The use of textbook illustrations in the teaching of reading comprehension: A study of secondary schools in Kathiani District-Kenya

This paper examines the classroom practice of teachers and learners of English and their understanding of the use of teaching and learning resources during classroom instruction. Specifically, the paper examines the use of textbook illustrations in the instruction of reading comprehension passages. These are the underlying issues that emerge out of a research that was conducted in Kathiani District in Kenya, 2010–2011. This was accomplished through three objectives. However, this paper focuses on one only, namely: to investigate the use of the available textbook illustrations in the teaching of reading comprehension. The theoretical framework was based on Piaget's cognitive development theory and Anderson's schema theory of learning which support the use of instructional media in education. According to Piaget, people interact with their environment through two unchanging processes known as assimilation and accommodation. In accommodation, an individual either modifies an existing schema or forms a new one to account for the new event. In assimilation an individual interacts with an object or event in a way that is consistent with an existing schema. The study used a descriptive survey approach of research which is suitable for the study of behavior, attitudes, values and characteristics. The target population constituted 26 registered secondary schools in Kathiani district. Stratified random sampling was used to select 24 out of the 26 registered secondary schools in the district. Simple random sampling and purposive sampling was used to select form two streams and one teacher of English in the sampled schools. The study sample comprised 24 form two teachers of English from the sampled schools. The instruments of data collection were: a learner reading task, classroom observation and questionnaires. The research instruments were pre-tested to establish their reliability and validity. The data collected was analyzed and interpreted using descriptive statistical techniques. It was presented using tables, percentages, and a pie chart based on the study objectives. This study found out that very few students and teachers use textbook illustrations effectively during the instruction of reading comprehension passages. The findings of this study will enable learners, teachers, curriculum designers, course book designers, ministry of education, science and technology and Kenya institute of education to review their attention in the use of textbook illustrations in the teaching of reading comprehension.