ABSTRACT
The study sought to assess the causes namely the learner, the teacher, the curriculum and the infrastructure that affect the academic performance of students with learning difficulties in regular schools in Markurdi Municipality in Benue state, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The research instruments included an interview schedule for the head teachers, questionnaires for the teachers and an observation schedule. The data collected was appropriately coded and analyzed using SPSS. Qualitative data was organized into themes, categories and patterns relevant to the study by tabulation. Quantitative data was presented using descriptive statistics such as percentages, means, frequency distribution tables, bar graphs, histogram and pie-charts. The study found that majority of learners had LD. It was also found that majority of teachers had not attended training in special needs which affected how they handled learning difficulty among students. The study also found out that curriculum adaptation for learning difficulty among students was not appropriate. The study concluded that; Lack of training of teachers in special needs to handle learning difficulty among students negatively affected the performance of learning difficulty among students, failure to apply special teaching methods by teachers affected performance of learning difficulty among students, teachers’ attributes such as qualification, experience and adequate syllabus affected performance of learning difficulty among students, the curriculum was not appropriate for learning difficulty among students and this contributed to poor performance of learning difficulty among students, lack of teaching aids contributed to poor performance of learning difficulty among students and lack of enough affected the performance of learning difficulty among students negatively. The study recommended more training for teachers to handle learning difficulty among students. It was also recommended that the curriculum should be reviewed to make it more appropriate for learning difficulty among students. The government should increase budgetary allocation to improve infrastructure in the secondary schools. It is envisaged that the study findings will inform the Ministry of Education, policy makers and educators about the school based factors that affect performance of learning difficulty among students in regular schools so that appropriate measures may be taken to remedy the situation. The study will also contribute literature to the field of study.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
• Introduction
• Background to the Study
Education is a fundamental human right that is essentially meant to aid learners in realizing their potentials. Since the United Nations (1948) declaration that education is a human right, efforts have been made to ensure that children; both boys and girls across the world access education. However, it is now a common concern that the main challenge in education is not simply getting children into schools but also improving the overall quality of schooling and addressing threats to participation. As noted by United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) (2001), if both quality and access are taken into consideration, then children enrolled in secondary schools are likely to pursue and complete the full basic education cycle, achieve expected learning outcomes and successfully transit to secondary schools.
Quality education is a critical component of child development and a means of self- empowerment, independence and social integration. Children with disabilities are no exception. They need and deserve educational opportunities as much as other children. In fact, without educational opportunities, children with disabilities face huge barriers to full social and economic participation in society. Lacking adequate educational services and opportunities, children with disabilities will likely grow up to become economically and social dependent and vulnerable to long-term poverty (UNICEF, 2003).
According to Chadha (2001), one form of disability prevalent in children of school going age is the learning difficulty. This is a condition in which children of whom despite appearing ‘normal’ are unable to perform academically commensurate with their age and ability levels. Learning difficulty causes a discrepancy between the child’s achievement and their actual intellectual ability. Due to this, children with learning difficulties require specialized education (KISE, 2002).
Children with Learning difficulties may seem bright, enthusiastic and with the potential to perform well in education just like their peers of the same age. They perform well in most subjects but for some unexplained reasons fail in specific areas of Mathematics (Mathematicss reasoning and Mathematics calculation/computation). They also fail in language (oral language, listening comprehension, reading comprehension, basic reading skills and written language) unlike other children of the same age and ability even when given same learning opportunities (Chadha, 2001; Lerner, 2006).
Learning difficulties have several negative implications on the child’s development. To begin with, a child with learning difficulties performs poorly and develops low self esteem. According to Woolery & Bailey (2003) the child becomes disenfranchised because his/her educational needs are not adequately met in the education services. The disability is a probable cause for the high drop-out rate among secondary school children.
Researchers with interests in holistic development of children in schools have over the years come to a conclusion that beyond students own innate abilities, motivation and prior knowledge; learning occurs when systems of the home, community, schools and peers come together to form a protective circle that nurtures and develops students growth (Bergmann, Walker & Garfinkel, 1992).The reasoning is to improve each child’s participation and learning in school, rather than concentrating on the subject matter and examinations.
Bergman et al. (1992) note that it is critical that the learning environment stress the importance of students and teachers learning together as a learning community. Such environments place children at the centre of learning and encourage their active participation in learning. This ensures that teachers give students the best education possible for their survival in their immediate society. The guiding principle has been derived from the UN declaration in 1948 that education is a human right that regards the best interest of the child as key both in planning and implementation of education policies. The rationale is thus to enhance quality standards of education by addressing elements that influence the well being and rights of the child as a learner while improving other school functions in the process.
