Mobility Skills Research Articles

Pilot Study of a Fall Prevention and Management Intervention Program for People With Multiple Sclerosis Who Use a Wheelchair or Scooter Full-Time

To examine the efficacy of a fall prevention/management intervention among persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) who use a wheelchair (WC) or scooter full-time. Pre-post/follow-up trial. Community and research laboratory. Twenty-one PwMS who used a WC or scooter full-time, self-reported at least 1 fall/12 months, and could transfer independently or with minimal/moderate assistance (N=21). Six-week, group and community-based fall prevention and management intervention. The intervention included six 2-hour in-person weekly sessions led by a physical or occupational therapist featuring interactive group discussions, skill practice, and action planning opportunities. Fall frequency tracked 12 weeks pre- and 24 weeks post intervention. Outcomes were assessed pre- and post intervention and 12 weeks post intervention. Measures included surveys to examine fear of falling (FOF), fall prevention/management, quality of life, community participation, and assessment of functional mobility skills. Semistructured interviews were administered post intervention to ascertain overall experiences with the program and effect on daily life. A Friedman test with signed-rank post hoc analysis was run to determine differences across the 3 study visits. After the intervention, fall incidence did not significantly change, but fall management strategies (P=.01-0.05), importance of community participation (P=.01), and transfer quality (P=.02) significantly improved. Moderate effect sizes were noted among concerns about falling, activity curtailment because of to FOF, and WC skills. Qualitative results indicate that participants found the intervention beneficial and applied intervention content in their daily lives. This study is the first to describe the effect of a multicomponent fall prevention/management intervention designed specifically for PwMS who use a WC or scooter full-time. Results indicate the program has potential to reduce fall risk; however, further testing is needed to fully examine the effect of the program.

Intercultural And Professional Skills in Student Mobility to Boost Employability

The internationalisation of higher education institutions is mainly focused on mobility programs. Increasingly programs try to improve the intercultural learning of their students through internationalising their curriculum and assessing their intercultural experiences. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the acquisition of intercultural competence and professional skills of higher education students during a specific short Erasmus+ mobility program. Thirty-two students came from four different countries and fields of study: Spain, Belgium, France, and China. A specific teaching methodology was used to promote the development of intercultural and professional competencies. A mixed methods approach was developed to collect data. The results showed that the students acquired intercultural competence and important professional skills. They improved their awareness of the importance of working in multicultural teams and settings; for 100% of them, this was just the first step in a developmental process. The participants reflected on their intercultural learning experiences and learned how to reflect and learn about intercultural and professional misunderstandings using coping mechanisms to face these issues.

A Mixed-Reality Tele-Operation Method for High-Level Control of a Legged-Manipulator Robot.

In recent years, legged (quadruped) robots have been subject of technological study and continuous development. These robots have a leading role in applications that require high mobility skills in complex terrain, as is the case of Search and Rescue (SAR). These robots stand out for their ability to adapt to different terrains, overcome obstacles and move within unstructured environments. Most of the implementations recently developed are focused on data collecting with sensors, such as lidar or cameras. This work seeks to integrate a 6DoF arm manipulator to the quadruped robot ARTU-R (A1 Rescue Tasks UPM Robot) by Unitree to perform manipulation tasks in SAR environments. The main contribution of this work is focused on the High-level control of the robotic set (Legged + Manipulator) using Mixed-Reality (MR). An optimization phase of the robotic set workspace has been previously developed in Matlab for the implementation, as well as a simulation phase in Gazebo to verify the dynamic functionality of the set in reconstructed environments. The first and second generation of Hololens glasses have been used and contrasted with a conventional interface to develop the MR control part of the proposed method. Manipulations of first aid equipment have been carried out to evaluate the proposed method. The main results show that the proposed method allows better control of the robotic set than conventional interfaces, improving the operator efficiency in performing robotic handling tasks and increasing confidence in decision-making. On the other hand, Hololens 2 showed a better user experience concerning graphics and latency time.

Developing an Immersive Virtual Reality Training System for Novel Pediatric Power Wheelchair Users: Protocol for a Feasibility Study.

