This study assessed the effectiveness of the use of selected teaching/learning resources in the implementation of Inclusive Education (I.E) for Special Needs Education (SNE) learners in mainstream primary schools. Focusing on the organisational effectiveness of the school management in meeting the needs of Special needs Learners, research questions explored the following: the availability of the selected teaching/learning resources, effectiveness of the use of available teaching /learning for Inclusive Education, challenges in the use of available teaching/learning resources and possible improvements with regard to the implementation of Inclusive Education for Special Needs Learners in mainstream primary schools. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. Out of 150 schools that had integrated Special Needs Learners in Bungoma Count, Kenya, 20% were stratified, proportionately and randomly sampled. Purposive sampling was used to obtain the participants; head teachers, regular, and special teachers. The sample comprised of 30 head teachers, 120 regular teachers and 8 special teachers (total 158). Data were collected using questionnaires for 30 head teachers, 120 regular teachers, interview schedules for 8 special teachers and observation schedule. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study findings reveal that the integration of inclusive education has not been accompanied by support structures; educators lack the knowledge in handling the available resources, the available learning resources are inadequate and inappropriate. The study recommends that Ministry of education and school managers can implement inclusion smoothly and effectively through a variety of vehicles including in-service opportunities, professional support groups, mentoring activities, monitoring the degree of collaboration between general and special educators and improving the school setting to accommodate learner diversity. In addition, the government should improve on funding to cater for facilities and modification of structures. Key words: inclusive education, special needs learners, teaching/learning resources.
In recent times, the Kenyan education sector has experienced increased cases of students' indiscipline in schools. However, the potential of homeschooling as a possible solution to such indiscipline has not been explored. Whereas critics of homeschooling posit that homeschooled children are inferior academically, proponents of this form of learning don’t think so. Therefore, this research compared the academic learning outcomes of homeschooled children and children in conventional school settings. The subjects in which scores were compared were math, English, and social studies. This research was anchored in the systems theory’s input-output model developed by Ludwig Von Bertalanffy and adopted the causal-comparative research design. The target population was children pursuing the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) curriculum. A sample of 316 children was drawn, out of whom 272 participated in the research. Data were analyzed using independent samples t-tests. Results revealed that homeschooled children achieved significantly higher math, English, and social studies scores than children in conventional schools. The research concluded that homeschooling as an alternative form of education enhances children’s academic learning outcomes equally well and probably better than conventional schools. Therefore, the education sector in Kenya should consider legalizing homeschooling as an alternative form of education for some parents who want to detach their children from indiscipline cases that are majorly witnessed in conventional schools. Despite this research stating the case for legalizing Homeschooling in Kenya, a significant limitation was the reliance on the ACE curriculum and academic scores derived from one term’s performance. Therefore, future studies should consider panel data that caters for comparisons across diverse curricula over time. Keywords: academic outcomes, homeschooling, conventional schooling, comparative research, ace curriculum
Academic staff in universities is a factor of production for the universities. Their performance as lectures, researchers and managers in these institutions determines, to a large extent, the quality of their graduates and research output they produce. Organizations that do not invest in their employees are entities that have no future life (Nsamenang, Tchombe, 2011; Ololube, 2006; Ofoegbu, 2004; Ogbonna, 2011). For private universities, the role of academic staff is very crucial. The teaching staff is instrumental in training and mentoring graduates with skills most sought for by employers. Northouse, (2007) suggests that University products should be compost of graduates who possess skills that are much needed by both local and international markets. The quality of graduates they produce markets them and binds them with higher enrolment rates. The income of universities depend their enrolment rates. Omusula (2017) in his study of demand and supply driven characteristics graduates seek to establish before enrolling for master of education programmes found out that enrolment rates positively correlate strongly with university incomes. Despite the fact that higher education institutions have a mission to offer a high-quality learning experience to all their students, they are at the same time expected to maintain a high level of production in their research work. It is the prerogative function of academic staff to ensure that they continuously engage in research as universities are incubators of knowledge production(Lanzeby, 2008). High research output enables universities to be branded, recognized and ranked among the world best institutions of higher learning. Academic staff is at the heart of university branding(Asongwe, 2008;Oluremi, 2008). Lecturers are the epitome of production of quality graduates and research output gravitates around them. To motivate them is the greatest honor of recognition of one of the universities' nerve centres. Frederick Herzberg (1987) postulates that Motivation can be self-driven or environmentally oriented. This study sought to establish individual and institutional based factors that motivate academic staff to carry out research in universities in Kenya. In mitigation, the study identified strategies that can be applied by universities to create the much needed, desired and sustainable individual and institutional higher research productivity. The researchers
This article compares social learning outcomes of homeschooled and traditionally schooled children under the Accelerated Christian Education Curriculum (ACE). The comparison is done by looking at the social skills constructs of persistence, self–control and social competences. This study adopted the comparative research design, targeting children under the Accelerated Christian Education. 426 children were sampled, with 272 participating Questionnaires were used to collect data on the three constructs. From the computation of children Independent sample t-test, it was revealed that there were no significant differences between the homeschooled and traditionally schooled children as perceived by the children, parents and teachers on the three Social constructs. Consequently it was noted children, parents and teachers received home schooling as effective in developing children persistence, self-control and social competence learning outcomes. It was also demonstrated that acquiring these social skills was independent of home and traditional schooling. Hence it meant home school was equally effective in nurturing the social skills required for children to fit well in society. Though further studies needed to be done to test the robustness of these findings when other variable are added to the model.
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