Challenges Encountered by Learners with Visual Impairment in Integrated Classroom in Bungoma County Kenya

Learning is a continuous process of acquiring skills, knowledge and attitudes within any environment that learning takes place and begins at early age when a child starts to explore the surroundings around him/her. However, this may not be uniform for all children because of numerous challenges that some of them encounter. This study was to determine how teachers mediated for learner classroom performance among the Visually Impaired learners in integrated secondary schools in Bungoma, Kenya. Variables in the objectives were, different categories of visual impairment, teacher characteristics, influence of instructional resources, challenges encountered and how the challenges were mediated for. The study was in line with the argument of Dewey which has been supported by Gutek, Schiro, Taylor, Flinders and Thornton in the 21 st Century. Dewey was the proponent of progressive education which emphasized the need to learn by doing. He stressed that, there was a need to see education as a single process involving teaching and learning. The study was carried out in integrated secondary schools in Bungoma County, Kenya. Descriptive survey research design was adopted by the study. The population that was targeted was derived from integrated secondary schools. The schools were stratified in categories of boys’ school and girls’ school. The respondents for the study were sampled using Simple random sampling. The collection of data was done using teachers, learners, teacher aide and caretakers questionnaire. Interviews were scheduled for teachers, visually impaired learners and learners with sight. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze quantitative data presenting data in summary frequencies and percentage. Tables and charts were also used to present data. The study findings were presented as per the objectives of the study and could be used by educational policy makers and stakeholders to plan on how to provide education that was quality for learners who had difficulties with sight and enhance differentiated tasks. There were inadequate learning resources and those available did not benefit all learners and were not readily available during class instructions. Learners with visual impairment encountered more challenges in integrated classrooms which were overcrowded and the environment not modified. The school community had misconception about learners with visual impairment. The study therefore recommended that, all learners be given equal opportunity to learn, teachers to be given training in Special Needs Education, learning environment be modified and schools to source for funds to buy instructional resources. Serving Special Needs Teachers with qualifications of a degree and above be deployed in integrated secondary schools to support with the transition from primary schools to secondary schools. Parents to support their children with visual impairment while in school. The study could as well help to establish the classroom dynamics in mediating learner performance among the visually impaired learners in integrated secondary schools in Bungoma County, Kenya.


Introduction
Blindness could occur in combination of other disabilities like intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, hearing impairment and epilepsy. This posed a challenge to the learner with Visual Impairment (V.I) placed in an integrated classroom. These learners become isolated from others more easily making it difficult for them to participate actively like the sighted learners. Solomon M. W(2009) stated that, the teaching methods some teachers used did not carter for the learner with V.I in integrated classrooms. The classes were over enrolled leaving the learner with Visual Impairment with little opportunity to compete against those learners with sight. The learner with Visual Impairment(V.I) found challenges in integrated classes when there was lack of program modifications and support for class personnel needed for a learner to ensure that the learner's unique needs arising from Visual Impairment were appropriately addressed in the Individualized Education Program (I.E.P). There was also lack of appropriate assistive technology and the full range of assistive technology devices and services as well as lack of instructions prepared in electronic format to make it easier to provide materials and allow the learner with Visual Impairment (V.I) to adapt the information to a format which was suitable for them. Learners living with Visual Impairment admitted in integrated classes faced consistent stigma and stereotype as perceived by teachers and other learners as having inferior intellectual abilities and knowledge. They become fatigued more quickly and had difficulty focusing on a given task. Learners with Visual Impairment lacked the ability to independently move around the classroom rendering them a burden to other members of the class hence developing low self-esteem which subsequently affected their academic performance. They lacked orientation and mobility services due to lack of qualified personnel to enable them to attain systematic orientation and safe movement within their classroom environment. Learners with Visual Impairment (V.I) had a shortage of educational support materials and equipment. Other challenges faced by learners with visual impairment in integrated classes included, lack of supplementary aids, services and devices to facilitate their involvement in the general classroom instructions. They lacked instructions in Braille which was a very effective medium in reading and writing for many learners living with visual impairment. Although the learners living with Visual Impairment were being cared for in their primary, tertiary and university education as indicated in education policies, there existed a gap in their secondary education that had to be addressed to enhance their performance.
Does not respond and cannot learn Needs special teachers Has special Needs Needs special environment Needs special equipment Is different from other learners cannot interact with Other learners Cannot get to school

Figure 1: How a learner with Visual Impairment is viewed in integrated programme
Adapted from: Introduction to inclusive education, KISE/UNISE (2009) Basing on the diagram above, the big question remains, how do you go about changing the attitude of people so that the learner is not viewed as a problem.

