INFLUENCE OF APPROPRIATE PHYSICAL RESOURCES ON RETENTION OF PUPILS WITH DISABILITIES IN MAINSTREAMED PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN BOMET COUNTY

Abstract

This research sought to find out the influence of appropriate physical resources on retention of pupils with disabilities in mainstreamed Primary Schools in Bomet County, Kenya. The challenge this study sought to address was low retention of Pupils with Disabilities (PWDs) in mainstreamed schools. This study was embedded in Systems Theory by Von Bertalanffy (1968). It adopted a survey research design. The target population was 840 teachers. Yamane formula was employed to get a sample size of 271 teachers. Multi-stage sampling procedure was applied. The findings of the study revealed that appropriate physical resources significantly influenced the retention of PWDs by = 19.2% (p<0.05). The study also reports a positive and statistically significant relationship between physical resources and retention of pupils with disabilities (r = 0.828, p<0.05). The study concludes that the supply of appropriate resources remains a major factor that promotes retention of pupils with disabilities. This means that when appropriate physical resources are provided to pupils with disabilities, their retention of pupils with disabilities in mainstreamed schools improve. However, a lack of these resources has been proven through the findings of this research that they cause drop out of PWDs from their schools. The study recommended that appropriate physical resources such as classrooms, toilets, dining halls, dormitories, laboratories and libraries in order to promote retention of pupils with disabilities be provided by school administrators.