E-LEARNING AND MATHEMATICS IN SECONDARY SCHOOL: WHAT STUDENTS WITH PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED SAY IN KENYA

Abstract

Physically Handicapped (PH) learners may lack in education if there are no environmental and instructional adaptations to enable them compete on equal footing with their non-disabled peers. Mathematics subject trains learners to think in quantitative terms. Performance in this subject has been the worst among the PH learners in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education as indicated in the results of the years 2008 to 2013. Conventional instruction has been the only method of teaching these learners. There is need to device new ways to enable the PH perform better in learning mathematics. Computer based learning had been reported to be effective in the teaching and learning of complex concepts in physics and accounting and could provide a solution in the teaching of mathematics to learners with physical disabilities. The purpose of this study was to establish the effect of CBL on Secondary school Physically Handicapped students’ on their academic achievement in Mathematics. Pre-test-posttest quasi experimental research designs were employed. The conceptual framework was adopted from Winnie and Butter model. Saturated sampling was used to get 128 form three students. Purposive sampling to get 5 mathematics teachers for the physically handicapped was used. The instruments used were Computer Assisted Statistics Text (CAST), student interview guide (SIG) and teacher interview guide (TIG). Validity of instruments was established by experts in special needs education. Reliability coefficient of the instruments was established by test re-test method whereby coefficient of 0.70 and above at p value of 0.05 was considered reliable. The findings indicated that there was statistically significant difference in using CBL method [F (2, 125) =33.14, p=.000] on academic achievement. The study found that there was significant difference in final examination scores of students receiving instruction through conventional methods and those learning through CBL. Study found that teachers should understand the needs of PH and also provision of diversity of mathematics software tailored towards the needs of learners with PH and modifying the input systems in computers to suit learners with PH.