Self-Esteem and Academic Achievement: What are the Explanatory Variables among Girls with Hearing Impairment in Selected Secondary Schools for the Deaf in Kenya?

This study sought to examine the explanatory variables on self-esteem and academic achievement of girls with hearing impairments (HI) in selected Secondary Schools for the Deaf in Kenya. The study was guided by Carl Roger’s person-centred or client-centred theory. The study used an ex-post facto research design. Participants for the study were drawn from schools for girls with hearing impairment in Central and Western provinces of Kenya constituting a sample of fifty-three girls. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences programme. Rosenberg self-esteem scale was used to measure self-esteem dimensions whereas school academic scores were used to measure mean academic achievement. The study revealed that there was a moderate and positive correlation between self-esteem and academic achievement of girls with hearing impairments. The in-depth interviews indicated that the low achievement of girls with hearing impairments could be attributed to current curriculum which was not only less diverse but also that the mode of examination was too conventional and did not take into account the peculiar problems of learners with various disabilities The situation could be improved through concerted efforts among various education stakeholders. Thus, it was recommended that the Ministry of Education through the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development should devise a more diverse curriculum that could be examined through various strategies such as observation and use of sign language. It was further recommended that teachers should make deliberate use of positive reinforcement techniques geared towards the promotion of the self-esteem of girls with Hearing Impairment and encourage them to accelerate their quest to academic performance