Abstract:
Abstract : The failure to achieve education and essential skills for life is a big problem to children with
intellectual challenge. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of teachers' academic
qualification on the retention rates of learners with intellectual challenges in the special units in public primary
schools in Kikuyu Sub-County. The researcher included all the 8 schools Kikuyu Sub-County, Kiambu County
in this study and interviewed all the teachers and the head teachers. The collected data was analyzed using both
quantitative and qualitative data analysis approaches whereby both descriptive and inferential statistics were
used. This study was guided by the Self Efficacy Theory. The study used a descriptive survey design. The target
population for the study included all the public primary schools within Kikuyu Sub-County with special units.
The researcher included all the 8 schools in this study and interviewed all the teachers and the head teachers.
The collected data was analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative data analysis approaches whereby both
descriptive and inferential statistics were used. The findings of the study indicated a strong positive correlation
(r = 0.796, P< 0.05) between teachers' academic qualification and the retention rates of learners with
intellectual challenges in the special units in public primary schools. The recommendations of the study were
that the ministry of education should train more teachers on special needs education so as to increase the
number of teachers with that skill.
Keywords - Teachers' Academic Qualification, Retention Rates, Intellectual Challenge, Special Unit, Public
Primary Schools
