Implementation of Inclusive Education in Ghanaian Primary Schools: A Look at Teachers` Attitudes

Awal Mohammed Alhassan¹

¹Adult Education, Ski, Norway

Cite this paper:
Awal Mohammed Alhassan. Implementation of Inclusive Education in Ghanaian Primary Schools: A Look at Teachers` Attitudes. American Journal of Educational Research. 2014; 2(3):142-148. doi: 10.12691/education-2-3-5

Abstract

Studies have revealed that teachers` attitudes toward students with disabilities are different, and these various differences/reasons are dependent on schools` practices of inclusion. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers` attitudes in implementing Inclusive Education in primary and junior high secondary schools in two districts in Ghana (Bole and New Juaben). Interviews were conducted and two classroom observations were undertaken in selected primary and junior secondary schools. 108 teachers responded to questionnaire measures of attitude and ten were interviewed. 20 students were also interviewed. The data was analysed qualitatively and results tabulated with percentages. Results were discussed with respondents to enhance reliability. Based on the theoretical framework used in the study, the results showed differences of teachers` attitudes depending on the type of students` disabilities and disability severity. Negative attitudes of teachers were associated with large class-sizes and the presence of a student with disability in the classroom. A large scale study is required to identify other possible factors or predictors of attitude. It is recommended by this study that awareness-raising about disability is a good step towards an equal position of students with disabilities in the schools in particular and people with disabilities in the society in general. Changes at policy level and support facilities for special needs students as an explicit concern are needed to achieve this equalization.

