Junior High School science teachers’ views and practices of inclusive education in the Shama District

Abstract

The study examined the views and practices of inclusive education among JHS science teachers in the Shama District of the Western Region. The study had four research questions based on which a descriptive survey design was chosen. Eighty-eight (88) JHS science teachers were sampled using the census frame and stratified sampling technique. Multistage sampling technique was employed to select teachers for the study. Specifically, a census frame was used to include all the JHS science teachers during the questionnaire administration while stratified simple random sampling technique was used to select twelve (12) teachers for lesson observation. Data were collected with an observation checklist and a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, such as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations were used to analyse the data for the first three questions, while Pearson correlation was used to test the hypothesis. Several findings emerged from the study. First, the study found that teachers had mixed views about inclusive education; they saw its benefits but noted concerns like limited curriculum support and resources. Secondly, the teachers engaged in inclusive practices, such as reading non-verbal cues, monitoring learners with special needs, using varied teaching methods, and organising mixed-ability groups. However, they also faced challenges, including a lack of special education teachers, low parental support, limited resources, difficulty adapting materials, infrequent training, and large class sizes. Lastly, there was a weak but positive correlation between teachers’ views and practices of inclusive education. The study concluded that while JHS science teachers in the Shama District understand inclusive education, they struggled with implementation of it. It recommended that the Shama District Education Directorate increase workshops on inclusive curriculum education and provide essential classroom materials to support teachers in gaining a better understanding of the inclusive education policy in Ghana and how to implement it in their science lessons.