Effectiveness Of Special Needs Education Supervision In Uasin Gishu District, Rift Valley Province, Kenya

ABSTRACT

One of the major challenges facing special education in Kenya has its origin from the implementation and evaluation of the educational movements that have resulted into special schools, integrated programmes and inclusion. This process emphasizes the need for close supervision to address the transition effectively. Studies reviewed indicated that problems in the supervision of Special Education occur right from the varying definition and roles of supervision, to Special Educational Needs that have to be addressed. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Special Needs Education (SNE) supervision in Uasin Gishu District. The focus of the study was on: special needs in education considered during supervision, the extent to which professional training of supervisors impacted on the quality of supervision, regularity of supervision, major problems faced by supervisors during supervising/inspecting of SNE programmes and the impact of these problems on supervision. The study employed an exploratory survey approach since new insights into problems of supervisions of SNE were sought. A total of 76 questionnaires of both structured and non-structured items were supplied to a stratified sample of 17 Quality Assurance officers at District and zonal levels, 25 headteachers and in-charge of special units and finally, 34 teachers teaching in special education programmes in both Uasin Gishu District and Eldoret Municipality. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software and excel packages were used in the analysis of data from which descriptive statistics were used. Thematic approach was used to analyze unstructured questions. The findings of the study established that special needs of learners were not addressed during supervision. The supervision of special education service delivery programmes was not regularly and effectively done. Supervisor also faced several challenges that were contextual in nature ranging from personal conditions like lack of knowledge base, communication, lack of a defined curriculum to systemic conditions like staffing, time, lack of a clear policy, among others, that adversely affected the quality of supervision. These effects ranged from the performance of supervisors, the input into service delivery to the outcome of learners with special needs. The following recommendations were made: that all QASOs, whether in service or joining, be in-serviced in Special Education Needs (SEN), that the Education Assessment and Resource Centre (EARC) coordinators be actively involved in supervision of special needs education and a policy document on the same be released for implementation purposes, that regularity of supervision of SNE programmes and their implementation and follow-up activities be done termly and the intensity be increased, that supervisors be in-serviced on indicators/ evidences to look for before visiting SNE programmes and on report writing, and that studies be put in place to evaluate the effectiveness of special education service delivery