Inclusive Education Setting in Southwestern Nigeria: Myth or Reality?

Abstract

Researches from developed and developing countries found that there were problems affecting the inclusive education in Nigeria. Hence, there is need to determine the challenges facing the schools where inclusive education is being implemented, and what could be done to improve the programme. The study showed that essential facilities and materials like hand railings, hearing aids, Braille, instructional materials, and lower toilets were not available, although the few that were available (typewriters, resource rooms, wheel chairs) were in poor condition. The difference between the attitude of special and regular teachers to students with special educational needs was significant with a t-test value of 1.91 (P<0.05). The influence of students with special educational needs exceptionality types in their self-perception was significant with a Chi-square analysis of 39.75(P<0.05). However, the difference between the academic performance of male and female students with special educational needs was not significant with a t-test value of 1.19 (P>0.05). The study concluded that inclusive education was a reality in Nigeria because it became an educational policy since 1977 that all the states should have inclusive schools for students with special educational needs; and this has been in operation in Nigeria since then. Nevertheless, students with special educational needs were yet to be fully integrated into regular classroom setting. This was due to problems affecting inclusion; which could negatively affect their social and academic performance. The school curriculum should be modified to meet specific needs and purpose of educating students with special educational needs. Efforts should be made by government and other stakeholders of education to frequently expose teachers in mainstreamed setting to workshop and seminars on education of students with special educational needs.

The Alacrity of Preschool Education Teachers to Work with Children in Inclusive Groups

“…A structured questionnaire of preschool teachers attempted to reveal their attitudes towards inclusive education in general and to assess the conditions that promote or hinder the emergence of willingness and willingness to work in an inclusive group. [33] The question of the determinants of educators' attitudes towards inclusive education, which are related to their work experience, seems to be important. The results showed that most respondents have 20-30 years of experience working with preschoolers in general developmental groups.…”

Teachers' emotional intelligence as a predictor of their attitude, concerns and sentiments about inclusive education: teacher professional‐related factors as control variables

“…Establishing the links between teachers' EI and their perception of inclusive education will highlight the need for a teacher education curriculum that integrates emotional processing capacities of teachers so that they will have positive perception of inclusive education. The finding of this study will also inform stakeholders on the nature of inservice training that teachers need since researchers have found that some teachers in Nigeria have been reported to have negative attitude towards children with special needs in mainstreamed classes (Offor and Akinlosotu,2017; Oluremi,2015), and that about 95% of children living with disabilities do not have access to basic education (Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD),2015). We, therefore, pose the following research questions: RQ 1 : Does teachers' EI predict their perception about inclusive education (attitude, concerns and sentiments about inclusive education)? RQ 2 : Does teachers' EI predict their perception about inclusive education (attitude, concerns and sentiments about inclusive education) after controlling for their professional‐related factors? …”

Influence of Social Status on Academic Performance of Secondary School Students with Disabilities in Kwara State

“…More so, as a result of their social acceptance or rejection, students with disabilities are faced with many challenges ranging from poor interpersonal relationship, poor study habits and so on, which might have influence their academic performance. However, the existing literature (Onukwufor & Martins, 2017;Fareo, 2015;Barbra, Oswald & Musodza, 2015;Tinashe & Vimbai, 2016) dwell more on impact of inclusive education on learners with disabilities within and outside Nigeria but the present study sought to investigate influence of social status on academic performance of secondary school students with disability in Kwara state.…”