Re-imaging enclusive education: analysing the gap between theory and practice in the Kenyan education system: a case study of primary schools vis-à-vis policy documents

Abstract

Inclusive education(IE) embraces individual differences, promotes growth and values diversity. The Kenyan government has committed through international and local laws and policies to implement IE, however, questions remain if this commitment is delivered to the learners. This study purposes to generate research evidence on the actual implementation of IE in relation to its documentation. It, therefore, identifies the policy-practice gap and proposes intervention mechanisms with the aim of informing Kenya’s efforts to achieve sustainable development goal 4 on learning for all children. The study explores three main objectives; (1) Outline the concept of IE as documented in the Kenyan education policies and laws. (2) Describe IE as perceived and practised in Kenyan primary schools. (3) Compare what is documented and practised and propose intervention mechanisms aimed at bridging the gap between theory and practice. The study is prompted by the readings on and encounter with the controversies of IE and their possible repercussion, and therefore the researcher’s urge to build more knowledge to help actualize IE. The researcher borrows ideologies and strategies from various literature and theories including the theory of educational change pioneered by Michael Fullan (1982, 1991, 2007) and the Index for Inclusion developed by Booth and Ainscow (2002, 2011), to help address the underlying issues and imperative changes in various spheres of IE. The study adopts a qualitative research approach through grounded theory methodology to achieve the outlined objectives. Through interpretive policy analysis, the researcher first scrutinizes four key policies that influence education in Kenya namely; The Kenyan Constitution, Vision 2030, The Sector Policy for Learners and Trainees with Disabilities (2018) and The Basic Education Curriculum Framework (2017). Data is then collected on IE practices in the schools and a comparison is made (between what is documented and practised). To ensure reliability and consistency, the study adopts triangulation as a method of data collection. Data is collected through a) Document analysis: analyzing how IE is documented in laws and policies. b) Instrumental case studies at four selected primary schools where the researcher conducted the following; i) focus group discussions with teachers, learners and parents. ii) semi-structured interviews with headteachers and iii) observational schedules. The locale under study is Nyeri County, Kenya. The target groups are the various stakeholders (headteachers, teachers, parents and learners) in primary schools. Purposive and heterogeneity sampling on locale and participants helped obtain the desired sample of 1 county, 4 schools and 65 participants. Data is analysed qualitatively using the MAXQDA program and presented in the form of descriptive or textual data and graphically through tables and figures. Recommendations based on the analysis and literature review, targeting policymakers and implementers are then proposed. Keywords: Inclusive Education, Educational Policies, Kenya