Evaluation Of Development And Implementation Of Individualized Educational Programme By Teachers Of Learners With Intellectual Disabilities In Kisumu And Nairobi Counties, Kenya

ABSTRACT

This was a descriptive study which sought to evaluate the development and

implementation of individualised educational programme by teachers of learners with

intellectual disabilities in special schools and units in Kisumu and Nairobi counties,

Kenya. To achieve this, the study was guided by the following objectives: to explore

the criteria followed by teachers in developing and implementing Individualized

Education Programme (IEP) for learners with intellectual disabilities, to establish the

involvement of multidisciplinary team in developing and implementing IEP, to

investigate the availability of resource materials for developing and implementing

IEP, and to generally document the challenges encountered by teachers in developing

and implementing the IEP. The target were the two counties, 6 special schools, 41

units and 47 headteachers who were purposively selected. Stratified random sampling

was used to select 993 teachers. Purposive sampling procedure was used to select

schools and units in Kisumu and Nairobi counties. Questionnaires, interviews,

document analysis and observation, were used to collect data after which Statistical

Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze. The qualitative data from

the interviews and observations were analyzed using descriptive and thematic text.

Quantitative data from the questionnaire with a Likert Scale was analyzed using

descriptive statistical analysis. Data analysis and interpretation revealed that teachers

assessed learners in academic skills, adaptive skills, reading skills, writing skills,

spelling skills, motor skills and social skills. Findings indicate that a multidisciplinary

team was involved and that the teachers reported on how they developed the IEP. The

research findings showed that learning resources were inadequate in schools and IEP

also lacks resources and materials, sufficient funds and time for its implementation.

The study established schools face many challenges namely: lack of good will from

parents and sometimes from teachers and lack of support from headteachers and other

stakeholders. Ministry of Education has also failed in terms of policy to reinforce the

development and implementation of IEP in special schools and units for learners with

intellectual disability. Generally, there is need for good concerted efforts among all

stakeholders for IEP to be fully and effectively developed and implemented in the

schools.

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