Influence of Pragmatic Philosopy and Acquisition of Self-Reliance Skills among Public Junior School Learners in Thagicu Sub-County, Kitui County, Kenya

Abstract
Pragmatic Ideology in teaching and learning, focuses on experiential and hands-on approaches for learners’ acquisition of self-reliance. However, concerns persist regarding the extent to which teaching methodologies in public junior schools promote self-reliance among learners in current Competence Based Education (CBE) in Kenya. This study investigated the influence of pragmatic ideology to teaching methodologies on learners' acquisition of self-reliance in Thagicu Sub-County, Kitui County, Kenya. The study was guided by Pragmatic Ideology Theory and Self-Reliance Theory and adopted a correlational descriptive research design. The target population comprised 1,493 individuals and a sample size of 229. Data were collected through questionnaires. Piloting tested reliability, with Cronbach's Alpha coefficients at 0.78 and 0.79 respectively. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The findings revealed that pragmatic teaching methodologies had the strongest influence on learners' acquisition of self-reliance. Kitchen gardening (M=4.19, learners; M=4.41, teachers) and group discussions (M=3.88, learners; M=4.29, teachers) were the most commonly applied methodologies, while nature walks were least utilized (M=2.64, learners; M=2.88, teachers) due to logistical and environmental constraints. A significant positive relationship was established between teaching methodologies and self-reliance (r=0.538, p<0.001). Regression analysis revealed teaching methodologies the strongest predictor in the model (β=0.401, p<0.001). The findings confirmed that learner-centered approaches were promoted, although implementation was uneven due to resource constraints. The study concluded that learners' acquisition of self-reliance was strongly influenced by the consistent use of learner-centered and experiential teaching methodologies. The study recommended increased teachers proffessional development on practical teaching strategies and funding for expansion of teacher training on competency-based education for pragmatic pedagogies. Further research should examine pragmatic teaching practices in urban junior schools and conduct longitudinal studies on self-reliance development among learners.
Keywords: Pragmatic Ideology, Teaching Methodologies, Self-Reliance, Junior School Learners, Competency-Based Education, Thagicu Sub-County

Education

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