Teachers’ Knowledge And Adoption Of Inclusive Education For Children With Intellectual Impairment In Tanzania: The Case Of Inclusive Primary Schools In Bunda District

ABSTRACT

This case study was conducted in two primary schools in Bunda District. The general objective of the study was to examine the teachers‘ knowledge and adoption of inclusive education for children with intellectual impairments (CII). Primary data were collected from respondents through interviews, focus group discussions and Observation. Secondary data were obtained through documentary review. A total of 49 respondents were involved. Data interpretation and analysis was done qualitatively through content analysis. It has been found out in the study that teachers express several conceptions about inclusive education. While some, for example, conceive it as education for all children according to needs, others see it as education for disabled children. Also, there are some who view it as education provided to children in mixed classes and others who see it as education provided to disabled children in separate classes. In relation to how teachers determine the needs of disabled children, those trained in special needs education have several ways of doing so while those untrained express difficulties they face in working with such children. In terms of adoption of teaching methods to suite children with disabilities, while teachers trained in special needs education use different teaching methods according to the needs of children with disabilities, untrained ones do not. The study concludes that training of teachers in special needs education is an important factor in making inclusive education successful. It therefore suggests that all teachers who work in inclusive education settings, including those who teach classes with intellectually impaired children, should be trained in special needs education.