Teaching Strategies, Learning and Teaching Materials used by Teachers in Kenyan Inclusive Primary Schools (original) (raw)

Elder, B. C., Damiani, M., Oswago, B. (2015). From attitudes to practice: Using inclusive teaching strategies in Kenyan primary schools. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 20(4), 413-434. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2015.1082648

The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence of Kenyan primary school teachers using inclusive teaching strategies in a rural setting with many known barriers to the development of a sustainable inclusive education system. This qualitative study examines teachers' uses of inclusive teaching strategies in primary schools following a series of teacher trainings, classroom observations, individual semi-structured teacher conferences, reflective lesson plans, and preand post-questionnaires. Moving beyond legal mandates and attitudinal assessments, the outcomes of this study demonstrate that in a short time, and among a small sample of teachers, administrators, and Ministry officials, a culturally responsive approach to implementing inclusive learning strategies proved beneficial for meeting the needs of diverse primary school students in western Kenya.

From attitudes to practice: Utilising inclusive teaching strategies in Kenyan primary schools

The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence of Kenyan primary school teachers using inclusive teaching strategies in a rural setting with many known barriers to the development of a sustainable inclusive education system. This qualitative study examines teachers’ uses of inclusive teaching strategies in primary schools following a series of teacher trainings, classroom observations, individual semi-structured teacher conferences, reflective lesson plans, and pre- and post-questionnaires. Moving beyond legal mandates and attitudinal assessments, the outcomes of this study demonstrate that in a short time, and among a small sample of teachers, administrators, and Ministry officials, a culturally responsive approach to implementing inclusive learning strategies proved beneficial for meeting the needs of diverse primary school students in western Kenya.

Challenges Facing Implementation of Inclusive Education in Public Primary Schools in Nyeri Town, Nyeri County, Kenya

Journal of Education and Practice, 2014

The thrust of this study was to examine the challenges facing the implementation of inclusive education programme in public primary schools in Nyeri town, Nyeri County. The study had three fold objectives, namely(i) to find out the status of implementation of inclusive education in Nyeri town, Nyeri county;(ii)To analyze the factors hindering the implementation of the inclusion process for all the school-going-age children and, (iii) to establish the plausible solutions to the challenges facing implementation of special needs education curriculum. It was premised on the classical liberal theory of equal opportunities advanced by Sherman and Wood (1982). A descriptive survey research design was utilized in Nyeri County, Kenya. The study employed a stratified random sampling technique to draw 80 respondents comprising 12 headteachers, 60 teachers, and 8 education officials in the study locale. The main research instruments used were questionnaires and observation checklists. The major findings were that, first, physical and critical teaching learning resources were either inadequate or were quite dilapidated. Secondly, there were inadequate specialized teachers to handle the special needs education curriculum. Third, there were several socioeconomic and cultural variables that constraints effective teaching and learning in most sampled schools .It was recommended that since the named constraints were negatively affecting access and quality of education Nyeri County, the Government of Kenya through the Ministry of education should put in place adequate and appropriate physical and human resources to enhance the implementation of SNE not only in the in the study locale but all other areas experiencing similar constraints.[252 words].

Usage of Selected Resources for Inclusive Education in Mainstream Primary Schools: Issues and Challenges from a Kenyan Perspective

Problems of Management in the 21st Century

This study assessed the effectiveness of the use of selected teaching/learning resources in the implementation of Inclusive Education (I.E) for Special Needs Education (SNE) learners in mainstream primary schools. Focusing on the organisational effectiveness of the school management in meeting the needs of Special needs Learners, research questions explored the following: the availability of the selected teaching/learning resources, effectiveness of the use of available teaching /learning for Inclusive Education, challenges in the use of available teaching/learning resources and possible improvements with regard to the implementation of Inclusive Education for Special Needs Learners in mainstream primary schools. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. Out of 150 schools that had integrated Special Needs Learners in Bungoma Count, Kenya, 20% were stratified, proportionately and randomly sampled. Purposive sampling was used to obtain the participants; head teachers, regular, a...

School-based variables influencing effective implementation of inclusive education in public primary schools in Kenya: the case of Kirinyaga west sub-county

2017

This paper investigates the school-based factors influencing effective implementation of inclusive education in public primary school in Kirinyaga West Sub-County, Kenya. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design and was guided by the self-efficacy theory propounded by Bandura’s. The target population for the study consisted of all public primary schools in Kirinyaga West Sub-County. The sampling procedure included, purposive and simple random sampling. Purposive sampling was used to identify 10 schools that offer inclusive education while simple random sampling using Gay formula (10-20%) was applied to select 10 students in the selected schools yielding a sample size of 100 students. In addition five teachers from each of the sampled schools were randomly selected to produce a sample size of 50 teachers. Data for this study was collected using two sets of questionnaires; one for learners and the other for teachers. The findings of the study revealed that primary scho...

