Inclusive education among pre-service teachers from Nigeria and South Africa: A comparative cross-sectional study

Abstract

This study examined the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of inclusive education of pre-service teachers in Nigeria and South Africa by surveying 217 Nigerian and 266 South African pre-service teachers using a cross-sectional survey research design. A self-developed questionnaire was used for the data collection. The questionnaire was pilot-tested among pre-service teachers from a public university in Tanzania. Data were descriptively and inferentially analysed (means and standard deviations) using a 2 × 3 factorial multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The study found a significant interaction between country and gender, with a significant main effect for gender as well as for country. The results indicated a significant MANOVA and a follow-up analysis of the variance test showed a statistically significant difference in the knowledge of pre-service teachers about inclusive education in terms of gender with female pre-service teachers having the highest mean score. The study also indicated a significant difference in the attitudes of pre-service teachers towards inclusive education in terms of their country, with Nigeria having a higher score than South Africa. The implications of a socially just society are discussed.