Analysis Of Interventions Teachers Use To Manage Learners With Selected Behaviour Disorders In Primary Schools In Thika Sub-County, Kiambu County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to analyze the intervention strategies teachers used in managing learners with selected behaviour disorders in primary schools in Madaraka zone, Thika sub-county, Kiambu County, Kenya. The following objectives guided our study: to establish effectiveness of assessment methods teachers used in identifying learners with selected behaviour disorders, explore intervention strategies teachers used in managing learners with selected behaviour disorders, to investigate challenges teachers faced in managing learners with selected behaviour disorders, confirm the presence of learners with conduct disorder, opposition defiant disorder and anxiety depression disorder in schools under study and lastly to determine the performance of learners with selected disorders academically and in class behaviours. The study used descriptive research design which was appropriate since it enabled the researcher to describe the situation as it existed. A questionnaire was used to collect data and it was piloted at Jamhuri primary school. The targeted population was 149 teachers teaching in Madaraka zone. Simple random sampling was done to select four schools which participated in the study. Further, purposive sampling was conducted to select class seven pupils and their teachers as representative of other classes. 30 out of 33 targeted teachers teaching class seven participated in the study. Data from the research instruments was analyzed and presented descriptively. The study found that the assessment methods teachers used to identify learners with EBDs were not effective, that teachers in selected schools did not use effective intervention strategies to manage behaviour for learners with EBDs. Moreover, it was established that the most serious challenges the teachers faced in managing learners with EBDs was high enrolment/ overcrowded classrooms and lack of specialized training. The study recommends that in-service training for teachers be done with a view of building capacity in the area of identification processes, that Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development to give guidelines on behaviour disorder management. Future research suggestions made includes: to establishing the teacher’s competencies in data collection, recording and analysis and to find out if other disorders other than the selected disorders may be affecting learners in public primary schools. It is hoped that these findings will help stakeholders to come up with effective intervention strategies in managing learners with behaviour disorders as well as add to the existing literature on learner disorders.