GUIDANCE: Development of a guidance programme for students with special educational needs in Kenya: a study on personal orientation

Abstract

In this article, Franciscah Wamocho, lecturer and chairperson, Geoffrey Karugu, senior lecturer, both in the Department of Special Education, and Augustine Nwoye, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, all from Kenyatta University in Nairobi, argue that people with disabilities are likely to need the support of counselling services. The study reported here sought to collect baseline data that could be used in designing a comprehensive guidance programme for students with disabilities in secondary phase special schools and vocational rehabilitation training centres in Kenya. A personal orientation inventory was employed to measure values and behaviours among 229 students with visual impairments, hearing impairments and physical disabilities. The results reveal that the students with special educational needs may be non-selfactualising. The trend suggests that students with special needs may be living in the past or future with a lot of regrets and negative sentiments. Taking account of insights derived from Maslow's theory of self-actualisation and other related literature, the findings of this study appear to reinforce the need for a guidance and counselling programme to be developed for students with special educational needs in Kenya. This study reveals the direction that such a programme could take if it is to be of benefit to a Kenyan clientele with special educational needs.

Impediments to effective enactment of early childhood education curriculum and pedagogy in Tanzania: issues and experiences of teachers in urban and rural pre-schools

“…In addition, pre-school education was seen as including the identifying and taking suitable corrective measures for children with special learning difficulties (Ministry of Education andCulture, 1995, 2001). This view is similar to that of Wamocho, Karugu, and Nwoye (2008) in Kenya who found that pupils with special needs may be living with a lot of regrets and negative attitudes, so their study reinforced the need for guidance and counselling programmes to be developed for pupils with special educational needs in Kenya.…”

“…A common view in Tanzania of people with disabilities as useless and unable to contribute to communal welfare (Kweka et al, 2000). And previously they were believed to be possessed by wizards; they were thought to be bothersome, a bad omen and a source of humiliation to their families and society at large (Wamocho et al, 2008).…”

Influence of Socialization on Academic Performance of Learners With Hearing Impairment at Inclusive Primary Schools in Kenya: A Case in Thawabu Primary of Nairobi City County

“…Despite all these, it is advantageous for learners with HI to learn together with their peers with hearing to interact and learn from one another. It enables them to improve on their hearing ability, spoken language, vocabulary, self-esteem and self-actualization (Wamocho, 2003). Learners with HI usually feel withdrawn due to communication barrier.…”

School Factors That Create a Dilemma in the Implementation of Learners’ Psychomotor Curriculum Activities in the Early Childhood Development Education

“…The availability of adequate learning and play materials among learners with physical difficulties are likely to initiate efficient learning and development. However, in Kenya studies by Wamocho (2003), Kimosop (2002) and Kamere (2004) established that most special schools in Kenya lack adequate learning and play facilities and materials.…”