Problems Encountered By The Teachers Teaching Deaf Blind Children At Kabarnet School For Deaf Blind In Baringo District, Kenya

ABSTRACT

Objectives: This study investigated the problems encountered by the

teachers teachIng deaf blind children at Kabamet School for Deaf Blind

in Barlngo District, Kenya. Spedflcaliy, these data were gathered:

profile of teachers as to age, gender, marital status, number of years

in service and educational qualification; and degree the problems

encountered by the teachers teaching deaf blind children in terms of

facilities and equipments, learning methodology, formal curriculum,

mode of communication, and traIned personnel.

Design: This study employed the descriptive survey method of

investigation.

Environment: This study was carded out in Kabarnet School for the

Deaf blind Children, Baringo District, Rift Valley Province of Kenya.

Baringo district Is one of the 18 districts In the Rift Valley province

covering about 8,655 KM2 In size.

Respondents: This study Involved 24 teachers of Kabarnet School for

the Deaf blind wherein 1 head teacher and 23 teachers.

Instrument: This study utilized a researcher devised instrument

which was a questionnaire that contained questions about profile of

teachers as to age, gender, marital status, number of years In service

and educational qualification and the degree of problems encountered

by the teachers teaching deaf blind children in five areas namely:

facilities and equipments, learning methodology, formal curriculum,

mode of communication, and trained personnel. They were rated as

follows: 4 strongly disagree (you disagree with no doubt at all), 3

disagree (you disagree with some doubt), 2 agree (you agree with

some doubt), and 1 strongly agree (you agree with no doubt at all).

Data Collection Procedures: The frequency and percentage was

used to determine the profile of the teachers. The weighted mean was

used to determine the degree of problems encountered by the

teachers teaching deaf blind children in terms of facilities and

equipments, learning methodology, formal curriculum, mode of

communication, and trained personnel. The obtained data were

expressed in the following mean range: 3~26 — 4~OO very severe, 2~51

— 3~25 severe, L76 — 150 moderate, and L0O — L75 low.

Findings: This study revealed the following: the mean age of the

teachers was 4O~54; and the degree of problems encountered by the

teachers teaching deaf blind children was severe (mean = 116).

Conclusion: Based on the findings, it was concluded that the

problems encountered by the teachers teaching deaf blind children were severe, However, it needs to be improved.