THE ROLE OF THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM IN DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF I.E.P. IN A SELECTED SPECIAL SCHOOL IN THARAKA NTHI COUNTY, KENYA
Abstract
An individualised education plan is the blueprint of the specialised curriculum that a learner with an exceptional program should follow to succeed in school. It also provides transition planning to ensure that the learner with exceptional needs, and more so, Intellectual Disability, becomes an educated, productive, and participating member of the community. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which Members of a multidisciplinary team have been involved in the development and utilization of I.E.P. This is mixed-method research that adopted a descriptive research design. The sample size of the research comprised 1 headteacher, 8 teachers and 126 learners. Piaget’s Constructivist Theory of Learning guided the research. Respondents were identified through purposive sampling. Questionnaires and interview schedules were the tools used to collect data. Quantitative data were analyzed through SPSS software version 26. It was reported through descriptive statistics. Data obtained from the interviews were coded, read repeatedly to identify patterns, then themes, and were reported narratively. Findings indicate that MDT are inadequately involved in the development and implementation of Individualized Education Program in the selected institution of research. Among the major impediments to their full participation are a lack of common availability during scheduling, unfamiliarity with occupational jargon across occupations and a lack of administrative support.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejse.v11i7.6496
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