CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

The society is made up of different people and every human being is an integral part of the society thus a teacher which we know as someone who impact knowledge on students should be able to deal with all kinds of persons irrespective of their physical, mental, psychological, social and emotional characteristics in the educational system or setting.  Therefore, teacher’s academic background should be one which equips a teacher in such a way that it prepares him for the accommodation of every learner including children with disability when teaching in the classroom.

1.1 Background of the study

Seeing into the activities of a teacher one can clearly say that a teacher is someone who provides education for students.  The role of a teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out in a school or other places of formal education.  In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional qualification or credentials from a university or college.  This professional qualification may include the study of pedagogy and the science of teacher.  Teachers may use a lesson plan to facilitate students learning, providing a course of study which is called the curriculum.  A teacher who facilitates education for an individual may also be described as personal tutor or largely historically a governess.  In some countries, formal education can take place at home, in school, or through informal learning.  A teacher’s professional duties may extend beyond formal teaching that is outside of a classroom teacher may accompany students on field trips, help with the organization of school function and serve as supervisors on extracurricular activities Amatora M. (1950).

There are a variety of bodies designed to instill, preserve and update the knowledge and professional standing of teachers.  Around the world, many governments operate teacher’s colleges which are generally established to serve and protect the public interest through certifying, governing and enforcing the standard of practice for the teaching profession.  The teacher may interact with students of different ages from infants to adult students with different abilities and students with learning disabilities.  In order to understand the pedagogy of the students in a classroom involves using differentiated instructions as well as supervision to meet the needs of all students in the classroom.  Fraser B. J and Fisher D. L (1982).  Teachers as the catalyst in the teaching/learning process certainly need to know about learner’s interest, their growth and development, their home and surrounding.  They also need to know a great deal about the world we live in, to have assimilated as much of the social heritage as possible.  They need to know how children learn, the best method used in assisting them and in guiding the learning.

Teachers’ academic background is the education part that prepares him to go into the job with book knowledge of what is required for the job which betters him for the hands on work.  Academic background is much more than teaching.  A kindergarten teacher can also be experienced in teaching.  Academic background is rather experience as a researcher, scholar, and scientist.  Strong academic background means that one has meaningful achievement in one’s field of study not just a teacher.  Dlyons (April 7, 2012).

Also teacher education refers to the policies and procedures designed to equip prospective teachers with the knowledge, attitude, behavior and skills they require to perform their tasks effectively in the classroom, school and wider community.  Teacher education is often divided into three stages below.

• Initial teacher training/education (A – pre-service course before entering the classroom as a fully responsible teacher).
• Induction (The process of providing training and support during the first few years of teaching or the first year in a particular school).
• Teacher development or continuing professional development (CPD). An in-service process for practicing teachers.
• In the “consecutive” model, a teacher first obtains a qualification in one or more subjects (often an undergraduate bachelor degree) and then studies for a further period to gain an additional qualification in teaching (this may take the form of a post-baccalaureate credential or master’s degree).
• Field observations include observation and limited participation within classroom under the supervision of the classroom teacher.

Disability is a condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness; reading, disability, hearing impairment.  In other wards disability is considered as a physical or mental condition that limits a person movement, senses or activities.  The term is used to refer to individual functioning, including physical impairment, sensory impairment, cognitive impairment intellectual impairment mental illness, and various types of chronic disease.  Disability is conceptualized as being a multi-dimensional experience for the person involved.  There may be effects or organs or body parts and there may effects on a person’s participation in areas of life.  There are different types of disabilities which include various physical and mental impairments that can reduce a person’s ability to carry out his day to day activities.  Disability can be broken down into a number of broad sub-categories which include the following.  Physical impairment, health impairment etc Steven Spielberg (2012).

Therefore, teachers academic background will deal most with the teacher’s education and certification so that with the knowledge of the teacher’s background now, one will be able to tell if a teacher can cope in a regular school with children with disabilities or not.

1.2 Statement of the Problems

The issue here is that when we look at most regular schools, it is seen that most of their teachers are regular teachers; that is, they have not learned the various ways of taking care of these children with disabilities.  And if the children with disabilities are not given more attention in order to meet the “regular children” it will turn to affect them thereby coursing a problem in the academic performance of such children with disabilities which implies, teachers academic background has a very important role to play in the educational achievement of children with disabilities.  It is against this back dropped that the researcher decided to carry out a study to find out the various difficulties faced by children with disabilities due to the academic background of their teachers.

1.3 Purpose of the study

1.3.1 Main Objective

The main aim of this study is to find out how teachers academic background affects students or children with disabilities in G. H. S Muea and St. Rita Foundation in Sandpit and Borstal Institute Bokwango

1.3.2 Specific Objectives of the study

1. To investigate how teachers level of education affects students with disabilities.
2. To examine if the teacher’s teaching experience will affect students with disabilities.
3. To investigate if the type of school teachers attended will affect students or children with disabilities.

1.4 Research Questions

1. How does a teacher’s level of education affect students with disabilities?
2. How does the type of school the teacher attended affect children with disabilities?
3. How does the type of school the teacher attended affect children with disabilities?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1

Ho1: There is no significant relationship between teachers’ level of education and children with disabilities

Ha1:  There is a significant relationship between teachers’ level of education and its effects on children with disabilities.

Hypothesis 2

Ho2: There is no significant relationship between teachers’ teaching experience and children with disabilities.

Ha2: There is significant relationship between teachers’ teaching experience and children with disabilities.

Hypothesis 3

Ho3: There is no significant relationship between the type of school the teacher attended and children with disabilities.

Ha3: There is significant relationship between the type of school the teacher attended and children with disabilities.