Learners’ Views Towards The Use of KSL As A Medium of Instruction in Primary Schools For Learners with Hearing Impairment, Homabay County.

Abstract

Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) is visual gestural language used by people with hearing impairment in Kenya it can also be learnt and used by people who have hearing ability. KSL plays a critical role in the academic world in the education of learners with hearing impairment as it is used for self expression and in communicating with others. Policy documents such Kenyan Constitution (2010) and Ministry of Education (2004), recognized KSL as a third national language, use of KSL as medium of instruction in schools for learners with hearing impairment and first language to HI learners, therefore factors influencing its growth and development in Homa Bay County should have a bearing on medium of instruction in the educational institutions for learners with HI. Scarcity of empirical evidence in respect to the topic of the study further necessitated conducting this study on Factors Influencing use of KSL as a medium of Instruction in primary schools for the hearing impaired in Homa bay County: A case of Nyangweso Special school for the Deaf. The objectives of the study were; Establish teachers’ ability to use KSL as a medium of instruction, Determine how classroom facilities affect KSL as a medium of instruction and Identify learners’ views towards the use of KSL as a medium of instruction. Qualitative research design was used, tools used for data collection were; interview schedules, questionnaires and classroom observation checklist. The main study was carried out at Nyangweso special school for the Deaf while piloting was carried out Lambwe Christian School for the Deaf and the findings were not included in the main study. Study targeted a population of 147 participants which comprised of 1 head teacher, 16 teachers and 130 learners. Stratified random sampling was used to get a sample size of 76 participants which comprised of 1 head teacher, 16 teachers and 59 learners. Reliability of the instruments was done through test-retest method and for valid information about the study, researcher made teachers part of the participants and data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics, tables and graphs.