Thesis:

Effect of direct instruction approach on mathematics skills’ acquisition among learners with autism in public primary schools within Kakamega county, Kenya

Education for Sustainable Development is transformative, providing fresh insights into the world, yet learners with autism encounter persistent hurdles in grasping mathematical concepts, prompting notable apprehensions regarding their academic performance, potentially due to their struggle in attaining the desired goals for acquiring mathematical skills. The purpose of the study was to establish the effect of direct instruction approach on Mathematic skills’ acquisition among LWA in public primary schools within Kakamega County, Kenya. The study specific objectives were: Establish the effect of addition by regrouping instruction approach on Mathematic skills’ acquisition among Learners with Autism in public primary schools within Kakamega County; assess the effect of addition using counters instruction approach on Mathematics skills’ acquisition among Learners with Autism in public primary schools within Kakamega County; determine the effect of addition by breaking apart instruction approach on Mathematic skills’ acquisition among Learners with Autism in public primary schools within Kakamega County; and ascertain the effect of addition by counting on instruction approach on Mathematic skills’ acquisition among Learners with Autism in public primary schools within Kakamega County. The study drew upon Piaget’s Theory of cognitive development and adopted a quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group pre- test post-test approach within a mixed methods framework. Targeting 1853 individuals, including 733 learners with autism and 1120 mathematics teachers, the sample size comprised 318 participants, with 126 learners with autism and 192 mathematics teachers. Employing cluster sampling divided the county into twelve groups, while a stratified random sampling technique created strata of learners with autism and mathematics teachers, with simple random sampling used to select mathematics teachers. Research instruments included the Learners Mathematics Achievement Test, observation guide, and questionnaire, validated by experts from the faculty of education, with a pilot test yielding a Cronbach coefficient of above 0.7. Quantitative data underwent analysis using descriptive and inferential statistics, presented in tables, while observation guide analysis contributed to triangulation. The study uncovered a significant effect of various instructional approaches, including addition by regrouping, using counters, breaking apart, and counting on, on the acquisition of mathematical skills among learners with autism. Conclusively, addition by regrouping (t=3.092; P-value=.002; df=124), using counters (t=4.693; P-value=.000; df=124), breaking apart (t=3.421; P-value=.001; df=124), and counting on instruction approach (t=4.166; P-value=.000; df=124) were found to positively affect mathematical skills acquisition in this group. The study advocates for further exploration into the mediating effect of the relationship between direct instruction approach and mathematical skills acquisition among learners with autism.