Abstract:
Inclusive education is a subject of policy significance in systems of education around the world where all children irrespective of their abilities are supposed to enjoy the rights to basic education. Apparently, according to statistics, less than 10.0% of children with special needs have been enrolled in a preschool centre in Keiyo South Sub-County, Kenya. The study investigated pre-primary teacher pedagogical competencies and management of pupils with special needs in public pre-primary centres in Keiyo South Sub-County. The specific objectives were: to establish how primary teachers early identification affected managing students with special needs; to determine how pre-primary teacher assessment skills affected managing students with special needs; to examine how pre-primary teacher interactive skills affected managing students with special needs and to explore how pre-primary teachers administrative strategies affected management of pupils with Special Needs. This research was guided by Vygotsky's theory of sociocultural constructivism that focuses on how learning happens in the classroom. The study was conducted in Keiyo South Sub County wards; involving (Kaptarakwa, Kabiemit, Chepkorio, Metkei, Soy South and Soy North). The study was guided by descriptive survey design. The target group included 247 instructors from all public preschool centres and one Sub County EYE program Officer. The sample size for the study consisted of 151 pre-primary teachers who were selected using cluster sampling technique. The Sub County EYE programme officer was purposively sampled. Data collection tools utilised in this investigation consisted of interview guide for the officer and questionnaire for pre-primary teachers. These tools were examined for validity (content validation) and reliability (test retest) measures. Quantitative data collected was subjected to coding and entry using SPSS (Version 25.0) computer application with analysis being done using descriptive statistics; frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviation. Qualitative data from open ended questions and interview was analysed using content analysis approach. The study found out that teacher pedagogical competency contributed to better management of pupils with Special Needs. The teacher competencies were rated as follows: administrative skills (M=3.41), identification of pupils with special needs (M=3.37), assessment skills (M=3.33) and interactive skills (M=2.81). The study concludes that teacher pedagogical competencies had moderate influence towards management of pupils with Special Needs in public pre-primary centres in Keiyo South Sub-County, Kenya. The study recommends the following; that teachers should work stakeholders when assessing pupils, teachers should avail resources to manipulate during instruction and the government should facilitate teachers (pre-primary and primary level) to go for further training on SNE. The results are significant to curriculum planners, pre primary teachers, and lower primary teachers and the head teachers of primary schools in their efforts to improve management of pupils with special needs in regular classrooms. For this policy of inclusion to be realised, pre-primary teachers need training and capacity support to ensure pupils with Special Needs enjoy the same privileges as their able bodied colleagues in mainstream classrooms in Keiyo South Sub County and the whole of Kenya.
