Students’ Perceptions on the Role of Christian Religious Education in Promoting Social Cohesion in Kenya

The purpose of this study was to investigate Secondary School Students’ perceptions on the role of Christian Religious Education (CRE) in Promoting Social Cohesion in Kenya. The study objective looked at students’ characteristics;specifically age and gender in relation to their perspectives on the role of Christian Religious Education on promotion of social cohesion in society.. This objectives was supported by a corresponding hypothesis. Review of related literature based on students’ characteristics and social cohesion was carried out. The study used descriptive survey method which employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The study targeted form four secondary school studentswho took CRE as one of their subjects of study in Nairobi County, CRE teachers and education officers in the County. The target population was 5550 CRE students, 160 CRE teachers and 8 education officers. From this population a sample of 550 CRE students, 25 CRE teachers and 4 education officers participated in the study. The questionnaire was the main research instrument used to collect data from the students while interview schedules were used to collect data from teachers and education officers. The study findings were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The quantitative data was processed and analysed and summarised into frequency tables and percentages. Qualitative data was subjected to content analysis from which relevant information was extracted. The hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study established that CRE was perceived as an important tool in the promotion of social cohesion in the society. The study further established that students’ age (p=0.030) displayed a significant level of influence on their perspectives and attitude on the role of CRE in social cohesion. However, the students’ gender, did not have such a significant influence. The study recommended as follows; enhancing CRE as a tool for promoting social cohesion, strengthening its teaching methods for social cohesion and integrating the teaching of religious values across all the subjects in the secondary school curriculum. For further research, the study recommended replicating the study in other counties and having a comparative study between rural and urban Counties with a view of finding out if the results would remain the same given the fact many rural counties were occupied by people belonging to one ethnic group while Nairobi is cosmopolitan.