Keywords:
inclusive education implementation teachers` attitude Ghana

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]	Agbenyega, J. & Deku, P. (2011). Building New Identities in Teacher Preparation for Inclusive Education in Ghana. Current Issues in Education, 14 (1). Retrieved from http://cie.asu.edu/
[2]	Allport, G.W. (1954). The nature of prejudice. Reading: Massachusetts. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
[3]	Amir, Y. & Sharan, S. (1984). School desegregation. Cross-cultural perspective. Hillsdale, New Jersey. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.
[4]	Anthony J. (2009). Access to Education for Students with Autism in Ghana: Implications for EFA. Retrieved from: http://ddp-ext.worldbank.org/EdStats/GHAgmrpap09.pdf (Retrieved on 2011-05-20).
[5]	Anthony, J. (2011). Conceptualizing disability in Ghana: Implications for EFA and Inclusive Education. In: International Journal of Inclusive Education. Vol. 15, No. 10 (2011), pp. 1073-1086.
[6]	Avoke, M. K. & Avoke, S. K. (2004). Inclusion, Rehabilitation and Transition Services in Special Education. Winneba: Department of Special Education.
[7]	Avramidis, E., Bayliss, P. & Burden, R. (2000). A survey into mainstream teachers’ attitudes toward the inclusion of children with special educational needs in the ordinary school in one local education authority. Educational Psychology, 20, 191-195
[8]	Baker, J. M., & Zigmond, N. (1990). Are regular education classes equipped to accommodate students with learning disabilities?. Exceptional Children, 56, 515-526.
[9]	Cook, S.W. (1978). Interpersonal and attitudinal outcomes in cooperating interracial groups. Journal of Research and Development in Education, 12, 97-113.
[10]	Cook, B. G., Tankersley, M., Cook, L., & Landrum, T. J. (2000). Teachers' attitudes toward their included students with disabilities. Exceptional Children, 67, 115-135.
[11]	Cook, B. G. (2001). A comparison of teachers' attitudes toward their included students with mild and severe disabilities. The Journal of Special Education; Bensalem; 34/4, p. 203-213.
[12]	Cornoldi, C., Terreni, A., Scruggs, T., Mastropieri, M. (1998). Teacher attitudes in Italy. After twenty years of inclusion. Remedial and Special Education, 19, 350-363.
[13]	Deaux, K. Dane, C.F. & Wrightsman, S.L. (1993). Social psychology in the 90’s. (6th ed). Pacific Grove, California: Brooks & Cole Publishing.
[14]	Favazza, P.C. & Odom, S.L. (1997). Promoting positive attitudes of kindergarten-age children toward people with disabilities. Exceptional Children, 63 (3), 405-418.
[15]	Gadagbui, G. Y. (June 3, 2008) -Inclusive education project, University of Education, Winneba.
[16]	Gyimah, E. K. 2010. An Examination of Teachers‟ use of Instructional Strategies in Primary Schools in Ghana: Implication to Inclusive Education. Department of Educational Foundations, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
[17]	Kennedy, H.C., Shukla, S. & Fryxell, D. (1997). Comparing the effects of educational placement on the social relationships of intermediate school students with severe disabilities. Exceptional Children, 64 (1), 31-47.
[18]	Kuyini A. B. & Desai, I. (2008). Providing instruction to students with special needs in inclusive classrooms in Ghana: Issues and challenges. International Journal of Whole schooling, 4 (1) 22-38
[19]	Kuyini, A. B. & Desai, I. (2007). Principals’ and Teachers’ Attitudes and Knowledge of Inclusive Education as Predictors of Effective Teaching practices in Ghana. Journal of Research in Special and Inclusive Education, 7, (2), 104-113
[20]	Kvale, Steiner (1997). Det kvalitative Forskningsintervju. Ad Notan Gyldendal Mastropieri, M. & Scruggs, T. (2000). The Inclusive Classroom: Strategies for effective Instruction. United States: Prentice Hall, Inc.
[21]	McClenahan, C., Cairns, E., Seamus, D. & Valerie, M. (1996). Intergroup friendships: Integrated and desegregated schools in Nothern Ireland. The Journal of Social Psychology, 136 (5), 549-558.
[22]	Muthukrishna, N., Farman, R. & Sader, S. (2000) the inclusion of children with Down syndrome in ordinary schools: a South African experience. In the International Journal of Special Education, 15 (1) 86-95.
[23]	Ntombela, S. (2011) the progress of inclusive education in South Africa. http:/imp.sagepub.com.
[24]	Ntombela, S. (2003) the challenge of overage children in two South African primary schools. In The International Journal on School Disaffection, 1 (1) 36-44.
[25]	Ntombela, S. (2009) Are we there yet? Towards the development of inclusive education in one district of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The International Journal of Learning, 374 (9704), 1795-1796. Retrieved from Wiley Online Library.
[26]	Ofori-Addo, L. (1994). The Community-based Rehabilitation Programme in Ghana: In Examples of good practice in special needs education & community-based programmers. UNESCO.
[27]	Ofori-Addo, L Worgbeyi, N. & Tay, K. (1999). Inclusive Education in Ghana: A Report for the Ghana Government, Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare, Accra.
[28]	Ofori-Addo, L. (1994). The Community-based Rehabilitation Programme in Ghana: In UNESCO, (1994) Examples of good practice in special needs education & community-based programmes. UNESCO.
[29]	O’Toole, B., Hofslett, K., Bupuru, K.A, Ofori-Addo, L. & Kotoku, G. (1996). Ghana Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR): Participatory evaluation. Accra: Ghana Publishing Corporation.
[30]	Sharma, U. & Desai, I. P. (2002). Measuring Concerns about Integrated Education in India. Asia & Pacific Journal on Disability, 5 (1).
[31]	Pettigrew, T. F. (2011). When Groups Meet: the Dynamics of Intergroup Contact (Psychology Press, 2011), Pettigrew, T. F. (1998). Intergroup contact theory. Annual Review of Psychology, 49, 65-75.
[32]	Pettigrew, T.F., & Tropp, L. (2006). A meta-analytic test of intergroup contact theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90, 751-783.
[33]	Stainback, S & Stainback, W. (1996). Inclusion: A guide for educators. Baltimore: Paul H. Brooks Publishing Co.
[34]	Stanovich, P.J. & Jordan, A. (1998). Canadian teachers’ and principals’ beliefs about inclusive education as predictors of effective teaching in heterogeneous classrooms. The Elementary School Journal, 98 (3), 221-242.
[35]	Stanovich, P. J. & Jordon, A. (2002). Preparing general educators to teach in inclusive classrooms: Some food for thought. The Teacher Educator, 37 (3), 173-185.
[36]	Stein, R. M., Post, S. S. & Rinden, A. L. (2000). Reconciling context and contact effects on racial attitudes. Political Research Quarterly, 53 (2).
[37]	Tomlinson, C. A., Callahan, C. M., Romchin, E. M., Eiss, N., Imbeau, M., & Landrum, M. (1997). Becoming architects of communities of learning: Addressing academic diversity in contemporary classrooms. Exceptional Children, 63, 269-282.
[38]	Turner, R.N., Hewstone, M., & Voci, A. (2007). Reducing explicit and implicit prejudice via direct and extended contact: The mediating role of self-disclosure and intergroup anxiety. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93, 369-388.
[39]	UNESCO, 2007. Education for All by 2015. Will We Make It? EFA Global Monitoring Report 2008. UNESCO, Paris.
[40]	UNESCO, 2011. The Hidden Crisis: Armed Conflict and Education, EFA Global Monitoring Report 2011. UNESCO, Paris.
[41]	Vaughn, S., Elbaum, B. E., Shumm, J. S. & Hughes, M. T. (1998). Social outcomes for students with and without learning disabilities in inclusive classrooms. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 31 (5), 428-436.
[42]	Vaughn, S., Hogan, A., Kouzekanani, K., & Shapiro, S. (1990). Peer acceptance, self-perceptions, and social skills of learning disabled students prior to identification. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82 (1), 101-106.
[43]	Vaughn, S., Kim, A-H., Sloan, C.V.M., Hughes, M. T., Elbaum, B. & Sridhar, D. (2003). Social skills interventions for young children with disabilities. A synthesis of group design studies. Remedial and Special Education, 24 (1), 2-15.
[44]	Welch, M. (1989). A cultural perspective and the second wave of educational reform. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 22, 537-540.
[45]	Welch, M. (2000). In S. E. Wade. Inclusive Education: a casebook and readings for prospective and practicing teachers. New Jersey. Lawrence Elbaum Associate Publishers.
[46]	Wesley J. J (2010) Qualitative Document Analysis in Political Science. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
[47]	Wilzenski, F. L. (1995). Development of a scale to measure attitudes toward inclusive education. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 55, 291-299
[48]	Wilczenski, F. (1992). Measuring attitudes toward inclusive education.Psychology in the Schools, 29, 10-22.
[49]	Wittig, M. A. & Grant-Thompson, S. (1998). The utility of Allport’s conditions of intergroup contact for predicting perceptions of improved racial attitudes and beliefs. The Journal of Social Issues, 54 (4), 795.