Abstract:Orphaned learners, whose parents were perceived to have died of AIDS, experience heighted and sustained stigma and discrimination within the families, communities and schools. Socially excluded learners are likely to have problems with school attendance, participation in co-curricular activities, home work, and school discipline and are also more likely to altogether drop out of school; thereby generally impacting negatively on their overall educational achievements. Available research suggests that inclusive approaches and interventions with such children improve educational outcomes for such children. Orphan support projects are designed, among other reasons to ensure improved educational outcomes for orphans and vulnerable children, and also to mitigate the negative effects of social exclusion. In view of the increasing number of orphaned learners in Kenya due to AIDS related mortality, there is increased call for orphan support projects to ensure the social exclusion of such learners. Whereas teachers are responsible for teaching these learners, little has been done to determine their perspectives on the influence of orphan support projects the educational achievements of orphaned learners. The purpose of the study was to determine the perspectives of primary school teachers on the influence of inclusive project design orientation on educational achievements of orphaned learners enrolled in orphan support projects in Homa Bay County, Kenya. The cross-sectional study was grounded on pragmatism. A total of 96 primary school teachers participated in the study. Teachers’ Questionnaire was used to collect data. To ensure validity and reliability of the research instruments, pilot testing was conducted in a community based orphan support project in the neigbouring Kisumu County. Cronbach alpha at α =0.05 level of significance was used to compute the reliability coefficient of the pre-test instruments. Inferentially simple and multiple linear regression , and Pearson Correlation Coefficient models were used to determine the extent to which inclusive project design orientation influence orphaned learners’ educational achievements, from the perspectives of primary school teachers. Tests of statistical assumptions were carried out before data analysis to avoid invalidation of statistical analysis. The hypothesis was tested at α=.05 level of significance. The null hypothesis (H01:), Inclusive Design Orientation does not significantly influence Orphaned Learners’ Educational Achievements in Homa Bay County) was rejected since (F(10,86)= 12.552, P –Value (.001)˂0.05 and so conclude that at least one of the explanatory variables is significantly related to the orphaned learners’ educational achievements. From the perspectives of the primary school teachers, Inclusive Design Orientation has positive influence on Orphaned Learners Educational Achievements. From the perspectives of primary school teachers, Inclusive Design Orientation had positive influence on the Orphaned Learners’ Educational Achievements. According to primary school teachers, there was enough statistical evidence to show that Inclusive Design Orientation influenced their educational achievements. It is recommended that orphan support projects should integrate and intensify the use of inclusive project design orientation to ensure sustainable educational achievements for orphaned learners.
Keywords:parents, children, Educational Achievements, orphaned learners.
Title:Inclusive Project Design Orientation and Educational Achievements of Orphaned Primary School Learners Registered in Orphan Support Projects: Perspectives of Primary School Teachers in Kenya
Author:Abuya Isaac Odhiambo
ISSN 2394-9716
International Journal of Novel Research in Interdisciplinary Studies
Novelty Journals
