Inclusive school barriers to children with disabilities at early childhood centers in the New Juabeng Municipality

Abstract

The study focused on the challenges teachers face in handling children with disability in inclusive early childhood centers and the training level of teachers handling pupils with disabilities in the New Juabeng Municipality. This study used a constructivist lens to highlight the barriers faced by children in inclusive early childhood centers. The case study design was employed in the study and purposive sampling was used to select the early childhood centers. The study sample was 31 respondents because of the in-depth nature of the study; this was made of 10 teachers and 21 learners. The study used semi-structured interview and observation checklist to collect data from respondents. In total, four (4) disability types were found which included low Vision (Partially sighted), Hearing impaired (hard at hearing), Hyperactive and children with Learning Disability. Each of the early childhood centers under study recorded at least one disability. It was revealed by the study that the level of training in special education for teachers handling learners with disability are inadequate and in-service training is not regularly organized for teachers in the inclusive early childhood centers. The study also revealed that there are inadequate supply of teaching and learning resources to the early childhood centers. The study showed that the physical structure, furniture, behaviour and class management are among some of the challenge faced by teachers in handling learners with disability in inclusive early childhood centers. It was recommended that teachers should be given enough training in special education by the institutions mandated to train teachers to enable them handle learners with disability effectively, in addition Ghana Education Service should supply the early childhood centers with the needed resources for effective teaching and learning.