BackgroundPower wheelchairs can empower children with physical limitations to gain independence in their everyday lives; however, traditional methods of power wheelchair training are often limited by poor accessibility and safety concerns. Immersive virtual reality technology (IVRT) uses advanced display technology to place users in a fully immersive web-based environment that can support real-time skills training, often requiring less resources and fewer safety concerns than real-world methods. IVRT interventions have shown to be a feasible training option among adult power wheelchair users; however, there is still a need to understand the technical and clinical feasibility of developing an IVRT power wheelchair training tool for the pediatric population.ObjectiveThis proposed study aims to use expert feedback and an iterative design process to develop an IVRT training intervention for pediatric power wheelchair skill development.MethodsThis 3-phase feasibility study will be conducted within the assistive technology unit of a public pediatric hospital. Separate participant groups will be recruited for each phase, consisting of approximately 10 to 15 clinicians (phase 1), 10 pediatric power wheelchair users (phase 2), and 15 to 20 additional pediatric power wheelchair users (phase 3). Phase 1 will be conducted to gather feedback on the baseline IVRT training intervention. Clinicians will test the intervention and assess its usability and acceptability using qualitative and quantitative methods. Phase 1 participants will also be invited back for a subsequent session to reassess a revised version of the training intervention that has been updated based on their previous feedback. Phase 2 and phase 3 will also use mixed methods to gather feedback on the usability, acceptability, and user experience of the IVRT training intervention from current pediatric power wheelchair users. In addition, phase 3 participants will perform a skills transfer assessment to compare power mobility skill performance between the virtual reality and real-life environments. Data gathered in phase 2 will be used to further refine the IVRT intervention, whereas phase 3 data will be used to statistically evaluate the final version.ResultsThis study was approved by the Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre research ethics board in August 2021. Phase 1 testing began in February 2022. The entire study is expected to be completed by 2023.ConclusionsThe results of this study will be used to create an IVRT training intervention for pediatric power wheelchair skill development through an iterative and collaborative design process. Results may also assist in directing future studies in this area.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/39140

Applying Modern Camera Technology to Guide the Visually Impaired Persons in Society: The Power of Improved Orientation and Mobility Skills for Visual Impairment

Applying Modern Camera Technology to Guide the Visually Impaired Persons in Society: The Power of Improved Orientation and Mobility Skills for Visual Impairment

How Do Primary School Students Perform? Fundamental Movement Skills for Throwing Catch Baseball

The issue in this research is that students struggle to move because they lack fundamental throwing and catching mobility skills. There are still many students who look stiff and need the teacher's assistance to move in accordance with the teacher's instructions, even though some students are less able to practice throwing and catching balls, even though some students can already do so. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of fundamental movement skills for throwing and catching a baseball in primary school. The sample of this research is class III MIS AL Qosimy Watu Galuh, totaling 25 people. Data collection techniques using a t-test: The P value obtained is less than 0.05, which is 0.00. In the catch test, the test statistic results show the P-value obtained is less than 0.05, which is 0.00, with an average value of 34.54. The results of the test statistic on the throwing and catching values show that the P-value obtained is less than 0.05, which is 0.00. So it can be concluded that the throwing value of the students is equal to 15 with an average value of 11.5. The results of the overall analysis show that the components of the throw, catch, and throw catch scores of each student are not the same as the expected target value.

Effects of hippotherapy simulation exercise vs. conventional home exercises on muscle strength and balance in people with multiple sclerosis: A randomized controlled trial

ObjectiveTo determine the efficacy of hippotherapy simulation exercise on the improvement of muscle strength, balance, spasticity, and quality of life in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). DesignRandomized controlled trial. SettingOutpatient clinic at the rehabilitation clinic of University of Usak, Turkey ParticipantsIndividuals with MS (n = 40) participated in this randomized clinical study. InterventionsPatients in both groups received 36 treatment sessions, 3 times per week for 12 consecutive weeks. Subjects in the study group performed hippotherapy simulation exercise via a hippotherapy simulator device. The control group received conventional home exercises. Main Outcome MeasuresThe primary outcome measures included the Monitoring My Multiple Sclerosis (MMMS) Scale, the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test; quadriceps muscle strength was measured with a dynamometer. ResultsAt the level of physical activity, post-intervention MMMS measures showed significant differences in both cases. TUG was significantly lower, and muscle strength and BBS were significantly higher in both post-interventions. No outcome measure showed a significant difference between the groups at both post-intervention and follow-up. ConclusionsThe results of this study in the field of hippotherapy simulation exercise for people with MS indicate a positive effect on health conditions, balance, mobility skills, and muscle strength. Further studies are necessary to confirm these preliminary results.

