Author: Eleen Chesaro
The Presbyterian University of East Africa
P.O Box 387 Kikuyu, Kenya
Email: eleenchesaro@yahoo.com
Abstract
This study sought to examine the methods of teaching the mentally challenged and communication deficient learners in a selected primary school special unit in Nairobi. Case study design was employed by the study. The sample consisted of mentally challenged learners (n=10), communication deficient learners (n=3), special education teachers (n=4) and a head teacher (n=1). The study used purposive sampling technique to select the special education teachers and the head teacher while simple stratified random sampling procedure was used to categorize the learners with disabilities. Data Collection instruments included interview schedules, observation and document analysis. Interview schedules were used to collect data from the teachers and the head teacher. The study used SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) to analyze data. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used to summarize the data. From the analysis, the study found out that although both mentally challenged and communication deficient learners have different special needs, there are some learning methods and aids that are applicable to all of them. The major methods as the study found out were: grouping the learners into different groups that are given enough space and time for learning, demonstration and repeating the work that had been done previously. The learning aids used were: Stencils used for drawing and charts containing letters of the alphabet. The study recommends that the government, teachers, non-governmental organizations and the community in general should work together to improve the methods of teaching the mentally challenged and communication deficient learners in various institutions so that they acquire quality education.
Keywords: Teaching Methods, Mentally Challenged, Communication Deficient Learners, Intellectual Disability
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Suggested Citation (APA):
Chesaro, E. (2021). Examining the methods of teaching the mentally challenged and communication deficient learners in a selected primary school special unit in Nairobi. Journal of Education in Developing Countries, (1-12) Available online at http://writersbureau.net/journals/jede/examining-the-methods-used-for-teaching-the-mentally-challenged-and-communication-deficient-learners-in-a-selected-primary-school-special-unit-in-Nairobi.pdf