Despite many governments’ efforts to put measures of achieving Universal Primary Education (UPE) so as to meet the international commitments such as Education for All (EFA) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), many children around the world including those with various forms of disabilities continue being exposed to inhibitory environments to their development in schools (UNICEF, 2003). This study therefore would like to assess the school based factors namely the teacher, the curriculum and the infrastructure that could be inhibiting the performance of learners with learning difficulties in regular schools.
The issue of literacy development in the early years of schooling is a topic of inquiry that has received much attention in the recent past, in developed countries and many African countries. For instance, Zambian children are reading below the expected grade level (Matafwali, 2005; Ojanen, 2007), and far too many are at potential risk of being conventionally classified as reading disabled (Matafwali, 2010). According to Sessional Paper No 1 (Republic of Nigeria, 2005) there is no accurate data on the number of learning difficulty among students in secondary schools in Nigeria. However, According to the Ministry of Education in its National Special Needs Education (NSNE) policy paper launched in April 2010 (Daily Nation, 2010), school age going children with Learning difficulties form the largest group of handicapped children in Nigeria accounting for 5% of the total number of handicapped children.
In Nigeria, access and participation of students with special needs in education is low and their needs are not being specifically addressed, especially children with behavioral difficulties and those with various forms of learning difficulties and attention deficit, gifted and talented. The emphasis on academic performance and examinations creates an unfavorable learning environment for children with special needs and disabilities and even moderate learning difficulties (Republic of Nigeria (RoK), 2012). This poses a challenge to the integration and inclusion of children with such disabilities in regular schools in the country. This study sought to assess the school based factors namely; learners, teachers, curriculum and infrastructure that could be inhibiting the academic performance of learning difficulty among students in regular schools.
• Statement of the Problem
Quality education has been noted as a critical component of child development and a means of self-empowerment, independence and social integration. Despite the Nigerian government efforts to implement policies like inclusion in education and Free Primary Education (FPE) program so as to enhance access and participation of all children in primary education, there are still concerns of many children in the country, including those with various forms of disabilities, facing inhibitory environments to their development in schools. Research has shown that children’ learning and performance in school is dependent on various factors inside and outside school. Many studies have also enumerated the significances of school based elements like the teacher, the curriculum and the infrastructure on educational outcomes of learners. In Nigeria generally, it has been noted that lack of specialized teachers, inadequate infrastructure and a curriculum that emphasis on academic performance and examinations creates an unfavorable learning environment for children with special needs and disabilities and even moderate learning difficulties. It is against this background that this study sought to assess the causes namely the learner, teacher, the curriculum and the infrastructure that affect the academic performance of students with learning difficulties in regular schools in Markurdi Municipality in Benue state, Nigeria.
• Purpose of the Study
The study sought to assess the causes of learning difficulty among students in regular schools in Markurdi Municipality in Benue state, Nigeria.
• The Study Objectives
• To determine the leaner’s based factors that affect academic performance of learning difficulty among students in regular schools in Markurdi Municipality.
• To determine the teachers’ based barriers that affect academic performance of learning difficulty among students in regular schools in Markurdi Municipality.
• To establish the curriculum based barrier s that affect academic performance of learning difficulty among students in regular schools in Markurdi Municipality.
• To find out the school infrastructural barriers that affect academic performance of learning difficulty among students in regular schools in Markurdi Municipality.
• The Research Questions
• What are the leaners’ based factors that affect academic performance of learning difficulty among students in regular schools in Markurdi Municipality?
• What are teachers’ based barriers that affect academic performance of learning difficulty among students in regular schools in Markurdi Municipality?
• What is the curriculum based barriers that affect academic performance of learning difficulty among students in regular schools in Markurdi Municipality?
• What are the schools’ infrastructural based barriers that affect academic performance of learning difficulty among students in regular schools in Markurdi Municipality?
• Limitations of the Study
The study was conducted Markurdi Municipality which is an urban setting. It was not possible to conduct the study in both urban and rural area due to financial and time constraints. The demographic characteristics regarding learning difficulty among students may differ with those in rural areas. This may limit generalizations of the findings.
• Delimitations of the Study
The study was limited to assessing the causes namely the teacher, the curriculum and the infrastructure that affect the academic performance of students with learning difficulties in regular schools in Markurdi Municipality in Benue state, Nigeria. The impact of each of the stated elements on the academic performance of the students was outside the scope of this study. Additionally, the study was limited to Learning difficulty only as and hence other forms of disability were beyond the scope of the study.
• Significance of the Study
It is envisaged that the study findings will inform the Ministry of Education, policy makers and educators about the causes that affect performance of learning difficulty among students in regular schools so that appropriate measures may be taken to remedy the situation. The study will also contribute literature to the field of study.
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