A qualidade do ambiente domiciliar influencia nas habilidades funcionais de crianças na primeiríssima infância?

ABSTRACT The literature associates child development with the quality of the environment stimulation. However, few studies verify if this is associated with the infant’s functional abilities. This study aims to assess which opportunities in the home environment are associated with functional mobility skills and social function of infants in early childhood and explain them. This is a cross-sectional and exploratory study with 74 infants aged from six to 18 months. The affordances in the home environment motor development - infant scale instrument was used to evaluate the opportunities in the home environment. The pediatric evaluation of disability inventory was used to assess the infants’ functional abilities. We observed that infants’ mobility can be explained in 45.6% (Adjusted R²=0.45) and social function in 30% (Adjusted R²=0.30) by the amount of gross motor skills toys, equipment and variety of stimulation in the home environment. We concluded that positions, toys, and materials that keep the infant more restricted and less active have a negative effect. On the other hand, toys that offer greater displacement and interaction favor the functional mobility skills and social function.

Мултикултурно кариерно ориентиране в системата на училищното образование

Abstract: Career guidance is part of the activities in the school education system in Bulgaria to provide general support for students’ personal development. Career guidance programs include activities with students from I to XII grade as preparation for transition to higher education or for participation in the labor market. An important task of career guidance is counselling of students who are at risk of dropping out of school, as well as the reintegration of those who have dropped out of school and the development of skills in social inclusion and mobility. The fact that premature dropout from the educational system has its ethno-cultural specifics determines the need for special attention to the peculiarities of career guidance in a multicultural school environment. The article focuses on multicultural career guidance in the field of vocational education and training. The parameters of intercultural competence in the preparation of career guidance specialists for the school education system and in the preparation of mentors in a dual education system are outlined. Keywords: career guidance, counseling, multicultural environment, intercultural competence.

Development of a new tool: progression of paediatric powered mobility- 3PM

Purpose To develop a tool to assess the progression of powered mobility skills for children and determine its psychometric properties. Method A three-phase, the mixed-method design included: I) conceptualisation based on international specialists’ input through a focus group or interview to generate initial items; II) tool development using a two-round Delphi survey and III) evaluation of psychometric properties from eight video recordings of children. The Progression of Paediatric Powered Mobility (3PM) was validated via Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) calculated from conventionally powered mobility assessments: the Powered Mobility Program, the Assessment of Learning Powered Mobility tool, and the Powered Mobility Proficiency test. Results Content derived from 20 clinical experts led to the development of the first version consisting of 19 demographic and 61 driving skill items. Following two Delphi rounds, the final tool included 14 demographic and 41 driving skill items. Internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach alpha = 0.96) as was the inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.96, 95% confidence interval = 0.95–0.96). Pearson correlation coefficients between the 3PM and other PM assessments demonstrated good convergent validity. Conclusion The 3PM, created through international collaboration with experts in PM, has excellent psychometric values as a valid measure that can be used reliably to assess children’s powered mobility skills. Implications for rehabilitation The 3PM reflects the three stages of powered mobility development: exploratory, operational, and functional stages. Input from clinical experts in PM mobility contributed to the identification of the key driving skills important to include in the 3PM. A reliable and valid tool can facilitate assessment and tailored intervention in paediatric powered mobility.

Factors Associated with the Quality of Life in Family Caregivers of People with Dementia in Taiwan

Objectives: Previous studies showed that caregivers of patients with dementia (PWD) have lower quality of life (QoL) due to several clinical factors related to caregivers and their ill relatives. In this study, we intended to assess the associated factors of QoL in caregivers of PWD in Taiwan. Methods: A cross-sectional survey with 270 dyads of PWD and their caregivers was conducted. We assessed family members' depressive symptoms, anxiety, affiliate stigma, care burden, and QoL, and patients' cognition, severity of dementia, self-care, and mobility skills, as well as neuropsychiatry symptoms of PWD. Results: Caregivers' longer years of education were significantly associated with better QoL in environment domains (β = 0.21, p < 0.01), while the children of caregivers had significantly better QoL in physical domains compared to spouses of caregivers (β = 0.28, p < 0.05). Patients with a past history of psychiatric hospitalization (β = 0.11, p < 0.05) and longer caregiving time (β = 0.13, p < 0.05) were significantly related to better QoL in environment domain. High levels of depression were associated with significantly lower QoL in physical health (β = −0.24, p < 0.05) and psychological domains (β = −0.32, p < 0.01), while more anxiety symptoms were related to significantly lower QoL in physical health (β = −0.26, p < 0.01) and environment domains (β = −0.27, p < 0.01). Higher levels of affiliate stigma were significantly related to lower QoL of caregivers in psychological (β = −0.23, p < 0.01), social relationships (β = −0.27, p < 0.01), and environment (β = −0.19, p < 0.05) domains. Higher levels of care burden were significantly related to lower QoL of caregivers in physical health (β = −0.24, p < 0.01) and environment (β = −0.23, p < 0.05) domains. Conclusion: Caregiver's depression, anxiety, affiliate stigma, and care burden were found to play a critical role in maintaining QoL of family caregivers. We suggest developing effective programs as a direction of future intervention for PWD to improve their QoL.

