Criteria for Selecting Relevant Learning Resources by Teachers of Social Education and Ethics in Bungoma District, Kenya

 
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Keywords:
examining, criteria, teachers, social education, ethics, Bungoma district, Kenya 
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INTRODUCTION
Learning 
resources 
for 
any 
curriculum 
implementation becomes one of the most important 
variables. 
As 
Gross 
et 
al. 
(1971) 
note, 
‘implementation of any program brings into mind the 
question of facilities, teacher capability towards the 
program’ (p.203). According to Gross 
et al
. (ibid.), 
learning resources, also referred to as facilities, are 
important for effective learning because they 
stimulate learning and foster development at 
desirable changes in the behaviour of a learner. 
Therefore, teaching SEE without the use of learning 
resources may adversely affect its implementation. 
Bruner (1963) observes that a creative use of 
instructional learning resources would enhance the 
teachers’ feeling that their students have learnt more 
and will retain better what is learnt. This is likely to 
result in improved performance in the skills they are 
expected to develop. According to Kevin (1989), the 
non-availability of resources hinders teachers’ 
attempts towards offering relevant education to the 
students. Therefore, availability of learning resources 
for teaching S.E.E could help foster SEE objectives.
Maranga (1993) notes the value of learning resources 
by stating that resources and methods of instruction 
among others, affect the amount of learning that takes 
place. This means that for learning to be effective, the 
resources must be availed. The Republic of Kenya 
(1988) has further reinforced the value of resources 
by stating that the provision of quality and relevant 
education and training are dependent on, among other 
things, the supply of adequate equipment and 
teaching materials. This means that proper learning 
resources used for teaching could help provide 
quality education; in this context, help meet the SEE 
objectives of producing well behaved students. As 
noted by the Kenya Institute of Education (KIE, 
1985), SEE syllabus endeavours to prepare the 
learners to face the facets of human existence which 
include, family, neighbourhood, school national and 
international life, the environment around the learner 
where he/she is assisted to develop virtues relevant to 
harmonious existence without the school. Such 
virtues include friendship, orderliness discipline, and 
sense of responsibility obedience, honesty and self-
control.
Bruner (1963) also points to the importance of 
resources when he says that ‘Optimum learning takes 
a multi-sensory approach’ (g. 71). The implication 
here is that when a variety of learning devises are 
used, they appeal to all senses and help to expand 
Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies (JETERAPS) 4(1): 133-140 
© Scholarlink Research Institute Journals, 2013 (ISSN: 2141-6990) 
jeteraps.scholarlinkresearch.org 

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Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies (JETERAPS) 4(1):133-140 (ISSN:2141-6990)
134 
experiences, clarify ideas and give them all personal 
significance. Therefore, to produce maximum 
learning among students, a teacher needs to depend 
on many sources of information. Oshungbouhun 
(1984) supports the preceding views by stating that 
three 
prerequisites 
determined 
good 
quality 
education: physical facilities; competent teachers and 
adequate and relevant instructional materials.
According to Bruner (1963), all experiences human 
beings derive in any learning situation are from three 
sources: direct sensory contact (inactive); pictures or 
some other form of objects that involve observing 
(iconic) and oral printed words, which involve 
symbolizing 
(symbolic). 
For 
Bruner 
(1963), 
therefore, such experiences take the learners through 
the levels of doing, observing on the abstract ideas, 
which form the pinnacle in the process of learning in 
order to establish and understand concepts. The 
implication here is that verbal messages are not as 
powerful as direct experiences. Basing on Dale’s 
(1954, p. 43) cone of experience, direct and 
purposeful experiences found at the base of the cone 
are more concrete and therefore of great impact. 
Miller’s (1990) contention about instructional 
resources adds weight to the value of learning 
resources for teaching. He asserts that teachers are 
provided with a common starting point that paves 
way to be followed by learners by making them to 
nearly think on similar lines for the same subject.
According to Sampath 
et al. 
(1990), learning 
resources are valuable for teaching. Therefore, if put 
to proper use learning resources could help widen the 
range of students’ experiences in a process that 
fosters non-verbal learning. Visual aids are important 
for the learner to gain information and in the 
understanding of theoretical concepts. This implies 
that learning resources are vital when made an 
integral part of teaching and learning because they 
assist the learner to achieve the highest level of 
understanding within the context of the subject 
matter. Visual and audio-visual materials make ideas 
concrete and provide the learners with specific 
models that help them acquire the intended attitudes 
and emotions which result in the development of new 
styles of reasoning and conduct. These new styles of 
reasoning open up possibilities for new exploration 
and activities by the learner.
The implication here is that learning resources are 
very important tools for effective learning because 
they make the teaching learning process easier and 
enjoyable to all the people involved. According to the 
American Association of School Libraries (1975), 
learning resources help the student acquire and 
strengthen skills on reading, observing, listening and 
communicating. These give him/her an all-round 
form of learning and therefore education. However, 
Mukwa (1988) states that the types of resource 
selected should be able to: arouse interests in 
learners, by giving accurate information, save 
teachers time, and help memory, and stimulate 
imagination in the learner. Basing on the above facts,
it is arguable that if SEE is taught with carefully 
selected types of learning resources that are relevant 
to the objectives, our secondary school learners could 
develop good habits hence reduction on the rampant 
strikes, abuse of drugs and sexual anomalies among 
others. Such cases as reported in the Daily Nation 
(1992, June 21) that pupils had hacked a teacher to 
death and those in Kebingo Secondary in Nyamira 
District had beaten the headmaster to death would be 
fast eliminated or prevented.
These views could be borrowed by the SEE teacher 
and used for preparation on teaching. This implies 
that a teacher can achieve his/her objectives by 
careful selection and use of learning resources for 
teaching. Teachers have a right to select those 
resources they like to use for teaching. This means 
that an appropriate use of learning resources such as 
media could go a long way to influence students’ 
behaviour in the classroom. Therefore, learning 
resources are indispensable components to any 
learning process.