Impact of KnowZone on the Quality of Teaching and on Teachers in General

This online summary report, based on a report published by the Institute of Education, London and Synovate, Nairobi, evaluates the KnowZone initiative, a literacy and numeracy communication project designed for children between ages 9 and 12. KnowZone was broadcast on Kenyan television in the early evenings in 2009, and was also used in schools. Besides children in school, the programme sought to reach children watching with siblings, parents and caregivers watching with children, school drop-outs and children in informal schooling, and teachers who are seeking in-service training.

The evaluation covers the pilot phase of the project, as well as the first phase of full production, including test runs in schools, SMS responses, and research with KnowZone club members. During the pilot phase, the programme was tested among diverse children, teachers, and parents in five Kenyan provinces. Key findings indicate that children are excited to see African children they can identify with. Teachers emerged strongly as a significant audience for the series and agreed they would gain teaching methods, practices, and ideas from the show. Parents were supporting of the concept and medium. The programme also showed a capacity to convey and explore complex social content including ideas around peace-building, tolerance, diversity, and reconciliation.

Following the pilot stage, 33 full episodes were produced and broadcast. Specific comments from research around these episodes included that adults, both parents and teachers, were engaged and stated strongly that each issue was important. The topics covered in specific segments of the programme were familiar to children, all of whom said they had done them in class. Teachers tended to prefer the sections dealing with basic literacy and numeracy skills, and also noted that they used and adapted ideas from the programme in their classrooms. However, teachers tended to exhibit a limited idea of what was educational. For example, if something was not on the national curriculum it was deemed irrelevant and in other cases the link between learning and entertainment or enjoyment was undervalued.

Interviews and surveys were also done at teacher training colleges. According to the research, trainees saw KnowZone as a support and aide to their teaching and expressed a desire for materials to accompany KnowZone or to receive DVDs for children who did not have good television reception. They also felt that much of the teaching was teacher centred and that there could be more child participation. Interestingly, teacher trainees and non-viewers felt that sometimes the KnowZone teacher went too fast for the language level of the children being tought, whereas parents felt it was fine.

As part of a national quantitative study, it was revealed that a huge proportion of parents watch KnowZone with their children, and believe that KnowZone will help their children perform better at school. Another study carried out in 2009 indicates that the programme is supporting teacher's efforts to improve children's reading, writing, and life skills.

An in-school study found that one in every two children have ever watched KnowZone, and over 90% feel that it helps them do better in school. The study evaluated actual performance in school, and found that those who watch KnowZone perform better across all topics identified in the study.