Environmental Factors That Affect the Teaching of Kiswahili Language in Public Mixed Secondary Schools in Nyamira North Sub-County, Nyamira County, Kenya

Kiswahili is both a national and official language in Kenya .It is taught as a compulsory discipline and examined at the end of the secondary school cycle of education in Kenya. The area of study was in Nyamira North Sub-County in Nyamira County. The Students’ performance in Kiswahili language in K.C.S.E has not been impressive nationally for a long period. The purpose of this study was to investigate the environmental factors that affect the teaching of Kiswahili language in secondary schools in Nyamira North Sub-County, Nyamira County. The specific objectives of the study were to: establish the environmental factors that affected the teaching of Kiswahili language. The research used a descriptive research design. The target population was one hundred and fifty five comprising of 35 principals, 35 Heads of Departments (languages), 50 Kiswahili teachers from all the sampled schools and 35 mixed day secondary schools. The study adopted two sampling techniques: Stratified sampling technique and purposive sampling technique. Data were collected using: questionnaires (for principals and Kiswahili teachers) and interview schedule for H.O.Ds’. Data collected were coded and entered into the SPSS version 20.0. The data was analysed and presented using tables and percentages. Findings of the study indicated that most students had a positive attitude towards Kiswahili and the main problem was  failure to  use of the library facility and inadequate teaching and learning instructional resources, lack of a formal school language policy and use of mother tongue and sheng’ performance. The researcher recommended the schools to sponsor their teachers to attend capacity building seminars and workshops with a view to acquiring more techniques and sharing with other teachers on areas of difficult. It also emphasised that for better performance to be realised teachers of Kiswahili need regular in service trainings to prepare them for the changing dynamics of teaching language. The researcher hopes that this study would add to the field of knowledge and fill the gaps that are hindering the teaching and learning of Kiswahili.