Perceptions of teachers in pilot inclusive school towards the implementation of inclusive education in Ghana

Abstract

Inclusive education as a philosophy has been globally endorsed to ensure that all learners including those with special educational needs have equal access to and participate in high quality education. This acknowledges an individual’s fundamental human right to education as enshrined in the General comment No.4 (United Nation, 2016). Following the Salamanca Statement (UNESCO, 1994) the government of Ghana began piloting inclusive education in the year 2003–04 to promote quality access to education for all students with special educational needs in the regular classroom. There is a dearth of research regarding teachers’ perceptions of the implementation of inclusive education in Ghana and this implementation has stalled with inclusive education still being in pilot mode today. To address this challenge and research scarcity, this study endeavoured to examine teachers’ attitudes, self-efficacy, experienced social norms, intentions, reported behaviour, and concerns regarding the implementation of inclusive education in Ghana.

This study specifically had six aims to address the research gap and advance policy and practice. Firstly, the study set out to verify the validity, reliability and measurement invariance of the selected quantitative instruments used in Ghana. Secondly, the study set out to determine the levels of attitudes, self-efficacy, experienced social norms, intentions and reported behaviour towards inclusive education for Ghanaian teachers. Thirdly, the study set out to investigate demographic variables associated with Ghanaian teachers’ attitudes, self-efficacy, experienced social norms, intentions and reported behaviour towards inclusive education. Fourthly, the study set out to test the Theory of Planned Behaviour in the Ghanaian context. Fifthly, the study set out to investigate Ghanaian teachers’ concerns about the implementation of inclusive education and their reported solutions, via the Ecological Systems Theory. Lastly, the study set out to explore teachers’ perceptions of strategies to improve the level of Ghanaian teachers’ attitudes, self-efficacy, experienced social norms, intentions, and reported inclusive teaching behaviour.

In summary, the findings and subsequent recommendations seek to bolster a national commitment to policy and resourcing and advance knowledge to progress inclusive education implementation in Ghana. As a pioneering mixed method study applying well established theoretical frameworks, and sophisticated quantitative and qualitative methodology not yet applied in the Ghanaian context, it holds significance for national and international research and practice to ultimately improve access and participation in education for students with special educational needs.

Date of Award	2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Western Sydney University
Supervisor	Danielle Tracey (Supervisor) & William Nketsia (Supervisor)