Involvement of young people in the citizen science of invasive alien species in Bulgaria

Abstract Citizen science plays an important role in the early detection of invasive alien species (IAS). The involvement of young people in initiatives related to citizen science in Bulgaria could contribute to better monitoring of IAS because of mobility and digital skills of those people. Based on a questionnaire survey, key aspects of involvement of young people in citizen science initiatives were analysed. Two groups of respondents, including professionals (with an educational background in biology or with professional activities related to the bioresources) and non-professionals (not connected with bioresources) were asked to make judgments about their own level of knowledge about: (1) IAS issues, (2) the level of awareness of citizen science; (3) the motivation and preferable ways to participate in citizen science; and (4) the most appropriate approaches for IAS awareness raising. A total of 337 young people in the age range of 15-30 years were questioned during the period 2019-2021. The results show that there is no significant difference between the responses of the two groups of respondents to the questionnaire - professionals and non-professionals. In both groups, less than 50% of respondents are aware of issues related to IAS. Less than 40% of respondents indicated the correct definition of citizen science. The leading motivation factor to participate in citizen science initiatives is “caring for nature” followed by “to contribute to nature conservation” and “to learn more about nature”. Most of the respondents are interested in additional information related to IAS and prefer online sources for information.

Self-Efficacy, Exercise Anticipation and Physical Activity in Elderly: Using Bayesian Networks to Elucidate Complex Relationships.

AimTo explore the correlation of exercise anticipation, self-efficacy and lower limb function in the elderly, and identify active predictors of exercise. The time up and go (TUG) has been used to access basic mobility skills, as well as strength, balance and agility, which is used in a range of population.MethodsA cross-sectional survey approach was employed in this study, assessing the functional relationship of the level of exercise anticipation, modified gait efficacy scale (mGES), self-efficacy for exercise scale (SEE), perceived efficacy of patient–physician interactions (PEPPI-10), behavioral regulation in exercise questionnaire (BREQ), and the time up and go (TUG) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Consequently, we constructed the Bayesian network model utilizing Genie 2.3, in order to effectively determine clear negative and positive correlations.ResultsThis investigation incorporated a total of 285 patients. The results of Spearman's correlation analysis indicated that the TUG effectively correlated with age (r = 0.158, P < 0.01), drinking (r=−0.362, P < 0.01), mGES (r=−0.254, P < 0.01), PEPPI (r=−0.329, P < 0.01), SEE (r =−0.408, P < 0.01), BREQ (r = 0.676, P < 0.01), EA (r =−0.688, P < 0.01) and IPAQ (r =−0.742, P < 0.01). TUG can be used as the direct influencing factor of IPA, and five nodes in the model can be considered the primary indirect influencing factors of TUG, such as drinking, EA, age, sex and mGES in Bayesian network. The sensitivity analysis of the model confirmed that TUG (0.059), drinking (0.087), EA (0.335), age (0.080), sex (0.164), mGES (0.028) and hypertension (0.030) can become the sensitivity evaluation indicators of IPAQ in the elderly community population, in which the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 59.6% (2207/3705), indicating a suitable prediction performance.ConclusionExercise anticipation and life behavior habit can effectively predict physical activity capability in the elderly. These findings can help clinicians establish effective intervention to improve the physical activity regularly of the elderly.

