Challenges of Using Role Play Teaching Technique in Teaching Communicative Skills and Students Performance in Communicative Skill among Secondary School Students in Bungoma North Sub County, Kenya

Communicative Skills teaching aims at improving students’ communication so that they can express themselves in different situations and develop appropriately in speaking, listening, reading and writing. However, the problem is that students in secondary schools underperform in these skills. The purpose of this study was to examine the perception of teachers of English towards use of role play teaching technique on students’ performance in communicative skills among secondary schools. This study applied the Vygotsky’s Social Cultural Interaction Theory which emphasizes importance of social instruction in cognitive learning. The descriptive survey design was used where quantitative and qualitative data was collected from Bungoma North Sub-County. Respondents were selected using purposive sampling, stratified random sampling and simple random sampling techniques where 30% of teachers of English and 30% of Form Three students were sampled. Questionnaires, interview schedule and test items were used to collect data. The reliability and validity of the research instruments was done through piloting the instruments in selected secondary schools in Bungoma North Sub-County. The data collected from the respondents was analyzed using descriptive statistics and transcription and presented in form of charts, tables and discussion. With regard to the importance of role play teaching technique and students’ performance in communicative skills, this study found out that use of role play helped learners improve in performance by mastering content, sharpening interpersonal skills, improving grammatical construction and active participation in lessons. This study on, perception of teachers of English on use of role play teaching technique and students’ performance established that role play is an involving teaching technique and teachers of English avoided using the technique. This study recommends use role play because it helps learners improve, teachers should perceive of role play as better alternative technique for teaching communicative skills, the school administration and The Ministry of Education should help teachers of English overcome challenges and use role play teaching technique effectively in teaching communicative skills. This study will enable The Teachers’ Training Institutions train teachers of English on effective use of role play teaching technique, inform The Ministry of Education to prioritize role play as key teaching technique while drawing curriculum and syllabi for teaching English language

Challenges in Communicative skills Role play in communicative skills Performance in communicative skills

1. Abdulkamid, M. (2010). Methods of teaching science subjects in secondary schools in Sokoto. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Abram A, M. (2014). Developing aural skills in Music Students through drill techniques at NTC Muni.Arua:NTC Muni. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Afdillah N M. (2015). The Effectiveness Of Role Play in Teaching Speaking. Master dissertation, Department of English Education, Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teachers' Training, Hidayatullah State Islamic University,. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Ahmadi, L.-M. (2017). An Analysis of Factors Influencing Learners' English Speaking Skill. International Journal of Research in English Education,, 34. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Amman, J. & Naqeeb, H. A. (1999). The effective of role-play model on improving the speaking proficiency of English of the 8th grade students at UNRWA schools in nablus area. Nablus, Palestine.: Unpublished M.A Thesis, AL-Najah University. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Aseru M., & Arua: BV .s, M.H. &Harphan G.G., . (2009, (2016).). Active learning in Uganda.Glossary of Literature Terms. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Asogwa, U.D. & Echemazu, R. (2011). Effect of power point presentation on secondary school students, achievement in Christian religious knowledge. International Journal of Educational Research, 11(1),, 22-32. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Brown, H. (2007). Teaching by Principles: An Integrated Language Pedagogy (3rd ed.). New York. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Brumfit, C.J. & Carter, R.A.,. (1986). English Literature and English Language. In Brumfit and Carter (eds) Literature and Language Teaching .Oxford: Oxford University Press., p.2-21. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Cohen J. (1979). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.), New York:. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Drani, R. B. (2017). Teacher Educators' Application of Active teaching and learning: . A case of Belgium Teacher Training Education in Uganda. Dar el salam: unpublished Med research. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Khweireh, M. M. (2017). The effect of role-play strategy on vocabulary development and speaking skill improvement among Jordanian seventh grade EFL students. Unpublished PhD dissertation. Amman: The World Islamic sciences and Education University. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. KNEC. (2006). The Year 2006 KCSE Candidates Performance Report. Nairobi: KNEC. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Laufer, B. (1997). The lexical plight in second language reading: Words you don't know, words you think you know, and words you can't guess. In J. Coady & T. Huckin (Eds.), . Second language vocabulary acquisition: A rationale for pedagogy , 20-34). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Lazar H. (2009). A Guide to Teachers and Trainers, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Literature and Language Teaching:. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Lazar. (2009). Literature and Language Teaching: A Guide to Teachers and Trainers, . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Assessment of the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Repositioning TVET for Economic Development in Nigeria
• Teachers’ Use of Assure Model Instructional Design on Learners’ Problem Solving Efficacy in Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya
• “E-Booksan Ang Kaalaman”: Development, Validation, and Utilization of Electronic Book in Academic Performance of Grade 9 Students in Social Studies
• Analyzing EFL University Students’ Academic Speaking Skills Through Self-Recorded Video Presentation
• Major Findings of The Study on Total Quality Management in Teachers’ Education Institutions (TEIs) In Assam – An Evaluative Study