Methodology
The study adopted the descriptive research design which allows the researcher to select a sample of respondents from a population. The area of study was in public integrated secondary schools in Bungoma County Kenya. The study focused on Bungoma boys high school and Misikhu girls high school so as to have gender equity. These are currently the only integrated secondary schools in Bungoma County. The study targeted teachers, teacher aide, caretakers, learners with and without Visual Impairment as shown below. 27.87 The table shows that, 100 (35%) teachers, 2 (0.7%) teacher aide, 5 (1.7%) caretakers, 30 (11%) learners with Visual Impairment and 150 (52%) learners without Visual Impairment comprised the target population. All the respondents were found within the sampled integrated schools. The respondents comprised both male and female. Random Sampling was used to give every item in the Learner is a problem population an equal opportunity through indexing of the items of target population to be able to select sample size for respondents. Stratified sampling was used to select boys and girls. Simple Random Sampling was used to sample teachers and learners without Visual Impairment. Purposive Sampling was used to sample learners with Visual Impairment, caretakers and teacher aide. The percentages used were within the range of 10% and 30% as proposed by Mugenda and Mugenda(2003) as indicated below. The respondents were sampled to represent the target population. Total population for teachers was 100 teachers and 15 (15%) were sampled for the study. The teachers comprised both regular and those trained in Special Needs Education. The researcher focused on the 15 teachers who were frequently involved in matters that concerned learners who had visual impairment and integrated in the school. The type of sampling technique employed was Simple Random Sampling. Total population for teacher aide was 2 and 2(100%) were sampled for the study, the form of sampling technique employed was purposive sampling. Total population for caretakers was 5caretakers and 5(100%) were sampled for the study, the type of sampling technique employed was purposive sampling. Total population for learners with Visual Impairment was 30 and 30(100%) were sampled, the type of sampling technique employed was purposive sampling. Total population for learners without Visual Impairment was 150 learners and 20(13.3 %) were sampled for the study, the sampling technique was random sampling. The area of focus for the researcher was mainly on those with visual impairment and that is the reason why 20 out of 150 learners without visual impairment was sampled for the study.
Instruments of Data collection were questionnaire, interview schedules and observation schedule.
Questionnaires were used to the sampled teachers, teacher aide and caretakers. Interviews were conducted for learners with and without Visual Impairment. Observation was conducted for teachers while teaching in their classrooms. Content Validity was used to measure the content that was supposed to be measured. Construct Validity measured information that was in line with the set theoretical constructs for the study. Face Validity depended on how the researcher looked at the instrument from the face value through discussion with supervisors. Validity was the degree to which the research instruments measured what was intended to measure, Kothari (2009). The same instrument was administered to the same respondents repeatedly over a period of time at different intervals to certain its reliability. Permission was sought from the relevant authorities to conduct the study. The authorities included; Kibabii University, National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation, County Commissioner Bungoma, County Director of Education, TSC Sub County Directors Bungoma South and Bungoma East, lastly the principles from the respective schools.

