Teacher Educator Pedagogies in Assistive Technology for Inclusive Education: Lessons from Kenya School of TVET
Inclusive education requires the effective integration of assistive technologies (ATs) to remove learning barriers for trainees with disabilities. This study examined teacher educators' competencies, institutional support mechanisms, and implementation challenges in integrating ATs at the Kenya School of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (KSTVET). Adopting a mixed-methods design, data were collected from 100 participants (80 teacher educators and 20 institutional administrators) using structured questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, observation schedules, and document analysis. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively using SPSS, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. Findings revealed significant competency gaps: only 20% of teacher educators demonstrated high technical proficiency in AT usage, 45% exhibited moderate competence, and 35% reported low competence. Similarly, pedagogical integration was low, with only 15% effectively embedding ATs into instructional delivery, despite 60% maintaining positive attitudes toward inclusive education. Institutional findings indicated that 53% of educators considered available AT resources insufficient. While departments like ICT and ODeL showed higher familiarity, 58.2% of educators in other departments acquired AT skills informally. Key barriers identified included inadequate structured professional development (63%), limited access to advanced AT devices, and insufficient practical training. The study concludes that positive attitudes alone are insufficient to drive inclusive pedagogy without targeted technical and pedagogical capacity building. It recommends establishing mandatory continuous professional development programs, expanding modern AT infrastructure, and reinforcing policy implementation to enhance TVET trainer preparation for inclusive classrooms.