Effect of Utilization of Alerting Assistive Technologies on the Academic Performance in Primary Schools for Learners with Hearing Challenges in Meru and Tharaka Nithi Counties
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70619/vol6iss2pp46-60-787Keywords:
Alerting assistive technologies, hearing challenges, academic performance of children with hearing challenges, special primary schools, special needs educationAbstract
Despite Kenya's robust legal frameworks that guarantee equitable education for learners with disabilities, primary school learners with hearing challenges in Meru and Tharaka Nithi Counties consistently score between 100 and 200 marks, compared with a national mean of 250, indicating a persistent academic performance gap. This study investigated the effect of on the academic performance of learners with hearing challenges in three special primary schools across the two counties. Guided by Miller's Learning Theory (1957), which frames technology as a critical cue mechanism enabling learners to perceive stimuli essential for academic engagement, the study adopted a descriptive survey design. The target population comprised 318 respondents, and adopted proportionate stratified random sampling, which yielded 118 participants, including 73 learners, 13 teachers, 9 technical staff, 3 head teachers, and 2 County Directors of Education. Data were collected via questionnaires, interview schedules, focus group discussions, and KCPE document analysis (2015–2021), then analyzed using SPSS for descriptive statistics and thematic analysis for qualitative data. Findings revealed that 70.9% of learners reported insufficient alerting devices, 74.4% had received no sensitization, 67.4% lacked utilization skills, and 68.6% noted poor maintenance. Correlation analysis yielded a statistically non-significant relationship (r = .109, p = .345), attributable to extremely low utilization rates. The study concludes that systemic deficits in device provision, training, and policy frameworks collectively compromise learners' environmental awareness and academic engagement. The Ministry of Education should prioritize procurement of vibrating alarms and visual alert systems, while the Teacher Service Commission and Kenya Institute of Special Education should implement targeted training programmes. Uniquely, this study provides the first empirical evidence on the role of alerting assistive technologies in the academic outcomes of hearing-impaired learners in Kenya.
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