Teachers' and Parents' Knowledge about Disabilities and Inclusion in Nigeria

Abstract

There has been a gradual move toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in Nigeria promoted by the National Policy of Education, as well as polices emerging from UNESCO; however, the infrastructure and resources to make inclusion happen are generally lacking. Based on this report and the need for more information on teachers' and parents' understanding about disabilities and inclusion as demonstrated in the literature, this study explored disability-related knowledge and understanding among teachers and parents in Nigeria. Specifically, using an exploratory case study including quantitative and qualitative data, this research was designed to explore teachers' and parents' knowledge about and understanding of students with disabilities and inclusion in the southwest region of Nigeria. Findings revealed that there is a need for more teacher and parent training in Nigeria regarding students with disabilities, especially as their willingness to support students who are struggling is positive. This willingness is a key component and first steps for moving schools and communities in Nigeria toward more inclusive environments.

Equal Opportunities in an Inclusive and Sustainable Education System: An Explanatory Model

“…They are aware of the importance of training and knowledge as a fundamental aspect of inclusive education [67,68]. Specifically, the study by Vanderpuye, Obosu, and Nishimuko [70] highlighted the need for training on special needs, disability, and ultimately training on capacity building and information on all aspects necessary to address educational inclusion [72][73][74]. The importance of awareness of inclusion in the education system supports the results of other studies in other sectors.…”

“…If we focus on teachers' disability knowledge, the results reveal the need for more training and education in the subject [72,73]. This is also the case for teachers at specific stages, such as the early childhood stage [74], as teacher training on disability is low, as opposed to knowledge on inclusive teaching methods, which is acceptable [75] but not sufficient or appropriate as it translates into a barrier to their development [76].…”

Attitude of teachers towards inclusion of students with learning disabilities in the regular schools in Obio/Akpor local government area

“…The attitude of regular school teachers toward children with learning disabilities in regular school will one way or the other have effect on their behaviour which may either lead to acceptable or unacceptable attitude of such children. By this attitude; which is based on the willingness and enthusiasm of teachers to accommodate students with disabilities [20,21] , the success of inclusive education programme may suffer some setbacks if negative attitude is expressed towards the education of children with learning disabilities. By the negative attitude teachers sometimes should expect low performance from such children.…”

Awareness of Education Workers About Down Syndrome

“…In addition to research on the teachers' information level about children with learning disabilities, research on the teacher's knowledge about other categories of children who need support in the regular class is also essential, but there is only a few such research. Barrio et al (2018) examined teachers' self-assessment of knowledge about a total of 13 categories of children (11 disabilities categories, a category of mental illnesses, and a category they called "struggling learners"). The teacher was supposed to assess his/her level of knowledge about each of the 13 children categories with grades from 1 to 3, where grade 1 showed a poor level of knowledge, grade 2 a satisfactory level, and grade 3 an excellent.…”