Abstract:
Though teachers should be responsible for all the children in their classes, whom they should
provide with appropriate educational experiences, previous research studies have consistently
revealed that most general education teachers lack the capacity to handle learners with Special
Educational Needs (SEN), despite the integration of Special Needs Education (SNE) in the Primary
Teacher Education (PTE) curriculum. This paper reports the findings of a study that examined
integration of SNE in the PTE curriculum and instructional efficacy among teacher trainees in Rift
Valley, Kenya. The specific objective was to establish the relationship between integration of SNE
in the current revised and rationalized PTE curriculum and the skills acquired by the teacher
trainees for instructional efficacy. A descriptive survey of teacher trainers and trainees using
questionnaires, interviews and document analysis revealed that though the PTE curriculum was
considered adequate in providing the trainees with skills to identify learners with SEN and to
manage and cope with them in the general classroom, it did not provide them with the specific skills
of adapting and using adapted learning resources, preparing supplementary activities, and preparing
Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for SEN. Pearson correlation coefficient revealed a significant
relationship of .439 (p=.022<.05) between integration of SNE in the PTE curriculum and
acquisition of skills among the teacher trainees. It was concluded that integration of SNE in the
current revised and rationalized PTE curriculum was inadequate to provide skills for SNE to the
teacher trainees, yet there is a significant relationship between curriculum integration and
acquisition of skills. It is recommended that the integration of SNE in the PTE curriculum should
be enhanced to ensure acquisition of specific skills by the teacher trainees on how to cater for
children with SEN in the general classroom. This is hoped would contribute to promoting inclusive
education in Kenya in response to the fundamental principle of education for all.
