Curriculum Barriers to Teaching Orientation and Mobility in Selected Schools for Learners with Visual Impairments, West Pokot and Siaya Counties, Kenya
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Date
2018
Authors
Tataka, William
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to assess the curriculum barriers to teaching orientation and
mobility in selected Schools for Learners with Visual Impairments in Kenya. The objectives
of the study were to explore why orientation and mobility was not being included in the
school time table, the administrative support available, teacher-pupil ratio, the perceptions
of teachers and learners towards the teaching of orientation and mobility. The ecological
systems theory developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner (1979) was utilized to guide the study.
The theory focuses on learner’s development within a setting of frameworks of connections
that shape the learner’s surrounding environment and each has an impact on a learner’s
development. The study used descriptive survey research design. The study was carried out
in selected Schools for the Visually Impaired in West Pokot and Siaya counties which were
both residential. The target population consisted of teachers, the head teachers, deputy head
teachers and learners. Purposive sampling was utilized to pick the teachers, head teachers
and deputy head teachers and stratified sampling technique was used to select learners who
required orientation and mobility training. The size of the sample was 44 respondents which
included 21 teachers, the head teachers and the deputy head teachers from each school (4 in
total) and 19 learners. Questionnaires, observation schedules and semi-structured interview
guide with open-ended question layout were utilized to gather information. Piloting of the
study was conducted in a selected School for learners with visual Impairment in Kisumu
County. Content validity was utilized. Supervisors’ views on the standard of the
instruments developed were sought after. Test re-test was used to establish the reliability of
the instruments. Quantitative data analysis was done using descriptive statistics which
included frequencies and percentages. Qualitative data analysis was accomplished by
categorizing the data collected in themes and made interpretations from the data. The study
established that the following were greatly lacking; educational programmes set up for
orientation and mobility training, syllabus, time, poor administrative support, resources and
curriculum based establishment hence its exclusion in the official school timetable. In this
study it was concluded that lack of syllabus, time, resource and curriculum based
establishment are the main curriculum barriers to the teaching of orientation and there was
need to establish a curriculum to guide in the teaching of orientation and mobility according
to grade-level. It was recommended that the Kenya Institute for Curriculum Development
should take the initiative to establish a curriculum tailor-made to address the issues of the
visually impaired in regard to orientation mobility training.
Description
A Thesis Submitted to the School of Education in Partial Fulfillment for the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Education (Special Needs Education) of Kenyatta University. November, 2018