Understanding of inclusive education practices among parents in Ghana

Abstract

The significant contribution of parents towards education of children has been well explored in the literature. In effort towards practicing inclusive education, parents have been urged to work closely with teachers in order to sustain inclusive practices. In Ghana, the Inclusive Education Policy document has reiterated the need for diverse stakeholders, including parents, to be involved in implementation of inclusive education. However, not much has been done to assess the perceptions of parents regarding inclusive education practices in schools. We adapted Parent Attitude Towards Inclusive Education survey questionnaire to examine attitude, knowledge and social norm influencing inclusive practices among parents. We used Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour (TPB) as framework to assess the perceptions of 411 parents, selected from two regions in Ghana. We calculated means, t-test, analysis of variance, correlation and regression to understand variables which will impact on perception of parents. Although there was relationship between the three TPB variables of attitudes, knowledge and social norms, parents indicated low knowledge about inclusive practices. Also, there was no significant difference between parents of children with disabilities and those with typical developing children. Limitations, recommendation for future study and educating parents about inclusive practices are discussed extensively.