Results and Discussion
The study was set up to assess the challenges encountered by learners with Visual Impairment in integrated classrooms in Bungoma County. The results are as presented in the table below:-  Results in table 3 shows, 11(78.5%) strongly disagreed that learners with Visual Impairment encounter the same challenges just like those with sight. 2(14.2%) disagreed but 1(7.1%) was in agreement. This shows that, the challenges that learners with Visual Impairment go through cannot be compared to those challenges learners with sight go through. Learners with Visual Impairment undergo multiple challenges because of their inability to see.4(28.5%) strongly agreed that teachers are more positive towards the performance of learners with sight compared to those with Visual Impairment. 5(35.7%) agreed, 3(21.4%) disagreed and 2(14.2%) strongly disagreed. It is evident that teachers are more positive towards learners with sight compared to those with Visual Impairment.8(57.1%) strongly agreed that instructional resources limit the performance of learners with Visual Impairment. 3(21.4%) agreed, 1(7.1%) was undecided and 2(14.2%) disagreed. In adequate resources compromises the administration of the instructions by the teacher to the learners with Visual Impairment, hence limiting the academic performance of these learners. 5(35.7%) of the respondents strongly agreed that teachers stress content knowledge only. 5(35.7%) agreed, 1(7.1%) was undecided, 2(14.2%) disagreed, 1(7.1%) strongly disagreed. According to teachers' responses, it is true that majority of teachers stress content knowledge only shying off from hands on activities. This deprives the learner the ability to put into practice the knowledge acquired limiting his/her academic performance. 10(71.4%) of respondents strongly agreed that classroom atmosphere determines the performance of all learners including those with Visual Impairment. 2(14.2%) agreed, 1(7.1%) were undecided and 1(7.1%) disagreed. For all learners to perform well regardless of their disability, classroom atmosphere must be conducive. The teachers also mentioned more challenges that affected learners with Visual Impairment in integrated secondary schools which included; Overcrowded classrooms, School community misconception and stigma, inadequate funding for their programs, unfriendly school environment, Insufficient instructional materials like Braille machines and Braille textbooks. The International Journal of Education Research (2016) attributed the poor performance of these learners with Visual Impairment to the teaching resources and methods used by some teachers which did not carter for them. Negative attitude, curriculum that was not adapted, inadequate specialists like eye specialists, lack of individualized educational program and in ability to be included in school activities were some of the challenges learners with Visual Impairment encountered in integrated classrooms. Through interview schedules, teachers agreed that learners with Visual Impairment did not encounter the same challenges like those with sight. They said that learners with Visual Impairment integrated classrooms encountered more challenges than those without Visual Impairment. The teachers' response was supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics and Ophthalmology (2009) which explained that, vision problems could interfere with learning.  4 shows that, 1(14.2%) of the teacher aide and caretakers agreed that learners with visual impairment encountered the same challenges just like those with sight. 2(28.5%) disagreed and 4(57.1%) disagreed. 2(28.5%) strongly agreed that teachers were more positive towards the performance of learners with sight compared to those with visual impaired. 4(57.1%) agreed and 1(14.2%) disagreed. 5(71.4%) of the respondents agreed that instructional resources limit the performance of learners with visual impairment. 1(14.2%) agreed and 1(14.2%) disagreed. 4(57.1%) of the teacher aide and caretakers strongly agreed that teachers stress content knowledge only. 3(42.8%) agreed. 3(42.8%) strongly agreed that classroom atmosphere determines the performance of all learners including those with visual impairment, 3(42.8%) agreed and 1(14.2%) disagreed. The teacher aide and caretakers stated that learners with Visual Impairment did not encounter the same challenges like those with sight. They cited teachers being more positive towards the performance of learners with sight compared to those with Visual Impairment. They also explained that the instructional resources limited the performance of learners with visual impairment and teachers stressed content knowledge only. They agreed that the classroom atmosphere determined the performance of all learners including those with Visual Impairment. Jordan & Kathy-Ann (2014) explained that, appropriate modification of the classrooms was a requirement to meet the varied needs of learners.  Table 6: Summary responses from teachers, teacher aide, caretakers and learners on challenges undecided. 6(85.6%) of the teacher aide and caretakers agreed and 1(14.2%) disagreed. 45(90%) of the learners agreed and 5(10%) disagreed. 10(71.4%) of the teachers agreed that teachers stressed content knowledge only. 3(21.3%) disagreed. 7(100%) of the teacher aide and caretakers agreed. 40(80%) of the learners agreed and 10(20%) disagreed. 12(85.6%) of the teachers agreed that classroom atmosphere determines the performance of all learners including those with visual impairment. 2(14.2%) disagreed. 6(85.6%) of the teacher aide and caretakers agreed and 1(14.8%) disagreed. 34(68%) of the learners agreed and 16(32%) disagreed.
The data in table 6 shows that, both the teachers, teacher aide, caretakers and learners were in agreement that learners with visual impairment did not encounter the same challenges like those with sight. Learners with visual impairment became isolated from others more easily making it difficult for them to participate actively like the sighted learners. They explained that teachers were more positive towards the performance of learners with sight compared to those with Visual Impairment. Education as aright belonged to all children regardless whether they were normal or had disabilities and that the development of a child was in education as it impacted the whole life. Both the teachers, teacher aide, caretakers and learners explained that the instructional resources limited the performance of learners with visual impairment and teachers stressed content knowledge only. Poor academic performance among learners with Visual Impairment was linked to the use of teaching resources which were ineffective by teachers to impact knowledge to these learners (Adunola, 2011). They agreed that the classroom atmosphere determined the performance of all learners including those with visual impairment. This was supported by Jordan& Kathy-Ann (2004) that modification of the classrooms was a requirement to meet the varied needs of learners and enhance their performance. Schiro (2012) in support of Dewey (1897) explains that, the nature of methods used during instructions is to focus on the power and interest of the child. The government of Kenya, since independence, has established educational commissions to deliberate on sustainability of the educational provision for all children with and without disability. Education For All (EFA)-Kenya (2001) advocated for education to be free and available to all Kenyans. Steps towards inclusive education included the Bill for children (2001) and the Bill for Disability (2002). Both bills recognized the educational rights of children living with disability and more so those who are Visually Impaired.

Conclusion
Learners with Visual Impairment encountered more challenges in integrated classrooms as compared to those with sight. These classrooms were overcrowded. The school environment was not modified to suit the needs of learners with Visual Impairment and there were insufficient instructional teaching resources in integrated secondary schools. The school community had misconception about learners with Visual Impairment considering them to be a burden. There was inadequate funding for programs which support learners with Visual Impairment. Teachers were more positive towards the performance of learners with sight than those with Visual Impairment. In integrated classrooms, teachers stressed content knowledge only.