An evaluation of the catechism curriculum of the Anglican church of Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of people who have gone through the A.C.K Curriculum that was designed as a catechesis. In this light, the study sought to explain the level of awareness of students of the program to the mission and vision of the church, it had to focus on the manner in which the students describe their readiness to handle life challenges as a result of training they obtained from the curriculum and explore the manner in which they describe their in-class experiences as they went through the program. The research was carried out in three Anglican churches within the city of Nairobi, namely, A.C.K All Saints Cathedral, A.C.K St. Stephens Jogoo Road and A.C.K St. James, Buruburu. The respondents were those who had gone through the catechetical process from 2008 to 2010. The respondents were 12 years and above, baptized and confirmed. The population of the study was 108 confirmed Anglicans from the three Churches. Using a random sampling, 12 members were selected from each of the three churches making a total sample size of 36. All the 12 participants from each Church were put into focus groups which became unit of analysis Three research questions were posited that guided the construction of the interview protocol. In relation to RQ 1 which dealt with the level of awareness of the mission and vision of the Church among members who participated in the research, the analysis of the responses revealed that all the respondents from the three congregations were aware of the first theme (Growing relationship with Christ) of the Mission Statement. Two congregations, All Saints and St Stephen’s are fully aware of the second theme (Living a life of Growth in Faith) while St James appeared unaware of this theme. In relation to RQ 2 that sought to find out the level at which participants would say that the curriculum had prepared them for life, the analysis revealed that the curriculum has prepared them to a certain level to handle doctrinal, spiritual, socio-economic, information technology and other life challenges. However, it was revealed that they have not been trained to handle health issues properly. In relation to RQ 3 that sought to capture the manner in which students describe their inclass learning experiences, the data revealed some level of dissatisfaction brought about mainly by untrained teachers, favoritism among leaders, and shortage of learning materials. Participants were however, very positive about the approach of rote learning used in the teaching method. To enhance the program, the research recommended the hiring of more qualified teachers, the provision of learning materials and the expansion of the curriculum to handle some more contemporary subjects and more flexibility among the teachers as they handle students. The curriculum should also be very intentional about sharing the mission and vision of the Church.