This study explores the factors affecting the effective teaching and learning of poetry in
public secondary schools in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County, Kenya. It focuses on students’
attitudes towards poetry, the availability and adequacy of teaching and learning resources,
and strategies that can be adopted to enhance poetry instruction in the classroom. Despite
poetry’s potential to nurture critical thinking, creativity, and language skills among learners, it
remains one of the least appreciated and most challenging aspects of the English and
Literature curriculum. Although global research highlights innovations that have improved
poetry instruction in other contexts, Kenyan schools particularly those in underserved areas
like Ongata Rongai continue to face obstacles such as negative learner attitudes, limited
access to appropriate materials, and a lack of context-specific strategies. However, there is
limited localized research addressing these issues, making this study both timely and
necessary. The study adopts a descriptive survey research design, utilizing both qualitative
and quantitative methods. Stratified random sampling will be used to select ten public
secondary schools. Data will be gathered from one hundred students, ten English/Literature
teachers, and school administrators through structured questionnaires, semi-structured
interviews, and classroom observations. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and
thematic analysis. Findings from this study will inform curriculum developers, school
leaders, and education policymakers by highlighting areas for improvement and proposing
practical, context-relevant strategies for enhancing poetry instruction in Kenyan public
secondary schools.