Pre-service teachers’ inclusive practices in the mathematics classroom the case of Tumu College of Education.

Abstract

The Pre-service teachers’ s have nowadays regardS inclusive classroom practices to be a struggle across the world. The purpose of this study was to investigate pre-service teachers' perceptions of inclusive classrooms and teaching mathematics during internships in Early grade and Upper-grade Schools in the Sissala East Municipality. A mixed method approach with a sequential explanatory design was used for data collection and analysis. A simple random sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 123 respondents. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 20 participants for the interview and observation sessions. The instruments used were questionnaires, interview guide, and observation checklist. Questionnaire data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentages). The qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The major findings revealed that experimental method, learner-centred method, expository teaching method, differentiation instruction and conventional method were the teaching methods used. Again, the challenges that pre-service teachers encountered included: inadequate teaching resources, lack of competency, inadequate training, large class sizes, inadequate funds to purchase instructional materials to meet all learners and difficulty in modelling geometric concepts. The study generally found that pre-service teachers in the internship schools were of the perception that inclusive classrooms meant bringing children with special educational needs on board and adjusting the environment for all. The study recommends that pre-service teachers use enquiry base with the materials in the environment to teach. In addition, Pre-service teachers need to encourage learners to form small discussion groups and the Ministry of Education should organize special orientation programme for the Gender, Equallity and Social Inclusion(GESI) commitees in Colleges of Education for them to function well. Finally, the study concluded that Pre-service teachers perceptions of inclusive classrooms on teaching mathematics was influenced by knowledge and experience, cultural values, personal attitudes, mode of communication, expectation, motivation, and large class size. Teacher preparation programs need to be organized for the pre-service teachers in the Colleges to give them the basic skills necessary for inclusive school teaching.