Date of Award

11-2014

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

First Supervisor/Advisor

Dr. Fortidas Bakuza

Second Supervisor/Advisor

Ms. Mary Anyango Oluga

Department

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to establish whether the use of the local materials and equipment found at home and immediate environment facilitate the development of literacy in early year. The main question for the research study was ‘How do Early years’ teachers use the local materials found in the home and immediate environment to facilitate development of literacy in early years?’ The two subsidiary questions were:  ‘What local materials found at the home and immediate environments were used in the teaching and learning to develop appropriate language use in the early years (ECD Centres) settings?  Secondly ‘How do the learner interactions with the local materials found at home and immediate environment that have been situated in and out of classroom context promote appropriate language development in the ECD classroom? I conducted 3 Cycles of action research, cycle 1 and 2 being made up of 5 lessons each and cycle 3 having one lesson (See attached lesson plans for cycles at appendix ). Data collected was through observation, document analysis and interviews. I chose to use a qualitative design and ventured to undertake an action research in a Nursery school in Kumi District Uganda. I partnered with the class teacher throughout the study. I learnt at the start of the pre-intervention stage that there was no evidence of ‘use of local materials in developing literacy but improvisation of the local materials through the use of print and pictorial representation on charts. I also learnt that the lesson plans lacked a strand for methods. I collaborated with the Nursery teacher in studying the lessons at hand and replaced all the pictorial representation with real objects, thereafter, we laid strategies for delivery. The Nursery teacher acted as the informed other for delivery purposes, while I also gave support in guiding the implementation of local materials being used in the classroom contexts. I also interviewed teachers teaching the age group 3-8 years and had impromptu conversations with them in the field of ‘Local material use’. The other area I looked at was the analyzing of documents –whereby I established the background of the privatization policy of Nursery institutions. Thereafter, I gave my findings, implications to the Nursery teachers, conclusion and recommendations to relevant stakeholders.

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