https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/68 2026-10-01T23:49:01Z 2026-10-01T23:49:01Z Mweri, George Jefwa https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1715 2020-11-25T12:02:40Z 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

The Acquisition of Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) and Its Significance as A Mother Tongue and Medium of Instruction in Schools for The Deaf in Kenya Mweri, George Jefwa University of Nairobi This paper outlines the importance of KSL in the teaching of deaf learners in Kenya by examining the acquisition and use of KSL in the family, school and the Kenyan society at large. It, therefore, argues for early intervention policies that would enable deaf children to acquire KSL early and calls for the immediate adoption of a bilingual approach to deaf education, thus creating a conducive environment for the use of KSL across the curriculum. Convinced that “to reject a child‟s language in the school or anywhere [else] is to reject the child”, (Cummins 2001) the paper argues that any meaningful education for the deaf in Kenya must take cognizance of the importance of their native tongue or mother tongue – i.e. Kenyan Sign Language (KSL). In spite of its recognition by the Constitution of Kenya 2010,it does not seem to have been embraced as the language of learning in schools for the deaf in Kenya. The proposal made in this paper is that KSL should become a medium of instruction in schools for the deaf and, as such, be used to teach language and other academic subjects, KSL itself as a subject, as well as KSL-teaching methodology courses for trainee teachers of the deaf. The paper demonstrates that the continued reluctance to use KSL as the mother tongue of the deaf in their education is largely to blame for the poor state of deaf education in Kenya, which has not given deaf Kenyans the opportunity to compete on an equal footing with their hearing counterparts in the country – making it a human rights issue. For deaf Kenyans to have equal access to the services offered by the larger society, their language – KSL, which is their mother tongue (L1), must occupy its deserved place in their lives, starting with their education. The adoption of the late-exit or developmental bilingual education approach is one way of doing this. To advance this view, the paper benefits from the social model of perception on disability and the human rights-based approach. A Research Article Published in The University of Nairobi Journal of Language and Linguistics

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z Achoka, J. S. K. Odebero, Stephen O. Maiyo, Julius K. Mualuko, Ndiku J. https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1714 2021-09-02T07:11:55Z 2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

Access to Basic Education in Kenya: Inherent Concerns Achoka, J. S. K.; Odebero, Stephen O.; Maiyo, Julius K.; Mualuko, Ndiku J. Basic education being the minimum education that every Kenyan must have for progressive existence in society is a crucial factor. That is why Kenya subscribes to the international protocol that established Education for All (EFA) in Jomtien, Thailand 1990 and the world education forum in Dakar, Senegal, 2000. Since then, the Kenya Government in her Education Sector Strategic Plan and Sessional paper No. 1 of 2005 has articulated how to attain goals for education. For instance early childhood education which tries to ensure development of the whole personality of the child’s physical, mental, and socioemotional attributes faces challenges such as lack of access to early childhood education mostly caused by poverty, regional and gender disparities, policy framework, and HIV/AIDS among others. At primary school level where children stay longest in the schooling years and they develop more motor skill, further cognitive skills along with higher socialization than the early childhood education level, has children failing to access education due to poverty, gender imbalances, regional imbalances among other concerns. Secondary education which creates a human resource base higher than the primary education along with training youth for further education and the world of work registers restriction to many children due to concerns of poverty, gender imbalances, insecurity regional disparity among others. This article articulates in detail the above concerns discussing their manifestations in Kenya. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations made on how to improve access to basic education in Kenya. Among the recommendations are: To make basic education free and compulsory, improve provision of health services, intensify fight against demeaning cultures, give special attention to children with disabilities, avail employment opportunities to the youth, assure security to all in conflict prone zones and tighten bursary disbursement procedures. A research Article published in Educational Research and Review

2007-01-01T00:00:00Z Githaiga, Dorcas Njeri Kiptiony, Gladys Ngumi, Owen https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1463 2020-07-01T08:48:28Z 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z

The Impact of Head teachers Support in Implementing the Guidance and Counseling Programme (GCP) for Promotion of the Hearing Impaired Pupils’ Development in Selected Counties, Kenya Githaiga, Dorcas Njeri; Kiptiony, Gladys; Ngumi, Owen This study investigated the impact of head teachers‟ support in implementing the guidance and Counseling programme (GCP) in schools for the hearing-impaired pupils in the counties of Nakuru, Nairobi, Kiambu and Machakos. These counties have a total population of 776 pupils, 90 teachers and 9 head teachers. Pupils in class six to eight who comprised 243 were selected for the study. This ex-post facto descriptive survey used self-administered questionnaires and interview guide for data collection. A pilot study preceded the main study to ascertain the reliability of the questionnaire items. Cronbach‟s Coefficient Alpha method was used to measure the internal consistency of items. The results yielded reliability co-efficient of 0.77, 0.70 and 0.71 for the pupils‟ questionnaire, teacher counselors‟ questionnaire and head teachers‟ questionnaire respectively. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test were used to analyse the data using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings revealed that the head teachers did not offer adequate support to the guidance and counseling programme and this coupled with challenges facing teacher counselors makes the guidance and counseling programme not to achieve the intended purposes. The study recommends that Head teachers provide required resources for the guidance and counseling programme to ensure full implementation and purpose to create awareness to teachers and parents with hearing impaired child on the importance of collaborating with them in ensuring overall development of the children through the guidance and counseling programme. An Article Published in Scholars Bulletin

2017-01-01T00:00:00Z Odhiambo, Janet Auma Omoke, Charles Aloka, Peter J. O. https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1402 2020-06-30T07:39:24Z 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Effectiveness of Motor Skill Training on the Performance of Dressing as an Activity of Daily Living by Kenyan Pupils With Cerebral Palsy Odhiambo, Janet Auma; Omoke, Charles; Aloka, Peter J. O. The study established the effectiveness of Motor Skill training on the performance of Dressing as an Activity of Daily Living by Pupils with Cerebral Palsy in one special school for pupils who are physically challenged in Kisumu, Kenya. The study adopted a Pre-test, Post-test experimental study design. Sample size of the study comprised 25 respondents which included 12 pupils with cerebral palsy, 3 teachers in charge of the pupils in the school, 8 parents of the pupils and 2 physiotherapists. Purposive sampling technique was adopted to select the respondents. Data collection tools included observational checklist, interviews and Focus Group Discussions. Piloting was carried out before the onset of the study to establish validity and reliability. Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was used to test the hypothesis. The study's findings revealed that, after motor skill training, there were improvements on motor skill functioning among pupils who received training, while those who did not receive any training had no improvements. The study recommends that community based rehabilitation centers be set in every community to work in collaboration with the medical personnel, teachers and parents in helping with the training of motor skills to aid the pupils in being self reliant. An Article Published in Journal of Educational and Social Research MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z