Factors influencing self-esteem of physically challenged students in Bondo district boarding secondary schools/Siaya County

Abstract

This study investigated the factors that influence self-esteem of the physically challenged among students in Bondo District. The study aims were to: investigate the levels of self-esteem, influence of gender on self-esteem, relationships between self esteem and academic performance, relationships between the severity of the physical challenge and self-esteem and accessibility of buildings in boarding secondary schools to the physically challenged students in Bondo District. The entire study was propounded on the basis of Hunt's social theory of the physically disabled. This study was conducted through cross-sectional survey design and causal comparative. Data was collected from a sample of 120 physically challenged students in boarding secondary schools of Bondo District from a population of 239 physically challenged students. From able bodied students, a sample of 120 students was used from a population of 10,215. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and document analysis. Sample selection was done by stratified simple random sampling. From the sample of 120 physically challenged respondents 10 questionnaires were spoilt and remaining 110 well filled. Whereas, from a sample of 120 non physically challenged students, 4 questionnaires were spoilt and remaining 116 well responded to. Therefore, the total number of well responded to questionnaires was 226. Data collected were coded in :Statistical Package for S.ocial Sciences (SPSS v. 11.5) and analysed by descriptive and inferential statistics i.e. means, t-test, percentages and One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Chi-Square was also used in objective five analyses. The results of the study indicated that self-esteem was low among the physically challenged students. The male had a higher self-esteem as compared to their female counterparts. Low levels of self-esteem resulted in poor academic performance while higher levels of self-esteem resulted in good performance. The study also found that there were more students with more severe cases of physical challenge and its severity affected the academic performance of the students; those with severe cases of physical challenge performed poorly than those with less physical challenge. It was also found that more physically challenged students had accessibility to the buildings both the male and female students. The study recommends that schools should formulate internal policies that will help them cope with the problem of discrimination against the physically challenged students. The Government can also use part of the findings of this study and together with other studies to formulate a national policy that would provide education for all students regardless of the physical challenge of the students