Examination of the Knowledge Pre-service Teachers Have on the Adaptation of the Curriculum Content to Meet the Learning Needs of Pupils in Inclusive Classrooms
Author: Semordey Charles Redeemer, Yvone Emefa Asempa & Adu Gyamfi Benjamin
Abstract: Inclusive education is the adaptation and modification of the learning environment and instructions to promote the academic performance of all learners irrespective of race, class, gender, disability, sexual preference, religion, culture, learning styles, and language. Opoku (2015) explains inclusive education as the adaptation of the school curriculum to make it equally accessible to students with special needs. This study examined the knowledge pre-service teachers have on the adaptation of the curriculum content to meet the learning needs of pupils in inclusive classrooms. The study employed the cross-sectional design to recruit 287 respondents made up of 272 level 300 pre-service teachers and 15 tutors for the study. In selecting the sample, the researcher used non-probability sampling involving quota sampling technique to select 20% of the pre-service teachers, while a purposive sampling technique was adopted for the selection of tutors in the Colleges of Education. Data from the questionnaire were fed into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 software and the mean scores were computed and used for the analysis and interpretation. The results of the study showed that the majority of the pre-service teachers agreed with the statements on curriculum adaptations to meet the learning needs of pupils in inclusive classrooms. Based on the findings, it was recommended that Inclusive education should be incorporated in the curriculum of the Colleges of Education to expose pre-service teachers to the concept prior to their completion.