| dc.description.abstract | Competence in English is critical in enhancing Kenyan learners’ communication ability. It entails sufficient command of grammatical structures and vocabulary, which should help learners go through the education system with ease, given that, in Kenya, English is used as a medium of instruction from grade four onwards. However, performances in English among lower primary pupils, in Kenya as a whole and Siaya County in particular, has been steadily low. According to Uwezo the achievement of class 3 pupils in a class 2 English test was below average, ranging from 30% to 21.4% in the period 2012-2016. The most recommended approach for teaching language, in Kenya and worldwide, is Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). This approach has five aspects which must be considered and integrated in a lesson to achieve the desired competence levels. These aspects include: methods of teaching, classroom tasks/activities, teaching/learning material, the role of the teacher and the role of the learner. This approach has been being used to teach English in Kenya since 1986. However, performance in English in Kenya is still low. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between CLT and the performance in English among pupils in lower primary classes in Kenya. The objectives of the study were: to determine the relationship between methods of teaching as an aspect of CLT and the performance in English; to examine the relationship between the use of classroom tasks/activities as an aspect of CLT and the performance in English; to evaluate the relationship between the use of teaching/learning material as an aspect of CLT and the performance in English; to assess the relationship between the role of the teacher as an aspect of CLT and the performance in English and to establish the relationship between the role of the learner as an aspect of CLT and the performance in English. The study employed Integrated Skills Approach Theory (Hymes, 1966). The study adopted Correlation design with mixed methods approach. The population of the study was 2,562 lower primary classes 1, 2 and 3; 2,562 lower primary teachers of English and 26,640 class three pupils. Stratified simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used to select 314 class three pupils, 255 class 1, 2 and 3 classes and 255 lower primary teachers of English. Data in this study was collected by the following methods: administration of questionnaires; administration of an English test; interviewing of classes 1, 2 and 3 teachers of English and observation of lessons. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages and means. Pearson Product-Moment correlation r, regression analysis and ANOVA were used to test the hypotheses postulated in this study. Qualitative data was transcribed, put in various categories and reported in process as themes emerged. The study established a statistically significant positive correlation between performance in English and the following aspects of CLT: methods of teaching at r=.214, n=228, p=.001; classroom activities and tasks at r=.190, n=228, p=.004; teaching/learning materials at r=.200, n=228, p=.002; the role of the teacher at=.225, n=228, p=.001 and the role of the learner at r=.149, n=228, p=.024. CLT approach was found to explain 27.7% variability in performance in English. Other factors unknown (72%) played a major role in the problem. It was also found out that CLT was fused in the Tusome approach. This did not promote the development of communicative competence in the leaners. The study recommended that: CLT be implemented with manageable content that can be practiced in a lesson; classroom tasks/activities be well organized and performed to promote competence; adequate Teaching Learning/Materials (TLM) be provided and used in lessons; Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to upscale in-service training for teachers and English lessons to be learner-centered. The findings of this study would be useful to stakeholders in the education sector and to policy makers in helping them design appropriate strategies to address the problem of low performance in English. | en_US |