Teaching and learning strategies used in the implementation of inclusive education in primary schools in Kenya

The term inclusive education has come to refer to a philosophy of education that promotes the education of all pupils in mainstream schools. Under the inclusion model, students with special needs spend most or all of their time with non-disabled students. In schools where inclusive education is offered, both special needs children and those who are less challenged, regular children, are taught in the same classroom. In some countries, inclusive education is thought of as an approach to serve special educational needs children within general education settings. Inclusive education in Kenya is still at the grass roots. The purpose and objective of the study was to evaluate teaching and learning strategies used in the implementation of inclusive education in primary schools, Nyamira County. The study used a descriptive survey design. The study targeted all teachers, 4000 and 5 education officers in Nyamira County. They are also involved in the implementation and delivery of the curriculum. The head teachers were targeted because, apart from being classroom teachers, had administrative role of coordinating and supervising teaching and learning activities in the schools. The study used simple random sampling which gives an equal chance to every item in the population to be selected as a sample for a research study. The study used teacher questionnaire, interview schedule for head teachers and educational officers and observation schedules. Piloting was carried out in two schools in the County. The study concluded that there were a wide range of strategies used in communicating the learning experiences to learners in the process of implementing inclusive education. The study concluded that the strategies were appropriate for disseminating learning experiences to learners in inclusive education. The study recommended that teachers should use research for appropriate strategies that would yield higher achievements; they should improvise teaching and learning materials and use locally available materials as much as possible; teachers and educational officers to sensitize parents to accept to take children with disabilities to school to be trained to independent and useful in future.