School Teachers’ Attitudes towards Integration of Children with Speech Difficulties in Public Primary Schools: A Case of Busia District, Kenya

Abstract

Since the onset of inclusion of children with disabilities in the education sector, many challenges are facing the reform effort especially as regards to improving services of the disabled children. In an inclusive school, general education does not relinquish responsibility for pupils with special needs, but instead, places them at the centre of challenges which include attitudes of teachers and peers. Their self-concept which is influenced by these attitudes determines their academic achievement. Philosophies regarding the education of children with disabilities have changed over the past two decades and several countries have led in the effort to implement policies, which foster the integration of all pupils into mainstream environments. Although the movement of integration has gained momentum in recent years, a key element in the successful implementation of the policy is the views of the personnel who have the major responsibility for implementing it, that is, teachers.  It is argued that teachers’ beliefs and attitudes are critical in ensuring the success of the integration practices since teachers’ acceptance of the policy of integration is likely to affect their commitment to implementing it. The importance of investigating attitudes towards people with disabilities has long been recognized. Thus, this paper aims at examining the attitude of teachers towards children with speech difficulties in public primary schools.  Descriptive survey design was adopted for this study with focus on a target population of eighty four Primary schools in Busia District. A sample size of twenty five (25) schools was obtained through stratified sampling, simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques.  Data collection was done by use of questionnaires after which descriptive statistics was used in analysis. The study findings showed that teachers held positive attitudes about integration on children with speech difficulties. This boosted the self-concept of pupils with speech difficulties and made them perform averagely in school. This study recommends that integration should be made successful through training sensitization of teachers in special education and improvement in staffing. The study is aimed at helping to identify ways, create and encourage the development of favourable conditions that would boost the self-concept of children with speech difficulties and realize their potentials in life while learning in an integrated setting.

Keywords: Teachers, Attitudes, Children with speech difficulties, Public Primary Schools, Busia District