Intervention Measures and Teaching Strategies Enhancing Mathematics Teaching to Dyscalculic Learners in Public Day Secondary Schools in Kericho County

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate interventions measures and teaching strategies enhancing mathematics teaching to dyscalculic learners in public day secondary schools in Kericho county. Guided by Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, the study adopted a descriptive design which used mixed model research with both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The study was carried out in Kericho County. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data for the study. The study was carried in 35 randomly selected public day secondary schools in different localities within the County to effectively analyze the methodologies of teaching the subject in the region. Data from the research instruments, namely mathematics teachers' questionnaires and mathematics students' questionnaires was coded and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 25) to obtain descriptive statistics. To ensure validity, face and content validity was conducted. Also, the Cronbach Coefficient Formula was applied to guarantee reliability. The findings revealed that 19 out of 300 randomly sampled students, which represent 6.3% of the total sampled students, suffered from dyscalculia. Also, reviewing the previous lessons and maximizing the use of homework were some of the major interventions that helped in enhancing dyscalculic learners' performance. The study recommends that the government should ensure a conducive classroom environment to enhance performance of dyscalculic students. It should also ensure that schools have enough teachers with special needs skills in all the schools.