based on a larger sample, should be undertaken on the role of the learner in the ESL classroom, especially considering the important role that English plays in Kenya
Recommended Citation
ESIKUMO, J. A.
(2014). An exploration of the role of the learner in the english as a second language classroom. A case study of a rural public primary school in vihiga county, kenya. .
Available at:
https://ecommons.aku.edu/etd_tz_ied_m-ed/71