Review of Curriculum for Journalism Students in Middle Level Colleges in Kenya

Abstract

Few can succeed as practitioners in mass communications without mastering the principles and practices of broad areas of knowledge that comprise the basic ingredients of college education. However, these principles have to be ingrained in the teaching curriculum of every media college. This study aims to establish how the journalism syllabi for training diploma and certificate students in middle level colleges in the Eldoret Municipality of Kenya are developed. The study targeted 18 colleges with a total target population of 72 participants. That is three class representatives from each college (54), and the 18 heads of journalism departments. Due to the small number of the target population, a Census technique was used in the collection of data from class representatives and heads of departments from the 18 colleges. The study collected data from sampled respondents by using questionnaires and interview schedules. The questionnaires were both open-ended and closed-ended, and Likert scaling was used to measure either a positive or negative response to a statement. The findings of the study showed that there was no standardized form of curriculum implementation and journalism tutors did not participate in curriculum development. The study recommends the establishment of a strong link between journalism training institutions and other stakeholders such as the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), and the Ministry of Education Science and Technology to effectively serve society.Keywords: Curriculum, journalism, middle level colleges, development