Twin-track approach to teacher training in Ghana: exploring the moderation effect of demographic variables on pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education

Opoku, Maxwell Peprah; Nketsia, William; Alzyoudi, Mohammed; Dogbe, Joslin; Agyei‐Okyere, Elvis

doi:10.1080/01443410.2020.1724888

Cited by 12 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…The adoption of international instruments is geared towards the advancement of quality education and the reduction of inequalities based on the principles of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 and 10 (United Nations, 2015). Hence, Opoku et al (2020) observed that access to quality education and the promotion of the rights of people with special needs have been enshrined into various policies and programmes of many African nations such as Nigeria and South Africa.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Inclusive education is a term that is mostly used to mean an approach that seeks to address the learning needs of all learners irrespective of their abilities or disabilities. Inclusion implies that learners with disabilities (e.g., those with physical, mental and or sensory impairment, mobility limitations, intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, language and/or behaviour disorders and autism spectrum disorders among others) and their peers without disabilities are given the same privileges and opportunities to learn under the same condition without been marginalised (Opoku et al, 2020;Osisanya et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Adigun

2021

Cogent Education

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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.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Adigun

2021

Cogent Education

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“…The study included 154 primary school teachers from the United Kingdom and the results pointed out that teachers responded differently to students with SpLD and indicated that teachers responses follow stereotypes. Opoku et al (2021) explored pre-service teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education and investigated the effects of several demographic variables (contact experiences, knowledge, gender, age). A sample of 855 participants studying teacher training at either a public university or a college of education in Ghana participated in the paper-pencil survey.…”

Section: Preventing Bullying and Promoting Inclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preventing bullying and promoting inclusion

Schwab

2021

Educational Psychology

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“…Ghana's current inclusive education policy is very much consistent with international standards (Nketsia, 2018). This has impacted teacher training as universities and colleges of education have reformed their curricula to enable preservice teachers to acquire requisite skills to teach students with disabilities (Opoku et al, 2020;Florian, Young, & Rouse, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Preservice teacher training in inclusive education has therefore been noted as pivotal to helping teachers develop a deeper understanding of inclusion, embrace all students and acquire the knowledge required for participation in regular classrooms (Forlin, Loreman, Sharma, & Earle, 2009;Forlin, Earle, Loreman, & Sharma, 2011;Gigante & Gilmore, 2018;Opoku et al, 2020;O'Toole & Burke, 2013). Preservice teachers are future teachers who are likely to encounter students with disabilities, such as those with DS, in regular classrooms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predictors of the Attitudes of Preservice Teachers Toward Teaching Students With Down Syndrome in Regular Schools in Ghana

Opoku

Nketsia

Odame

et al. 2021

Policy Practice Intel Disabi

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While research suggests that the inclusion of students with Down syndrome (DS) in regular classrooms has a positive impact on their learning, in general, a supportive teacher with a positive attitude is fundamental in shaping these students' school experiences. In Ghana, despite a large number of children with DS, there is little research exploring preservice teachers' attitudes toward including students with DS in regular schools. In this study, we recruited preservice teachers from teacher training institutions to understand the predictors of their attitudes toward teaching students with DS in regular classrooms. Using the revised Sentiment, Attitude, and Concern about Inclusive Education scale (SACIE-R), 855 preservice teachers were recruited from three colleges of education (n = 524) and two campuses of a public university (n = 331). Although the preservice teachers were ambivalent about teaching students with DS, several demographic variables-such as preservice training in inclusive education, practice experience, and confidence teaching students with disabilities-emerged as significant predictors of attitudes. The study limitations, recommendations for future research and implications for policymaking are discussed.

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Twin-track approach to teacher training in Ghana: exploring the moderation effect of demographic variables on pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education

Cited by 12 publications

References 39 publications

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

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

Preventing bullying and promoting inclusion

Predictors of the Attitudes of Preservice Teachers Toward Teaching Students With Down Syndrome in Regular Schools in Ghana

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