Navigating the curriculum and languages in Kenyan education: Empowering preservice teachers in a multilingual context

Kenya is a multilingual country. In addition to English and Swahili as official languages, there are at least 42 different indigenous languages. We conducted in-depth interviews with 12 multilingual preservice teachers to examine how they rationalise the use of different languages in education. Based on our findings, analysed using Goodlad’s curriculum theory, we discuss how the different languages are valued in and across different domains in the curriculum and possible implications for education. The study revealed that while English is the primary language of instruction, Swahili is used to explain and deepen learners’ understanding of subject content. The significance of indigenous languages lies in their connection to traditional cultures. We identified a gap in the curriculum domains, with implications for education in Kenya. We argue that preservice teachers need to understand the purpose of the formal curriculum as part of their teacher education programme and recommend that future teachers become more familiar with language policies to develop greater confidence and critical awareness of language status in education. We recommend greater emphasis on mother tongues as languages of instruction in lower primary schools, which should be facilitated by the relevant authorities.