MST-Department of Special Needs Education

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Browsing MST-Department of Special Needs Education by Subject "Academic Achievement"

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    Academic Achievement of Learners with Down Syndrome in Special Primary Schools for Learners with Intellectual Disability in Kiambu County, Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2019-09) Lydia Wanjiku, Kamau
    This study sought to analyse academic achievement of learners with Down syndrome in special primary schools for learners with Intellectual disability in Kiambu county. The study was guided by the following objectives: To Analyse academic achievement of learners with Down syndrome in special schools; to identify the instructional resources used by teachers to teach learners with Down syndrome; to assess the instructional strategies used in teaching learners with Down syndrome; and to examine the instructional challenges caused by Down syndrome secondary conditions. The study was guided by Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) of 1986 by Albert Bandura. This study adopted descriptive survey design. The study targeted the 6 head teachers, 74 teachers and 147 parents from the six special primary schools for learners with Intellectual disability in Kiambu County. Purposive sampling method was used to select the 6 head teachers, 44 teachers were randomly sampled and 40 parents were conveniently sampled translating to a total of 90 respondents. Questionnaires were used to collect data from the headteachers and teachers. Interview guide was conducted on parents/guardians and observation checklist was used by the researcher to observe learners with Down syndrome in class. Piloting was done at Waithaka special school to enhance validity and reliability of the research instruments. Questionnaires from the respondents were checked for completion. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer program. The findings were presented in form of frequency tables, pie charts and bar graphs. Data collected from the interviews and observation schedules were analyzed using narrative descriptions. Study findings revealed that most of the learners with DS had communication difficulties. The findings further indicated that even though communication books, charts, pictures, visual schedule timetables and drawing items were available in special schools, they were inadequate. Secondary conditions of DS were characterized by fatigue, sleep complications, slow motor developmen, speech problems, poor counting skills, poor memory, lack of competetition among peers and poor social skills. The study concluded that engaging students with Down syndrome based on the individuality of their learning profiles had positive impacts on teachers' experiences. The study recommended that teachers should involve a wider body of professionals in order to improve the secondary conditions of learners with DS. The Ministry of Education should allocate more funds on instructional materials to special schools so that the resources can be adequate for all learners.
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    Implementation of Individualized Educational Plan and Academic Achievement of Students in Ngala Secondary School for the Deaf, Nakuru County, Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2022) Nellah, Kipyegon Jebet; BEATRICE BUNYASI AWORI; FRANCISCAH IRANGI WAMOCHO
    Individualized educational plan is a learner centered instructional program developed by a multidisciplinary team to meet the academic needs of each learner in school. This study assessed the implementation of individualized educational plan (IEP) and academic achievement of students at Ngala Secondary School for the Deaf in Nakuru County, Kenya. The study focused on strategies used in IEP, effect of IEP and academic achievement and the challenges faced during its implementation. Data was collected from a target population of ninety-eight students, thirteen teachers and one administrator through purposive and stratified random sampling techniques. Purposive sampling was used on school administrator and teachers to select all the 13 teachers and 1 school administrator. On the other hand, stratified random sampling used to select a total of 24 students. The study sample comprised of 24 students, 13 teachers and 1 administrator leading to a total of 38 respondents. The research instrument included the use of questionnaires, interview schedules and document analysis. A pilot study was conducted at Kedowa Secondary School for the Deaf to enhance reliability and validity of the research instruments. Quantitative data were cleaned, labelled, coded, entered into a computer and organized using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 30. Quantitative data were analyzed statistically using descriptive statistics such as percentages and frequencies. The analyzed data were presented using tables, bar-graphs and pie-charts. Qualitative data collected were grouped into different themes, presented as a narrative and discussed based on the objectives of the study. Findings revealed that many teachers who participated in the study identified students in the beginning of their first years in Special Schools, there was a positive effect of IEP and learner‟s academic achievement. However, teachers noted that implementation of IEP for students with HI would slow learning since it takes long procedures and more time. Findings showed that the major challenge towards implementation IEP was lack of adequate teaching and learning resources. The study concluded that there was a significant relationship between IEP implementation in class and academic achievement of the students if adequately implemented based on time and resources. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders should help acquire adequate resources for the students with hearing impairment.
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    Relationship Between Utilization of Assistive Hearing Technology and Academic Achievement of Learners in Schools for the Deaf in Kakamega County, Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2020-09) Masayi, Dellilah
    The purpose of this study was to find out the relationship between utilization of assistive hearing technology and academic achievement of learners with hearing impairment. Studies indicate that learners with hearing impairment lack assistive hearing devices and also achieve lowly academically not only in Kenya but in the whole of Africa continent. In Kenya, academic achievement of learners with hearing impairment tend to trail behind that of their hearing counterparts. When it comes to ranking of the schools academically, the schools for the deaf are always last. Very many factors have been explored by researchers to affect academic achievement of these learners. Despite the fact that prior research reveals that assistive hearing technology are missing in schools for learners with hearing impairment, no single study has been done to explore the relationship that exists between the assistive hearing devices and the academic achievement of learners with hearing impairment. It was thus of great urgency to find out the effect that utilization of assistive hearing technology has on the learners’ academic achievement. The central problem of this study was to unearth the relationship that exists between utilization assistive hearing technology and academic achievement of learners with hearing impairment. The specific objectives were to; find out the assistive technology need among learners with hearing impairment, identify the types of assistive hearing technological devices available in schools for the deaf, establish the academic achievement of learners with hearing impairment and to evaluate the challenges faced by learners with hearing impairment while using the assistive hearing technology. The study was guided by the learning theory and a survey design. The design was used because it helps in describing phenomena as it is naturally. The target population consisted of learners with hearing impairment and the two head teachers in St. Martins School for the deaf and Kakamega School for the deaf. Using purposive sampling, a sample of learners with hearing impairment was selected. The data in this study was collected using questionnaires, conducting interviews and reviewing documentations. Pilot study was done in St. Anthony School for the deaf. Quantitative data was analyzed quantitatively using SPSS while qualitative data was analyzed qualitatively. The possible beneficiaries of this research may range from policy makers, teachers of learners with hearing impairment, experts in the area of hearing impairment, nongovernmental organizations to parents of learners with HI. The research would contribute to the existing knowledge by providing information about the relationship between utilization assistive hearing technology and academic achievement of learners with hearing impairment. The study revealed that a majority of learners in schools for the deaf are hard of hearing and thus need assistive hearing devices individual hearing aids were the only assistive hearing device in schools for the deaf in Kakamega County. Another finding was that cademic achievement of learners with hearing impairment is low, hearing aids being noisy, there are no technicians in the schools to fix the aids as well as fine tune them, they are very expensive and their parents are poor thus can’t afford them, they advertises their deafness and makes all people to know that they have a hearing impairment, they call for unnecessary attention and that they don’t want to be seen with hearing aids and lastly, they break. There is also a positive relationship between utilization of assistive hearing technology and academic achievement of learners with hearing impairment and finally there is a significant positive relationship between assistive hearing technology need and assistive hearing technology available in schools for the deaf in Kakamega