Determinants of inclusivity in teaching learners with special needs in public primary schools in Machakos sub-county

Abstract

While all children should be afforded the opportunity to pursue education, those with special needs face unique obstacles accessing education like the rest. The general objective of this study was to investigate determinants of inclusivity in the teaching of learners with special needs in public primary schools in Machakos sub-county. The research was guided by specific objectives which included: determining government support, teacher training, physical facilities and availability of teaching and learning resources where all play a role in the inclusion of learners with special needs and disabilities in public primary schools in Machakos Sub-County. The study's theoretical framework is based on Bandura's social learning theory, which postulates that a variety of contextual factors affect both instruction and retention in the learning process. Descriptive survey design was used in this study. The target population comprised of 71 Head teachers, 802 classroom teachers and 1 Curriculum Support Officer Special Education. A sampled population of 80 classroom teachers were surveyed after a random selection of 10 percent of the faculty. Three Head teachers were randomly sampled while 1 Curriculum Support Officer for Special Needs Education was purposively picked to contribute to qualitative data. Validity and reliability testing of the research instruments was piloted in 2 schools in Kasarani Sub County of Nairobi County. Research assistants distributed Google Forms questionnaires to the sampled population. Descriptive statistics, such as frequencies, percentages, and means, were used to analyse the quantitative data collected in the questionnaires. Thematic analysis was used to deduce meaning from qualitative data. In this report, quantitative data can be found in the form of tables and graphs, while the qualitative data is presented in a narrative form. The participants' privacy and dignity were protected throughout the study. The findings demonstrated that government funding and policies were insufficient for educating learners with special needs as indicated by a mean score of 2.6 and 1.28 respectively. This was found to have a negative impact on learners with special needs and teachers who already have too much on their plates. The finding also demonstrated that teacher training does not significantly affect the teaching of learners with special needs since it posted a mean score above 3on a 5 point likert scale. The research findings posted a mean score of less than 3 where toilets were mostly affected at a mean score of 1.68 among other facilities. The findings further showed that teaching and learning resources did not influence the teaching of learners of special needs as they indicated a mean score of less than 3 in 5 point likert scale. This did not significantly affect teachers' ability to teach learners with special needs in a way that was consistent with the principles of an inclusive classroom. There was also limited use of special needs teaching and learning resources. This was found not to affect the teaching of learners with special needs. The study concludes among others that; government support in form of financial support for special needs education is inadequate and untimely and that most facilities in public primary schools are not adapted for inclusive learning. The report recommended among others that the Ministry of Education, should review current policies on special needs education funding, teacher training, and teacher motivation. The Ministry of Education and schools’ management also need to come up with innovative financing model for special needs education in Kenya. There is also need for TSC to post more teachers trained in Special Needs Education to public primary schools.