Educational Assessment Service For Learners With Special Needs in Regular Primary Schools; Opportunities and Challenges for Teachers and Parents in Ugunja Sub- County, Siaya County, Kenya

Abstract

Assessment in special education is an important ingredient in the entire process of education. Unfortunately, records in Ugunja Sub County education office indicated that from the year 2012-2014 there were 227 learners with special needs admitted in regular primary schools without receiving assessment. Records from Educational Assessment and Resource Centre (EARC) showed that only 39 learners with special needs out of 227 had been assessed. While in the five neighbouring sub counties there were 719 out of 932 learners with special needs assessed before being admitted in schools. The purpose of the study was to establish opportunities and challenges of educational assessment service for learners with special needs in regular primary schools; opportunities and challenges in regular primary schools in Ugunja Sub-county. Objectives of the study were to: ascertain availability of educational assessment for learners with special needs, determine challenges teachers face when teaching learners with special needs admitted in regular schools, determine parents‟ awareness about assessment services and determine teachers‟ awareness of policy guidelines on assessment. A conceptual framework showing availability of educational assessment as independent variable and opportunities and challenges as dependent variable guided the study. The research adopted descriptive survey design. The study population was 275 comprising 120 teachers, 1 Educational Assessment and Resource services officer and 154 parents. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 60 teachers and 46 parents, and saturated sampling technique was used to select 1 EARC officer. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview schedules. Face validity of the instruments was ascertained by experts. A pilot study using test re-test method was carried out in four schools which were not part of the sampled schools to establish the reliability of the research instruments. Reliability coefficient for teacher questionnaire was 0.86.This was above the accepted value of 0.7. Quantitative data was analyzed by use of frequency counts, percentages and means. Qualitative data was organized and analyzed by transcribing the interviews into themes and sub themes in line with the objectives. Findings of the study indicated that educational assessment service is rarely available as the overall mean was 2.18. This implied that learners with special needs in regular primary schools are rarely assessed before admission in school. The findings of the study revealed that teachers encounter challenges in teaching learners with special needs as the mean rating was 4.35. The interview schedule held with the parents revealed that parents were unaware of the educational assessment of learners with special as reported by 42 (91.30%) out of the 46 parents. The findings of the study revealed that teachers‟ awareness on policy guidelines was below average as the mean rating was 1.65. The study results may benefit: policy makers in improvement of educational assessment for learners with special needs; Board of Management for planning and decision making on admission of learners with special needs; Parents for identification, early intervention and importance of assessment before placement The study recommendations: the government through the ministry of education should ensure availability of qualified personnel for each disability; creating awareness on Inclusive Education. Strengthen policies on inclusive education.