Influence of School Related Factors on Implementation of Inclusive Education in Kamukunji Sub-county, Nairobi City County, Kenya

Abstract

This study looked into how characteristics related to the school had an impact on how inclusive education was implemented in the public secondary schools in Kamukunji Sub-county. This study aimed to determine how the implementation of inclusive education was influenced by the availability of appropriate teaching and learning materials, the availability of physically modified facilities, the suitability of teachers' professional preparation, and the modification of assessment procedures for learners with disabilities. The societal Model of Disability by Oliver (1983), on which the study was based, acknowledges that societal perceptions, institutions, and regulations may be changed to offer a supportive environment in which learners with disabilities have an equal opportunity to engage in education. To perform the study, a descriptive survey research design was used. While purposive sampling was used to choose 8 principals from 10 public secondary schools delivering inclusive education, simple random sampling was employed to pick 75 instructors from a population of 248 teachers. Information from the respondents was gathered using questionnaires. To gather proof of the existence of the necessary facilities and educational resources in the schools, the researcher employed an observation schedule. Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used to evaluate the data numerically, and content analysis was used to assess the data qualitatively. This study found that the implementation of inclusive education varies by 60.7% due to characteristics associated to schools. According to the results of the coefficient of correlation, having more teaching and learning resources that are appropriate for students with disabilities available improves the implementation of inclusive education by 0.162 units (1=0.162; p=0.000). Implementing inclusive education is improved by 0.198 units when there are more physical facilities that have been adapted to accommodate students with disabilities (2=0.198; p=0.000). Implementing inclusive education is improved by 0.525 units when there are more teachers available who have professional training in both education and special needs education (3=0.525; p=0.000). Implementing inclusive education is improved by 0.416 units when assessment processes are changed for students with impairments (3=0.416; p0.001). The association is statistically significant because all of the p-values were below the 0.05 level of significance. This survey discovered that poor vision students in Kamukunji's public secondary schools have eyeglasses or contact lenses, large print textbooks, and a braille machine. However, none of the schools have computers with expanded screen images and optical character recognition systems. Additionally, 75% of schools lack portable audio recorders, 87.5% lack low vision calculators, and 62.5% lack hearing aids for students with hearing impairments. None of the schools have modified their furniture or athletic facilities to accommodate students with disabilities, despite the fact that 87.5% of the schools have large classrooms with non-slip surfaces, 75% have ramps, and 87.5% have restrooms that are inaccessible to students with disabilities. Every teacher at Kamukunji's public secondary schools has completed at least a bachelor's degree in education. Only 14.1% of teachers get pre-service training in special needs education, though. Additionally, assessment methods have been changed to allow students with disabilities more time and a more accessible format for exams. Only 1.6% of students enrolled in schools are learners with impairments, and only a small subset of these learners are enrolled in schools. This study suggests that the ministry of education fund structural modifications to public secondary schools' facilities and conduct regular compliance checks on those modifications; that principals coordinate with the MoE and work with other stakeholders to obtain enough learning materials that are appropriate for students with disabilities; and that TSC and KISE offer in-service training for teachers on these topics.