AN INVESTIGATION OF FACTORS INFLUENCING KCPE PERFORMANCE OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED PUPILS IN INTEGRATED PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN URIRI SUB-COUNTY, MIGORI COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Provision of primary education to all children is necessary in all nations all over the world. However, provision of inclusive education to pupils with visual impairment in Kenya remains a serious challenge. In the Kenya‟s national examination, the mean score performance of the visually impaired pupils over the years from 2013 to 2018 were 249.29, 246.30, 241.74, 249.06, 246.49 and 246.39 marks out of 500 marks respectively. The below average performances has motivated the need to conduct this study. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the factors influencing KCPE performance of visually impaired pupils in integrated public primary schools in Uriri sub-county in Migori county, Kenya. Specifically, the study investigated the influence of teachers‟ attitude, parents‟ attitude and instructional practices on academic performance of the visually impaired pupils integrated in public primary schools. Vygotsky‟s Social Cultural Development theory was used to provide foundation of the study. Descriptive survey research method was adopted. Saturated and purposive sampling was used to select the population of the study which consisted of 3 head teachers, 28 teachers and 23 parents, giving a total of 54 individuals for the candidate classes of 2017 and 2018. Data was obtained using questionnaires, interviews and secondary materials. Validity of the instruments was determined by expert judgement. Piloting was done in two of the integrated primary schools in the neighboring subcounty to determine the reliability of the instruments. Cronbach‟s reliability coefficient above .70 was considered for further analysis. Analysis of data was performed using SPSS version 20. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and the qualitative data from interview schedule as emerging themes. Results indicated teacher attitude had a positive moderate significant influence (r= .537, p< .05), parent‟s attitude had a positive weak influence which was not statistically significant (r= .243, p< .05), and teacher‟s instructional practices had a positive strong significant influence (r= .697, p< .05). Based on odds ratio, instructional practices had the greatest value of 13.125 followed by teachers‟ attitude with an odds ratio of 3.337, and parental attitude had the least odd ratio of 1.5. This implied that instructional practices had the greatest impact on the performance of pupils with visual impairment followed by teachers‟ attitude. Parental attitude had the least influence which was not statistically significant. The study concluded that instructional practices and teachers‟ attitude are key drivers of academic achievement and parents‟ liking of pupils with visual impairment should be enhanced as reflected by the ratings. The study is significant to education policy makers, planners and implementers on how to mount conferences and workshops to impart knowledge on attitude change, will help teachers and other stakeholders change their attitude towards pupils with visual impairment and lastly give baseline to future researchers to carry out further research on the same topic. Based on the study findings, teachers and parents need to be more positive and close to the children and effort should be made to ensure that instructional practices are made more conducive for learning and teaching.