Influence of Rehabilitation Services on the Academic Adjustment of Learners with Disabilities in Inclusive Public Secondary Schools in Enugu State

This study examined the influence of rehabilitation services on the academic adjustment of learners with disabilities in inclusive public secondary schools in Enugu State. The study was guided by four research hypotheses testing the effects of educational, psychological, medical, and vocational rehabilitation services on academic adjustment. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. A total of 400 respondents comprising 300 learners with disabilities and 100 teachers and school administrators were sampled using stratified random and purposive sampling techniques. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis at 0.05 level of significance. Findings from the study revealed that rehabilitation services significantly influence academic adjustment. Educational rehabilitation recorded the highest mean response (M = 3.15–3.30), followed by psychological rehabilitation (M = 3.10–3.28), medical rehabilitation (M = 3.10–3.26), and vocational rehabilitation (M = 3.14–3.28), indicating generally positive perceptions across all domains. Multiple regression analysis showed a strong relationship between rehabilitation services and academic adjustment (R = 0.856), with a coefficient of determination indicating that 73.3% (R² = 0.733) of the variance in academic adjustment was explained by the four rehabilitation services combined. The ANOVA result confirmed the model was statistically significant (F = 152.48, p < 0.05), indicating a strong joint effect of rehabilitation services on academic adjustment. Further analysis showed that all predictors were individually significant: educational rehabilitation (β = 0.402, p < 0.05), psychological rehabilitation (β = 0.335, p < 0.05), medical rehabilitation (β = 0.289, p < 0.05), and vocational rehabilitation (β = 0.256, p < 0.05). The study concludes that rehabilitation services are critical determinants of academic adjustment among learners with disabilities. It recommends strengthened implementation of integrated rehabilitation programs, improved teacher training, adequate provision of assistive technologies, and increased funding to support inclusive education practices.