Challenges Facing Implementation of Inclusive Education in Public Secondary Schools in Rongo Sub-County, Migori County, Kenya

The thrust of this study was to investigate the challenges facing the implementation of inclusive education programme in public secondary schools in Rongo Sub-County, Migori County. The study had two fold objectives, namely (i) To analyze the factors hindering the implementation of the inclusion process for all the school-going-age children and, (ii) to examine the copping strategies to challenges facing implementation special needs education curriculum. It was premised on the classical liberal theory of equal opportunities advanced by Sherman and Wood (1982). The study sample comprised of 5 students with special educational needs per school from all the types of school as boarding, day mixed, yielding a total of 170 students, all school principals, three teachers per school and the Sub-County Quality Assurance and Standards Officer .Data was collected using questionnaires for students and teachers and interview schedules for school principals and the District Quality Assurance Standards Officer. The main research instruments used were questionnaires, interview guides and observation checklists. The major findings were that, first, physical and critical teaching learning resources were either inadequate or were quite dilapidated. Secondly, there were inadequate specialized teachers to handle the special needs education curriculum. Third, there were several socioeconomic and cultural variables that constraints effective teaching and learning in most sampled schools. It was recommended that the Government of Kenya through the Ministry of education should put in place adequate and appropriate physical and human resources to enhance the implementation of SNE not only in the in the study locale but all other areas experiencing similar constraints.[257 words].

Towards Implementing Inclusive Education in Kenya: Lessons from the Learning Environment in Uasin Gishu County

European Journal of Education Studies, 2020

Although Kenya has been helped by United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Bernard Van Lee Foundation (BVLF) and the Agha Khan Foundation, a lot remains to be done in the quest to achieve inclusive education. As such, fully cognizant of other factors that may account for this scenario, this study sought to determine the extent to which the school learning environment influences implementation of inclusive education in rural public primary schools within Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. Adopting a mixed design approach, the study sampled 221 teachers. Stratified and proportionate sampling was used to select schools (ECDE centres) and teachers, while data was collected using questionnaires, interview schedules and observation guides. Data collected was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Pearson Chi-square and Regression, and correlation analysis were used to establish the existence and strength of association between the study variables. The level of significa...

INFLUNCE OF INCLUSIVENESS ON THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN NAIROBI AND KAJIADO COUNTIES, KENYA

The purpose of this study was to establish the influence of inclusiveness on the quality of education. This research adopted mixed methods design specifically the explanatory sequential design. The study was carried out in Nairobi and Kajiado Counties. The sample size comprised of 25 head teachers, 150 teachers, 300 pupils and 4 QASO's. Purposive sampling was used to select pupils and QASO's while stratified random sampling was used to select teachers. Data was collected by use of questionnaires, interview guide and observation checklist. Qualitative data was analysed thematically while Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics namely, means and percentages. For inferential statistics, simple linear regression was used. The major finding of this study was that implementation of inclusion of learners with special needs in regular schools positively influenced the quality of education. The study recommends that the government provides regular schools with funds to support inclusiveness.

Effective Provision of Inclusive Education: Coping with Constraints in Public Secondary Schools in Rongo District, Migori County, Kenya

Journal of Education and Practice, 2014

This study sought to examine the constraints hindering effective provision of inclusive education with the objective of devising strategies to be employed to cope with these bottlenecks. The study was premised on classical liberal theory and social Darwinism which asserts that every citizen should be given opportunity through education. Descriptive research design employing multi-case studies was adopted. Purposive sampling was utilized to draw 170 subjects comprising of students with special education needs, teachers, school principals and Ministry of Education officers (MoEs) in the study locale. Data was collected using questionnaires for students and teachers and interview schedules for school principals. Quantitative data from questionnaires was analyzed using descriptive statistics while qualitative data from interviews was analyzed using thematic approaches and reported in narrative and direct quotes. The major findings were that the secondary schools that have embraced inclusive education were experiencing a myriad of interrelated constraints ranging from lack of physical and instructional facilities suitable for inclusive education, lack of qualified teachers to handle the inclusive education and negative attitudes by parents regarding disabled learners, amongst others. It was recommended that for the success of inclusive education to be realized pragmatic copying strategies should be introduced. These strategies should include aggressive sensitization campaigns to enable all stakeholders in education understand their roles and debunk the idea that the Government is the only body that should take full responsibility in the provision of effective inclusion education in the study locale of Rongo District, Migori County, Kenya .

The Role of Teachers’ Perceptions in the Implementation of Inclusive Education in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

2020

Trends in the educational provision for children with disabilities have, since the past two and a half decades, continued to focus on their education in the same setting as that for their peers without special needs. Despite the many benefits of inclusion, difficulties inherent in this process are major setbacks to wider implementation of inclusive education. Many teachers of regular schools and other stakeholders doubt the workability of the strategy and resist the idea of having children with special needs in regular classrooms. This paper is premised on the findings of a study that sought to establish the influence of teachers’ perceptions on the implementation of Inclusive Education (IE) in Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) curriculum among rural public primary schools in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. Adopting a mixed design approach, the study sampled 221 teachers. Stratified and proportionate sampling was used to select schools (ECDE centres) and teachers while was col...