Assessing barriers faced by pupils with disabilities in inclusive and non-inclusive schools in the Cape Coast Metropolitan area

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Date
June, 2016
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Inclusive approach to education has been accepted as the solution to the years of discrimination and marginalization experienced by children with disabilities but it implementation has come at an unacceptably slow rate. This study was designed to shed light on the plight of pupils with disabilities and to recommend measures to combat discriminatory practices and attitudes to achieve education for all. The study focused on the physical environment of inclusive and non-inclusive schools, the performance of teachers handling pupils with disabilities as well as the perception of pupils on the importance of inclusive education. A comparative social research design was used for the study. Seven (7) purposively selected inclusive schools and seven (7) randomly selected non-inclusive schools were chosen. In all forty one (41) pupils with disabilities were purposively selected for the study. Structured questionnaire was used for data collection and augmented by an audit of the school structures and the general environment. Finally, face-to-face interview was organized to further explore issues emerging from the survey. The research revealed that the physical environments of inclusive schools were more accessible and had better facilities than non-inclusive schools. The research found that, teachers handling pupils with disabilities in non-inclusive schools were better than teachers in inclusive schools in terms of the professional practice of the teaching field and commitment to students and student learning. However, teachers in both schools had limited knowledge in the development of children with disabilities. The study recommended that Colleges of education should incorporate practical disability issues into their programmes in order to equip teachers with the skills and knowledge needed to handle children with disabilities. The physical environments of all schools should undergo serious modification in order to provide universal access to all children.
Description
A Thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Development Policy and Planning,
Keywords
Citation