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Browsing Journal Articles by Subject "Inclusive education"

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    Implementation of inclusive education practices for children with disabilities and other special needs in Uganda
    (Journal of Education and e-Learning Research, 2021-02) John, Baptist Okech; Imam, Yuwono; Juma, Abdu Wamaungo
    This study aimed to assess the factors that influence the effective implementation of inclusive education, taking into consideration learners with disabilities and other special needs. The study objectives focused on the following key aspects that directly influence the implementation of inclusive education: inclusive policies, attitudes, perceptions, curriculum issues, and learning environment. The study adopted a case study design and employed qualitative approaches in sampling. Participants of the study (N=103) included special needs teachers (N=73) and learners with disabilities (N=30). Data collection was carried out through interviews. Some of the findings were positive, namely the policies on inclusive education were reported to be clear and well-suited to guiding the implementation practice, although some stakeholders were reported to be less committed. Attitudes towards learners with disabilities and other special needs were reported to be increasingly positive in the last decade. The findings on the perceptions of the ability and capability of learners with disabilities and other special needs to benefit from inclusive education drew a mixed reaction – some respondents reported that there were learners who were able to benefit from inclusive settings, while others were not. On the subject of the curriculum, the results revealed that some learners with disabilities and other special needs were capable of benefiting from the regular curriculum, while others would benefit from a special curriculum. Lastly, with regards to environmental factors, the study revealed that adequate preparations were always made to provide a conducive environment for learning in inclusive education settings. A major recommendation was made to draw the attention of policy makers to support inclusive education, which ought to be treated as a right and not a privilege for learners with disabilities and other special needs.
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    Inclusion of pupils with intellectual disabilities: primary school teachers' attitudes and willingness in a rural area in Uganda
    (Taylor& Francis Online: International Journal of Inclusive Education, 2013) Ojok, Patrick; Wormnæs, Siri
    Every child is entitled to quality basic education (UNESCO 1994). Inclusive education is a process in which schools, communities and governments strive to reduce barriers to participation in learning for all citizens (Booth and Ainscow 1998; UNESCO 2009). Teachers in ordinary schools have a responsibility to accommodate the needs and interests of all learners, including children with disabilities. The attitudes and willingness of primary school teachers to teach pupils with intellectual disabilities in regular schools is one of the factors that is critical to successful implementation of inclusive education (Avramidis and Kalyva 2007; Forlin, Douglas, and Hattie 1996; Hegarty 1996). Studies from several countries have shown that the attitudes of teachers towards inclusion of children with intellectual disabilities are less positive than their attitudes towards inclusion of children with other disabilities (de Boer, Pijl, and Minnaert 2011; Forlin 1995; Mushoriwa 1998; Scruggs and Mastropieri 1996; Soodak, Podell, and Lehman 1998). How children with disabilities are treated in inclusive schools is assumed to be affected by the extent to which teachers are willing to support them. This study, which was conducted in a rural district in the Karamoja region in north-eastern Uganda, investigated the attitudes of primary school teachers towards the inclusion of children with intellectual disabilities, as well as their willingness to teach pupils with intellectual disabilities in the same class as pupils without disabilities or with other disabilities. Owing to socio-cultural factors, the literacy level in the region has been very low, non-attendance in schools high, and school retention and completion rates low (Ministry of Education & Sports, Kamplala 1992). The population is primarily semi-nomadic pastoralists. The district has a short history of formal education. The results will be discussed by considering historical–cultural aspects.