0000000000192286
AUTHOR
William Nketsia
Teacher education and inclusion in Ghana : pre-service teachers' preparedness for creating an inclusive classroom
Education of pupils with special education needs (SENs) in Ghana has been formed around the medical model where pupils with special needs are diagnosed, labelled and taught in segregated special education institutions disconnected from regular mainstream classroom (Hooker, 2008). Recently, there has been increased focus on the adoption of inclusive education (IE) which seeks to reinforce the competence and efficiency of systems in school to reach out to all learners. Therefore, it is important for regular classroom teachers to be trained in the identification and support of the pupils with SENs in order for them to address the needs of all students. Recent studies in Ghana have concentrated…
Initial teacher preparation for inclusive education in Ghana : status and challenges
Initial teacher education programs are undergoing reforms to equip pre-service teachers with inclusive skills, knowledge, attitudes, and values that are critical for successful implementation of inclusive education. This dissertation, comprised of four articles and a summary, sought to describe how the colleges of education in Ghana prepare teachers for inclusive education. A descriptive survey research approach was adopted in all four articles.The first article sought to determine the knowledge of pre-service teachers regarding the concept of inclusive education, special education needs (SEN), inclusive pedagogical approaches, and their feelings of self- efficacy in terms of teaching in in…
Pre-service Teachers’ Views on inclusive Education in Ghana
Pre-service teacher training has been identified as one of the key factors in the promotion of inclusive education. In this study, 200 final-year pre-service teachers from three colleges of education in Ghana were surveyed about their views and knowledge on inclusive education and special educational needs (SEN). The results showed that almost all of the participants had been introduced to the concept of inclusion during their studies. However, only one-third felt highly, or somewhat, prepared to teach children with SEN. The level of knowledge and feelings of self-efficacy were highest among those pre-service teachers who had personal experience of supporting children with SEN during their …
A cross-sectional study of pre-service teachers’ views about disability and attitudes towards inclusive education
Teachers’ attitudes towards students with disabilities and special educational needs (SEN) and their inclusion in regular education classrooms have been internationally identified as a key factor in the implementation of inclusive education. In this study, 501 participants representing a cross-section of pre-service teachers from three public colleges of education in Ghana were surveyed about their views regarding disability, level of discomfort interacting with people with disabilities and attitudes towards inclusive education. The results indicate that the pre-service teachers understood disability as an interaction between biological and environmental factors and felt comfortable interac…
Teacher Educators’ Views on Inclusive Education and Teacher Preparation in Ghana
The crucial role of initial teacher education programmes and teacher educators in preparing effective inclusive practitioners has been universally acknowledged. This study explored the attitudes of 125 teacher educators from four colleges of education towards inclusive education, their views and concerns about teacher preparation and the implementation of inclusive education in Ghana. The study found positive attitudes and considerable support for inclusive education. However, the majority of teacher educators were of the view that Ghana was inadequately prepared for the implementation of inclusive education. Their reasons and concerns were generally found to include: inadequate teacher pre…
Teacher Educators’ and Teacher Trainees’ Perspective on Teacher Training for Sustainable Development
Abstract In accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), countries across the globe are striving to ensure equitable access to inclusive, quality and lifelong educational opportunities for all children, youth and adults by 2030. Teacher education has been identified as one of the key factors in the achievement of the SDG 4 targets. As part of the effort to ensure sustainable teacher education for the achievement of SDG 4 in Ghana, this study applied the four key concepts in the SDG 4: quality, equity, inclusion and lifelong learning, to determine the progress with regards to SDG 4 in the context of teacher education in Ghana. The specific objectives of this study were to determin…