Browsing by Author "Murungi, Eunice Kagwiria"

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    Mathematics Performance as a Determinant of Academic Achievement among Primary School Learners with Hearing Loss in Meru and Tharaka-Nithi Counties, Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2025-04) Murungi, Eunice Kagwiria
    Education is a fundamental human right that contributes significantly to economic productivity and development. Learners with hearing loss typically fall behind their hearing classmates academically, and mathematics is one of the areas where they struggle to learn. The study sought to explore mathematics performance as a determinant of academic achievement among primary school learners with hearing loss in Meru and Tharaka-Nithi Counties, Kenya. The study objectives were to establish the extent of use of adapted teaching and learning strategies in the teaching of mathematics by learners with hearing loss, to find out the influence of teaching and learning resources on the performance of learners with hearing loss, to determine the influence of the degree of hearing loss on the performance of learners with hearing loss, and to establish the learners’ attitude towards teaching and learning mathematics in Meru and Tharaka-Nithi Counties. The study was guided by the Brunner Theory of Instruction. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The study was done in two schools, one in Meru County and the other in Tharaka-Nithi County. The study targeted 215 learners with hearing loss from both schools. Additionally, the head teachers of the two schools and grade four, five, and six teachers teaching mathematics were also targeted. The study utilized purposive, stratified and random sampling techniques. A total of 78 respondents were sampled. The study utilized questionnaires, an interview schedule and an observation schedule for data collection. Piloting was done at Njia special School for learners with hearing loss in Meru County. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively with the aid of Statistical Packages for Social Sciences version 26 and presented in figures and tables. The qualitative data were analyzed thematically and presented in the form of narratives. The findings show that teachers used various teaching strategies, such as lecturer-based teaching, demonstration and modelling, problem-solving approaches and interactive teaching. The results showed that a resource room, Kenyan Sign language use, Visual aids, projectors, teacher aids, lesson plan, IEP and lesson notes were available. The degree of hearing loss significantly impacts the performance of learners with hearing loss across various domains of their development, including communication skills, educational progress, social and emotional well-being and self-esteem. Learners' attitude towards teaching and learning mathematics play a crucial role in their academic success and their overall perception of the subject. Fostering positive attitude towards mathematics is essential for promoting mathematical literacy and helping learners achieve their full potential in this critical subject. Given that they have been demonstrated to be the most successful in improving subject acquisition and retention, the study advises teachers of mathematics to prioritize group discussions, peer teaching and the implementation of IEP as essential strategies in their mathematics instruction.
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    Teachers' Perceptions of Strategies as a Determinant of Academic Achievement in Mathematics among Primary School Learners with Hearing Loss in Meru and Tharaka-Nithi Counties, Kenya
    (European Journal of Special Education Research, 2025) Murungi, Eunice Kagwiria; Awori, Beatrice Bunyasi; Wamocho, Francisca Irangi
    Education is a fundamental human right that contributes significantly to economic productivity and the development of a society. Learners with hearing loss commonly fall behind their typically developing classmates academically, and mathematics is one of the areas where they struggle to learn. If appropriately taught, research indicates that learners with hearing loss could be just as competent as their typically developing peers. This study sought to explore how teachers perceived to be the role of choice of teaching strategy on academic achievement in mathematics among primary school learners with hearing loss in Meru and Tharaka-Nithi Counties, Kenya. The study was guided by the Brunner Theory of Instruction (1996). It adopted a descriptive research design. The study targeted 215 learners with hearing loss. Additionally, the head teachers of the two schools and grade four, five, and six teachers teaching mathematics were also targeted. It utilized purposive, stratified, and random sampling techniques. A total of 78 respondents were sampled. The main tools of data collection were questionnaires, an interview schedule, and an observation schedule for data collection. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. Quantitative data were analysed and reported descriptively with the aid of Statistical Packages for Social Sciences, version 26. The qualitative data were analysed thematically and presented in the form of narratives. The findings show that teachers used various teaching strategies, such as lecturer-based teaching, demonstration and modelling, problem-solving approaches, and interactive teaching. They, however, failed to differentiate instructions to fit the learning needs of learners with hearing loss. Given that they have been demonstrated to be the most successful in improving subject acquisition and retention, the study recommends that teachers of mathematics prioritize group discussions, use of concrete materials, scaffolding, task analyses, peer teaching, and the implementation of IEP as essential strategies in their mathematics instruction for learners with hearing loss.