ABSTRACT
The study investigated an assessment of challenges faced by special needs Learners and its influence on their academic achievement in Charilove Group of Schools, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. The study adopted a case study research design method. The population of the study was 127 which consists of all 105 special need learners and Twenty two ( 22) Staff in Charilove group of special schools, Benin City Edo State Nigeria.The sample size is Fifty-Three (53). It consists of 48 special need learners from the primary school session. The sampled learners were Primary 3 to Primary 6 Special Need Learners and 8 teaching staff in Charilove group of Special Schools. To achieve the purpose of the study, six research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The Instrument used to collect data for this study is a15-item questionnaire of Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree and strongly Disagree (SD), and a pro-foma for learners scores collection. The instruments were validated by three experts in the Department of Educational Evaluation and Counselling Psychology. It yielded an Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of .522 used, to .655 and .694 for subscale 1,2,3, respectively, which was consider high enough. As such the instrument was considered reliable. Data collected from the respondents were analyzed using frequency count, percentage, mean to answer research questions raised, while the hypotheses were tested for significanceat an alpha level of 0.05 using Pearson productmoment Correlation, Independent sample t-test and ANOVA. The finding from the study reveals that teaching method and parental involvement do not constitute challenges faced by special need learners. The assessment challenge is lack of incorporation of computer base test in assessing special need learners to prepare them for external examination. It was concluded that teaching method does not constitute a challenge faced by special need learners in Charilove group of school. However the learners preferred discussion, demonstration and dramatic teaching methods to lecturing methods. The study recommended amongst others, that parents should continue to be involved in learner academics, computer base test should be incorporated in testing for preparation of external examination among others.
