Analysis of Interventions Teachers Use to Manage Learners with Selected Behavior Disorders in Primary Schools in Thika Sub-County, Kiambu County, Kenya

Abstract

Identification process is an important element of behavior disorder management in schools. For proper behavior management teachers need to identify learners with behavioral disorders in order to design intervention programs befitting their educational needs. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the intervention strategies teachers used in managing learners with selected emotional and behavior disorders (EBDs) in primary schools in Madaraka zone. The objectives were; to establish effectiveness of assessment methods teachers used in identifying learners with selected behavior disorders and to explore intervention strategies teachers used in managing learners with selected behavior disorders. The study used descriptive research design which was appropriate since it enabled the researchers to describe the situation as it existed. A questionnaire was used to collect data. Simple random sampling was done to select four schools which participated in the study. Purposive sampling was used to select a sample size of 30 class seven teachers. Data from the research instruments was analyzed and presented descriptively. The study found that the assessment methods teachers used to identify learners with EBDs were not effective and that teachers in selected schools did not use effective intervention strategies to manage behavior for learners with EBDs. The study recommends that in-service training for teachers be done with a view of building capacity in the area of identification processes and that Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development to give guidelines on behavior disorder management. The significance of the study findings is that it could help stakeholders to come up with effective intervention strategies in managing learners with behavior disorders as well as add to the existing literature on learner disorders.

Keywords:Emotional Behavior Disorders, Interventions, Learners, Teachers