Examining Pre-service Teacher Preparation for Inclusive Education in Ghana

Abstract:

The study investigated the pre-service teacher preparation in terms of theoretical and practical experiences towards inclusive education in Ghana. This was premised on the argument that teacher preparation is a key consideration in the implementation of inclusive education. The study was a descriptive survey with a sample size of 300 student-teachers randomly selected from 3 Colleges of Education in Ghana. The instrument used for data collection was questionnaire. Percentages and frequencies were used as statistical indexes to analyse the result. The findings revealed that prospective teachers in the Colleges of Education in Ghana were aware of the concept of Inclusive Education (IE) and were also knowledgeable about some inclusive issues such as parental involvement. They also had the basic skills in identifying some learners with special educational needs (LwSEN) in regular classrooms during their teaching practice and also adapted the regular school curriculum to meet their needs. It was recommended that the Special Education Division of the Ghana Education Service (GES) should ensure that pre-service teachers are adequately prepared and equipped with simple strategies to identify, support and assist (LwSEN) in community neighbourhood schools. Additionally, pre-service teachers should be equipped with basic screening skills to be able to identify learners who are at-risk in regular schools and put in appropriate interventions to meet their needs.