Attitudes and Concerns of Pre-Service Teachers’ about Inclusive Education Enshrined in the New Four-Year Basic Education Curriculum in Ghana

Abstract


 
 
 
 Inclusive education, that is, the inclusion of learners with special educational needs and disabilities into regular schools is now one of the most significant core pillars in the New Bachelor of Education (Basic Education) Curriculum for teacher education in Ghana. In order to address this issue, pre-service teachers in their first year per the curriculum are introduced to inclusive education as a subject. The study aimed at finding out the attitude and concerns of pre-service teachers towards inclusive education in Ghana. The study employed mixed method approach with the sequential explanatory strategy. The sample population composed of 562 students from six (6) colleges of education in Ghana under one mentor university. The quantitative research approach consisted of 10-item questionnaire which was adapted from the Teachers’ Attitudes towards Inclusive Education (TAIS) scale. Data was collected using both the questionnaire and interview guide. The analysis of quantitative data involved the use of multiple statistical procedures; frequency counts, simple percentages, and standard deviation, while the thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. The study revealed that pre-service teachers has positive attitude towards the implementation of inclusive education in Ghana. About eighty percent (80.1%) stated that children with special educational needs can be effectively supported to learn in regular classrooms in Ghana (1.30, SD=.64). However, the current regular schools in Ghana cannot accommodate children with special needs education (1.25, SD=.62) due to inadequate space. It is therefore recommended that the government of Ghana and the Ghana Education Service should work together to ensure that there is the availability of adequate facilities in all schools for teachers to effectively implement inclusive education in the new Bachelor of Education (Basic Education) Curriculum