Headteachers’ Instructional Supervision and Teaching of Adaptive Skills for Learners with Intellectual Disabilities in Special Primary Schools, Meru County
| dc.contributor.author | Ruteere, Rosallin Kananu | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-03-12T07:55:03Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-03-12T07:55:03Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-10 | |
| dc.description | A Thesis Submitted In Fulfilment for the Award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy of Education (Special Needs Education), In the School of Education of Kenyatta University. October, 2025 Supervisors Beatrice Bunyasi Awori Francis Kirimi | |
| dc.description.abstract | Effective teaching as well as adaptive skills development for students with intellectual disabilities (ID) is fundamental to empower their educational and socioeconomic development. Despite recognition among educators of the need to empower ID learners with adaptive skills, educational opportunities designed for the acquisition of these skills are limited in the Kenyan educational sector. The persistence of such challenges in the educational sector for ID learners has significant long-term impacts, exacerbating the significant disadvantage faced by individuals with disabilities in society. This study therefore sought to assess the ways in which instructional supervision of head teachers influence how learners with ID are taught adaptive skills in special primary schools and units in Meru County, Kenya. It took a qualitative approach, purposively sampling 20 participants, including 15 teachers and five (5) head teachers drawn from special primary schools and units in Igembe South Sub-County, in Meru County. The data collection process integrated the interview schedules for head teachers and questionnaire for teachers. The pilot study was done within Kathelwa Special Unit that is located within Central Igembe Sub-county. The qualitative data was analyzed thematically, identifying six themes from the data collected. The main themes that emerged were; the importance of teaching adaptive skills to ID learners; strategies used in teaching such skills; head teachers’ professional qualification influences how ID learners are taught adaptive skills; strategies used to supervise teaching of adaptive skills; head teachers’ supervisory experiences and their influence on the teaching of adaptive skills; and perception of teachers towards instructional supervision by the head teachers. The study findings show inadequate professional qualifications in SNE among the head teachers, with this impeding instructional supervision for effective adaptive skills teaching for learners with ID. Another finding was that the head teachers who lacked SNE training failed to use effective supervision strategies in their schools. It was also found that headteachers who lacked experience reported inconsistent supervision, minimal guidance and poor adaptive teaching skills. The teachers reported that headteachers who lacked training in ID displayed little interest in SNE class and concentrated more on the mainstream performance neglecting the learners with ID. Additionally, teachers across the five schools recognized the importance of having SNE/ID trained head teachers as important for instructional supervision to ensure effectiveness of how ID learners are taught adaptive skills. The study concludes that the instructional supervision by head teachers is not effective, negatively influencing the teaching of such skills. Therefore, it recommended that the Ministry of Education should implement policy guidelines on the professional qualification of head teachers by ensuring in-service training and support programs for school heads to ensure effective instructional supervision in specific areas exem-plified by adaptive skills for learners with ID. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/32719 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Kenyatta University | |
| dc.title | Headteachers’ Instructional Supervision and Teaching of Adaptive Skills for Learners with Intellectual Disabilities in Special Primary Schools, Meru County | |
| dc.type | Thesis |