ATTITUDES OF TEACHERS TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN NYAMIRA COUNTY, KENYA Authors

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to find out the attitudes of teachers towards implementation of inclusive education in Nyamira County, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The study targeted 4000 and 5 education officers in Nyamira County. They are involved in the implementation and delivery of the curriculum. The study used simple random sampling. The study observed that the attitude of teachers towards inclusive education was negative. The negativity of teachers was due to variables such as the teacher's lack of knowledge and skill of disabilities; the need for special curriculum for learners in inclusive education; low achievement of SNE children and increased indiscipline cases. The study recommended that: Teachers should recommend severe cases of disability to special schools; teachers to recommend to the ministry of education areas of the curriculum that require change to meet needs of all learners in inclusive settings; all teachers be trained

School-Based Factors Influencing Performance of Pupils on Transition from Lower Primary to Upper Primary in Ekerenyo Division, Nyamira County, Kenya

This study examined school-based factors influencing performance of pupils on transition from lower to upper primary in public schools in Ekerenyo Division, Nyamira County, Kenya. The study adopted survey research design. A sample size of 109 subjects comprising, 90 teachers, 15 Head teachers and four QASOs were utilized. Various research instruments including questionnaires, interview schedules and observation checklists were used to collect data. Quantitative data from questionnaires were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) while qualitative data employed thematic analysis. The study revealed that the main school-based factors that negatively influenced performance of pupils in transition from lower to upper classes included inadequate teaching and learning resources, sketchy syllabus coverage due to inappropriate instructional strategies and poor attitude amongst pupils and teachers. The study made various recommendations specifically geared to teachers to use learner-centered teaching and learning strategies and cover syllabus for each level according to the stipulated timeframe

The main coping Strategies being Applied by teachers and school Managers to Implement Life Skills Education in Trans- Nzoia West District, Kenya

The gist of this study was to investigate the copping strategies applied by teachers and school managers to implement life skill education in secondary schools in Trans-Nzoia West District, Kenya. This study used Social Learning Theory or Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) by Albert Bandura (1986), which  explains that children learn to behave through both formal instruction (for example how parents, teachers and other authorities and  what role-models tell them to behave) as well as observation) amongst others. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. From the target population of 1800 students, 150 teachers and 37 principals in 37 public secondary schools in the district, stratified random sampling technique was adopted to draw 15 principals, 30 teachers and 180 students yielding 225 subjects. Questionnaires were used to collect data from teachers and students while interview schedules were used to collect data from the principals.  Quantitative data from questionnaires were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) while qualitative data from interviews were analyzed thematically. The main findings were that: the teachers and school managers were not well prepared to implement lifeskills education because of the fact that not only were the teachers not specifically trained to handle LSE, but they also claimed that since LSE is not examinable subject, it was also an added burden in the context of the high student-teacher ratio due to inadequate teaching force. In addition, although instructional resources are fairly available in most schools visited, they were grossly inadequate. While the attitude towards LSE education was positive amongst students, the teachers had negative attitude. It was evident that teachers and school managers had adopted various largely appropriate and participatory copping strategies including discussion, debates, brain-storming, case studies and storytelling amongst students and teachers to implement the LSE curriculum. What remains to be established is the extent of effectiveness of the applied strategies in meeting the objectives of LSE curriculum.  It is thus recommended that relevant Government Ministries and semi autonomous  Agencies  (SAGAs) should fast track  staff development initiatives  through in-service training to equip teachers and school managers  with relevant knowledge,  skills and attitudes necessary for the implementation of LSE curriculum not only in the  study locale but in other counties experiencing similar constraints in the country.[374 words]. Keywords: Life skills education, Implementation, level of preparedness, teachers, school managers, Secondary schools, Copping strategies, Trans-Nzoia West District, Kenya

Analysis Of Working Conditions Of Support Staff In Public Secondary Schools In Nyamira County, Kenya.

Secondary school support staffs are less satisfied with their posts in general, their contracts and conditions of employment, working arrangements for their post, training and development opportunities available to them are always demoralizing them. Going by the foresaid conditions of work, this study was set to analyze of working conditions of support staff in public secondary schools in Nyamira County, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The specific objective of the study was to: examine the working conditions of the support staff in public secondary schools. The study population consisted of 170 public secondary schools, 170 principals, 172 deputy principals and 170 BOM chairpersons with 1020 support staff, totaling to 1532. Simple random and stratified sampling techniques were used to select 16 secondary schools, out of which one principal, six support staff, one deputy principal and the BOM chairperson from each of the sampled schools were selected, making a total sample of 144 respondents for the study. The study established that support staff in Nyamira County work under very poor conditions. The findings reveals that support staff motivation depends on the working conditions set by the principal in a school also influence workers motivation to work. The study recommended that there should be salary increase to support staffs and that the yearly increment should be effected considering the fact that they were few and were doing too much work. Principals should avail adequate working tools