Exploring teachers’ concerns and recommendations regarding inclusive education in Ghana: an application of the ecological systems theory

Across the world, inclusive education has been endorsed to improve access and participation for all students including those with special educational needs. Teachers’ concerns are often seen as closely associated with the unsuccessful implementation of inclusive education; for this reason, they have drawn considerable research attention, particularly in Western countries. This study investigated teachers’ concerns and their suggested solutions regarding the implementation of inclusive education in Ghana, a country that has attracted relatively little attention despite having a strong national framework for inclusive policies. The study used Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory and conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 initial inclusive-school teachers (regular teachers, n = 6; resource teachers, n = 6). The results of the thematic analysis of the verbatim transcripts showed that teachers’ concerns, while many and diverse, focused on the microsystem and macrosystem. Some of their key concerns were the inaccessibility of the learning environment, insufficient government funding for inclusive education, limited teaching resources and materials, and inadequate teacher preparation for inclusive education. The participants’ recommendations for policies and practices aimed at addressing these concerns and advancing inclusive education in Ghana are also discussed in the article.