Offline motion libraries and online MPC for advanced mobility skills

We describe an optimization-based framework to perform complex locomotion skills for robots with legs and wheels. The generation of complex motions over a long-time horizon often requires offline computation due to current computing constraints and is mostly accomplished through trajectory optimization (TO). In contrast, model predictive control (MPC) focuses on the online computation of trajectories, robust even in the presence of uncertainty, albeit mostly over shorter time horizons and is prone to generating nonoptimal solutions over the horizon of the task’s goals. Our article’s contributions overcome this trade-off by combining offline motion libraries and online MPC, uniting a complex, long-time horizon plan with reactive, short-time horizon solutions. We start from offline trajectories that can be, for example, generated by TO or sampling-based methods. Also, multiple offline trajectories can be composed out of a motion library into a single maneuver. We then use these offline trajectories as the cost for the online MPC, allowing us to smoothly blend between multiple composed motions even in the presence of discontinuous transitions. The MPC optimizes from the measured state, resulting in feedback control, which robustifies the task’s execution by reacting to disturbances and looking ahead at the offline trajectory. With our contribution, motion designers can choose their favorite method to iterate over behavior designs offline without tuning robot experiments, enabling them to author new behaviors rapidly. Our experiments demonstrate complex and dynamic motions on our traditional quadrupedal robot ANYmal and its roller-walking version. Moreover, the article’s findings contribute to evaluating five planning algorithms.

Lived experience of State-sponsored intra-national overseas therapeutic mobility for stem cell transplantation

This article focuses on the lived experience of patients with haematological cancer who were transferred from La Réunion (a French overseas Department) to mainland France to undergo allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Based on a qualitative study conducted between February 2020 and January 2021 with allo-HSCT recipients, their family caregivers and healthcare professionals, we examined the social, economic and cultural factors shaping the patients' complex experience. We have called this kind of State-sponsored intra-national medical transfer “overseas therapeutic mobility”. The patients' experience of this therapeutic journey beyond their geographical and cultural frontiers has some similarities with transnational therapeutic mobility. Overseas therapeutic mobility to undergo highly technical treatment requires considerable logistic efforts and mobility skills. The remoteness of their families and their affective and cultural environment give mobile patients a feeling of disorientation and causes them much social suffering. The two-fold condition of being a sick person with a possibly lethal disease and being treated overseas can be regarded as a double ordeal. In addition, the unfunded costs place a heavy burden on the patients and those whose families have limited resources. This study points to the cleavages which occur between post-colonial overseas regions and mainland France, and the territorial inequalities existing in patients’ access to specialized treatment due to French policies of healthcare centralization.

Going Public: Library Support for Knowledge Translation and Mobilization for the Public Good

In an era of misinformation, libraries can play a key role as a bridge between the community and the academy. Built on institutional assessment data in areas of scholarly communication and digital scholarship, a new yearly Going Public symposium was designed to help researchers forge new knowledge translation and mobilization skills. Findings from the symposium indicate interdisciplinary interest in translating research to non-academic audiences and a desire to work with the community to co-create solutions to real-world problems through public scholarship, citizen science, and community-engaged research methods.

Dual-task training effect on gait parameters in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy: Preliminary results of a self-controlled study

BackgroundChildren with cerebral palsy (CP) may have difficulties under dual-task conditions. Spatiotemporal gait parameters have deteriorated with concurrent tasks in children with CP. However, how dual-task training affects gait parameters in children with spastic diplegic CP has not been clarified. Research questionHow does dual-task training program effect gait, functional skills, and health-related quality of life in children with spastic diplegic CP? MethodsEleven children with spastic diplegic CP (median age 11 y, range 7–16 y; 4 female; 7 male) Gross Motor Function Classification System level 1–2 and obtained 27 and higher scores from Modified Mini Mental Test included in the study. The study was planned as a self-controlled clinical research design. Children were recruited to conventional physiotherapy program for 8 weeks and dual-task training program added to conventional physiotherapy program for following 8 weeks. Children were evaluated at baseline, after conventional physiotherapy program, and after dual-task training program. Children’s gait was evaluated with Zebris™ FDM-2 device and Edinburgh Visual Gait Score, functional mobility skills with 1 min Walk Test (1MWT), and health-related quality of life with the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) - CP module. ResultsThe difference in step length, step time, stride time, cadence and gait speed of spatiotemporal parameters of gait during dual-task performance were found statistically significant in children with spastic diplegic CP, after dual-task training program (p < 0,05). After dual-task training, statistically significant gains were found in 1MWT, movement and balance subtitle of PedsQL-CP module Parent Form (p < 0,05). SignificanceDual-task training program added to a conventional physiotherapy program provides more gains in terms of functionality of children with spastic diplegic CP will contribute to the improvement of the motor functional level.

