| dc.description.abstract | This study investigated Hearing Impaired Learners (HILs) in regular schools in Kenya: A case
study of their integration in selected schools in the city of Nairobi. There was need to establish
the factors that influenced the integration as it appeared not successful as expected during the
time of its implementation. Out of 72 respondents sampled for the study, 70 completed the
questionnaires. This involved 40 pupils with hearing impairment, 12 special teachers, 14 regular
teachers and 4 head teachers. The research instruments were the questionnaire and observation
schedule.
It was important to establish whether personal factors like gender and age of learners influence
the integration of the hearing impaired learners. This was necessary as some learners may have
been admitted to school late due to lack of early intervention.
Administration and managerial factors can influence the process and extent of integration of
HILs in schools. According to Ann Hodgson, Louise and Seamus in their book "Learning
together" school organization is one of the conditions to be met prior to integration in the regular
classroom.
There was the need to determine the attitude of the pupils and the teachers towards integration of
the HILs in schools. The general society in which the hearing impaired learner is to be integrated
both academically and socially has negative attitudes towards the impaired learners. Does this
have any impact to the whole process of integration?
The adequacy of physical facilities in schools can enhance successful integration. It was equally
important to investigate if provision or non provision of these has a positive or negative bearing
on integration .It was seen to be important to study the process of supervision and inspection in
the schools where the HILs were integrated. This would give an insight if there was direction
given in achieving successful integration. In the process of integration, what are the challenges that the administrators face as they implement the policy of integration. Globally provision of
services to the learners with special needs education is not easy.
The interventions made by the Ministry of Education in enhancing the successful integration of
HILs in regular schools were also to be identified. Since the introduction of the integration
policy, some steps have been taken to make this a success. However, other interventions if
implemented could lead to a more successful programme.
The study found out that there were more female teachers than male teachers in the selected
schools, that more female learners were enrolled than the male learners. The findings indicated
most of the learners were born with deafness. That administration and management gave
minimal support to the success of the integration programme. Further findings indicated that both
the pupils and the teachers had negative attitudes towards the integration of the hearing impaired
learners.
From the findings, physical facilities particularly textbooks, exercises books and desks were
adequately provided, however hearing aids and sign language books were inadequate. The
process of supervision and inspection in the schools where HILs were integrated was done on
rare basis. The findings indicated that most teachers preferred using the oral approach in subject
delivery of content.
The study also found that the administrators faced challenges like role conflict among the
teachers, and lack of enough funds to provide sufficiently for the needs of the hearing impaired
learners. | en |
