Parental Role in Providing Learning Materials for Numeracy Acquisition among Pre-Primary II Learners in Suba Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

Education is an important adventure in the progress of human life and there are numerous elements attached to its effective achievement, one being the availability and use of learning materials. This paper analyzes role of parents in providing learning materials for numeracy acquisition among Pre-Primary II Learners in Suba Sub-County, Kenya. A pilot study was done in Mbita sub-County to establish validity and reliability of the research tools. The study used Descriptive Survey research design and two sampling techniques to select participants: purposive and simple random sampling. The study was guided by two theories: Cognitive Load Theory by John Sweller, and Social Interaction Theory by Lev Vygotsky. Target population for the study was 199, which comprised Early Year Education coordinator, Early Year Education zonal supervisors, head teachers and pre-primary II learners' parents. A sample size of 63 respondents was selected; 52 participated with response rate of 82.5%. Questionnaires and Interview Schedule were used to collect data. Discourse analysis and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) were used to analyze qualitative and quantitative data respectively. The study established that learning materials influenced acquisition of numeracy skills, despite less involvement of parents. The study further revealed that there was inadequate learning materials in most pre-primary centres. The study recommends that parents should be involved by the school administration to provide learning materials. Parents should be encouraged to provide learning materials. A further study needs to be conducted on" effects of education level of pre-school learners' parents on provision of learning materials.