INFLUENCE OF TEACHER CHARACTERISTICS AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENT ON MENTORING LEARNERS WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DIFFICULTIES IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN BUSIA COUNTY, KENYA

All children have the right to be in school. They should be known, appreciated and mentored. However, some children drop out due to unknown factors. This study takes an inquisitive and interrogative approach to establishing the possible teacher characteristics and learning environment that could be the reason for the drop out of, especially, children with emotional and behavioral difficulties in public primary schools in Busia County. The study used the ?Person-Centred? theory by Carl Rogers which posits the potential value(s) of individual learners in a target environment. The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship of the class teacher with the learner with emotional and behavior difficulties (LEBD) for purposes of mentorship, intervention and handling of target behavior difficulties. The study engaged a mixed research design. Simple random sampling techniques were used on a sample of 44 public primary schools with 106 respondents (teachers, headteachers, and education experts). Data was generated by a structured questionnaire, Focus Group Discussions, observation and in-depth interviews. The validity and reliability of each tool was determined. The data collected was analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative descriptive statistics. The study found out that the teacher had both intrinsic and extrinsic factors that can influence and mentor learners. It was concluded that the teachers were resourceful but lacked the appropriate opportunity to construct the relevant procedures to mentor the target learners. It is hoped that the results of this study will create more awareness and need for the Ministry of Education, together with development partners to engage in specific continuous teaching and learning interventions for all children in primary schools in Kenya.