Browsing by Author "Njoroge, Jane Wangari"

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    Predictors of Reading Competency among Learners with Reading Disabilities in Public Primary Schools in Kiambu County, Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2024-08) Njoroge, Jane Wangari
    Learners’ performance in English seems to have been very low in most of the schools in Thika West sub-county. The poor performance in English at lower primary could be attributed to the learners’ inability to read well. Factors that lead to low levels of reading competency among learners include inadequacies in teachers’ qualifications that inhibit the use of the most appropriate methods of assessing and teaching reading to learners and the use of the most suitable methods of remediating reading as well. The purpose of this study was to assess the predictors of reading competency among learners with reading disabilities in public primary schools in Thika West Sub-County. The objectives of the study were to: establish the prevalence of learners with reading disabilities in lower primary schools, determine the qualification in SNE of teachers teaching reading in the schools, establish the assessment methods they use to assess reading among learners with reading disabilities, examine the methods they use to teach learners with reading disabilities and find out the methods of remediating reading that they use. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The target population comprised of one hundred and eighteen (118) classes 1-3 teachers of English and two thousand three hundred and forty-six (2346) learners in the same classes in the twenty-two (22) schools in the sub county. Purposive sampling was used to select twenty-seven (27) teachers and two hundred and seventy learners (270) from five (5) schools. The instruments for data collection included questionnaires for teachers and checklists for learners. Data collected was analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitative data from the questionnaires for teachers and checklists for learners was analyzed using statistical package for social science (SPSS). Data collected using open ended questions from questionnaires was analyzed qualitatively. The tools were validated during a pilot study, which took place at General Kago primary school which was not among the five selected schools. Colleagues and supervisors went through the instruments and corrected content validity and language clarity. The study found out that there was a high prevalence of learners with reading disabilities and that, though a majority of the teachers teaching learners with reading disabilities had the requisite professional training, they had no training in SNE. It further revealed that most of the teachers ineffectively assessed reading disabilities thus they used inappropriate teaching methods and inadequately remediated reading. The study recommended that MOEST should organize and carry out training, in servicing courses and refresher courses on SNE and should encourage collaborative strategies among stakeholders.