Towards the Development of a Mobile Application in Movement Competency Training Grounded on the User-Centered Design Model: The Case of a State University in the Philippines

The corona-virus disease (COVID)-19 pandemic has caused extreme disruption in the delivery of instruction in many educational institutions all over the world. However, this circumstance may not only be a challenge but also an opportunity to foster learning through exploration of various technologies that can be developed, more specifically in a course characterized with a strong skills-based orientation such as physical education (PE). Therefore, the aim set in this study was to develop a mobile application for Movement Competency Training (MCT) grounded on the User-Centered Design Model. This descriptive mixed-method research started with a preliminary needs assessment analysis which was participated by 121 Filipino students enrolled in the MCT course and 10 PE teachers. Results revealed the skills that require a higher degree of proficiency such as non-locomotor skills, locomotor, and mobility skills. Also, the majority of the respondents are mobile phone users which justified the adoption of mobile instruction and the development of an application for MCT. Moreover, indicated in this research was the preference of the intended users in terms of design and interface that led to the development of the mobile application and had specified the requirements based on the users' needs. The initial assessment of the developed application indicated a highly acceptable level of functional suitability, usability, and portability by the student-respondents. A field testing of the application may be recommended to determine its effectiveness in mastering the skills in MCT independently.

Moderating Influence of Principal Financial Management Skills on the Relationship Between Selected School Characteristics and Cost Efficiency Among Public Secondary Schools in Bomet County, Kenya

Public secondary schools in Kenya are expected to operate at affordable and sustainable costs. Despite this expectation, the cost of education in relative terms in most public secondary schools in Bomet County is still high. This may be an indicator that public schools are cost inefficient in their operations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the moderating influence of financial management skills on the influence of selected school characteristics on cost efficiency of public secondary schools in Bomet County, Kenya. The target population was two hundred and seventy principals of public secondary schools and all the five Sub-County Directors of Education in Bomet County. A sample of one hundred and seventy-five principals was selected using stratified and simple random sampling techniques. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to gather data from the principals and an interview schedule was used to solicit data from the Sub-county Directors of Education. The Content Validity Index was used to check for validity, and it found that all variables had an S-CVI of greater than 0.9, indicating that they were all valid and could be used in the study. All variables had Cronbach alpha coefficients of greater than 0.7, indicating that the variables were internally reliable enough to be used in the study. The data was analysed and summarized using descriptive statistics, such as frequencies, means, and standard deviations. To test the hypotheses, the researchers employed a moderated multiple linear regression analysis in inferential statistics to see how well financial management skills had a moderating effect on the influence of selected school characteristics on cost efficiency of public secondary schools in Bomet County, Kenya. Statistical operations on data analysis were performed using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) statistics software. The study concluded that financial management skills did not have moderating influence on the relationship between selected school characteristics and cost efficiency of public secondary schools in Bomet County. This was linked to low financial management abilities of the stakeholders, which were characterized by poor financial mobilization skills of school alumni and school administrators. According to the study, the ministry of education should invest in capacity building for school administrators on financial management in order to improve cost efficiency in public secondary schools in Bomet County. School administrators, in particular, require capacity building in order to enhance skills on school resource mobilization. This could create appropriate resources to keep the schools running optimally in terms of cost. Keywords: Cost Efficiency, Public Secondary Schools, principal financial management skills DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-4-02 Publication date: February 28 th 2022

The Effect of a Training Program on Developing Some Orientation and Mobility Skills of Blind Students Integrated in Grade 10

Abstract The current study aimed to identify the effectiveness of a training program on developing some orientation and mobility skills for blind students integrated in grade 10. The study sample consisted of 8 blind students integrated into the tenth grade at Al-Dhamma School for Secondary Education. Students responded to the orientation and mobility skills scale prepared by the researcher and a training program prepared by the researcher. A quasi-experimental approach was used for the study, and statistical methods included Cronbach’s alpha, Spearman-Brown correlation coefficient, and Wilcoxon test. The overall results indicated the effectiveness of the training program on developing some orientation and mobility skills among blind students who were integrated into the tenth grade. Considering these results, the study recommended using the training program in developing some orientation and mobility skills of blind students who are integrated in the tenth grade. Keywords: Training program; orientation and movement skills; blind.