Influence of school environment on inclusion of learners with visual impairment in regular public primary schools in Nyatike sub-county, Migori County, Kenya

Abstract

Inclusion of learners with disability is necessary for improving their enrolment and ensuring that their academic goals and objectives are met. Consequently, teachers and stakeholders have to identify any barriers that can deter the learners from achieving these goals. Interestingly, in Nyatike Sub-County, enrolment of learners with visual impairment in regular public primary schools has remained low at 10.1 percent compared to 33.6 percent in Suna East Sub-County, 24.8 percent in Suna West Sub-County and 31.5 percent in Uriri Sub-County for the years 2019 to 2023. Besides, the literacy level of learners with visual impairment is lower than the levels of learners with hearing and intellectual impairment in Nyatike Sub-County. Therefore, the study sought to find out the influence of the school environment on the inclusion of visually impaired learners in regular public primary schools in Nyatike Sub-County. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory was used to explain the roots of inclusion. A sample size of 98 (ninety-eight) respondents comprising 46 head teachers and 52 classroom teachers was selected using saturated and purposive sampling techniques. Pearson’s correlation, regression analysis,and ANOVA were used to analyse infferential data while qualitative data was transcribed and analyzed based on emerging themes and used for triangulation. The study established that at a 5 percent level of significance; the school environment significantly influenced the inclusion of learners with visual impairment, and accounted for 18.4% of the variation in inclusion of learners with visual impairment in regular primary schools. From the findings, it was concluded that the school environment (r= .433, p< .05) has a significant positive and moderate influence on the inclusion of visually impaired learners in regular public primary schools in Nyatike Sub-County, Migori County, Kenya. The study recommends that school administration mobilize more teaching and learning resources for learners with visual impairment. The study is significant to policymakers in the educational sector to develop a framework that links the inclusion of learners with visual impairment and their success in educational achievement