Relationship Between Resource Utilization And Academic Performance Of Physically Challenged Learners In Ototo Zone -Homa-Bay District Kenya

ABSTRACT 

The researcher was drawn into conducting this study by the report that revealed that the physically challenged learners of Ototo Zone in Homa Bay District—Kenya were performing very poorly in their national exams. The report had also touched on the under utilization of educational resources by teachers of the physically challenged learners. The purpose of the study was therefore mainly to assess the relationship between educational resource utilization and the academic performance of these learners, find out what problems were faced by teachers in the use of resources and seek ways of alleviating the problems. The researcher reviewed the available literature related to the matter. He used the quantitative research approach and survey research design. He sampled out 50 teachers from 20 schools in the zone to be the respondents using stratified random sampling procedure. The researcher used the questionnaires as the tool for collecting the data from the respondents. The data was then analyzed by the use of frequency tables to give the findings. The study revealed that effective utilization of resources had direct bearing on academic performance of the physically challenged. The more effective the utilization of resources the better the academic performance. The study again diagnosed a number of challenges teachers faced in the use of resources. These challenges included inadequate resources, lack of motivation to teachers, lack of training in high technology resources and inadequate laws and government policies to protect the interest of people with disabilities. The research revealed that the problems associated with effective utilization of resources could be solved through training and sensitizing teachers and the general public, formulating policies and enacting laws to protect the interest of the physically challenged, allocating more funds to buy educational resources, discarding harmful and dehumanizing cultural beliefs and practices and creating a barrier free learning environment for the physically challenged. The researcher then concluded by asking all the stakeholders in education to join hands together in an effort to uplifting the deteriorating standard of education of the physically challenged learners in the zone.