INSTRUCTIONAL SKILL NEEDS OF TEACHERS FOR INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN EBONYI STATE

Abstract

The study investigated  instructional skill needs of teachers for inclusive classrooms in Ebonyi state primary schools. The study sought answers to five research questions and two hypotheses. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consists of 880 primary school teachers and 50 special educators totally 930 in the three Education zone. Questionnaire was the major instrument for data collection. The  instrument  was  validated  by  three  experts,  all  from  Faculty  of Education, University of Nigeria Nsukka. The reliability of the instrument was determined using Cronbach Alpha statistics which yielded an estimated of 0.82; 0.59, 0.84 and 0.95. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while t-test statistics was employed in testing the hypotheses. Based on the analysis, the following major findings were made:     the  assessment  instructional  skills  of  teachers  are  needed  for inclusive classrooms , the communication instructional skills of teachers are needed  for inclusive  classroom  ,  the  management instructional  skills of teachers are needed for inclusive classroom, the motivational instructional skills of teachers are needed for inclusive classroom. Based on the findings, it implies, that teachers should utilize instructional skills for effective teaching  and  learning  in  inclusive  classroom.  The  study  recommended among other things that seminars and conferences should be organized by teacher educators for teachers from time to time to keep them abreast of different instructional skills which they would be using in teaching their pupils, and finally, areas of further research were highlighted.

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Education  of  persons  with  special  needs  is  going  inclusive  after several years of exclusivist and separatist paradigm. The change in approach came as a result of a number of influence. Chief among them were the paradigm   shift  from  defect  to   social  model  and  the  UN  education programmes (Ozoji, 2008). The defect or “within-child model” is based on the assumption that the origin of learning difficulties lie largely within the child. The social model on the other hand is based on the proposition that society and its institutions account for the child’s impairment (Okeke Oti,

2010).  The  social  model  posits  that  society  and  its  institutions  are oppressive, discriminatory and disabling and that if any change is to be effected, attention needs to be focused on the removal of obstacles to the participation of  people  with  disability  in  the  life  of  the  society  and  in changing institutions, regulations and attitudes that create and maintain exclusion (Mittler, 2000).

Inclusion is educational arrangement that deemphasizes exclusion and emphasizes the restructuring of instructions (schools), classrooms, and approached to instruction to address and meet diverse needs of all children (Okeke-Oti, 2009). The broad definition of inclusion was that given by

UNESCO (2005). It defined inclusion as:

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A process of addressing and responding to the diversity of needs of all learners through increasing participation in learning, cultures and communities and reducing exclusion within and from education. It involves changes and modifications in content, approaches, structures and strategies,  with  a  common  vision  which  covers  all children of the appropriate age range and a conviction that it is the responsibilities of the regular system to educate all children p:12).

This implies that inclusion accommodates all learners whether such learners are disabled or not

Inclusion is the process of addressing the diverse needs of all learners through increasing participation of all learners in neighbourhood schools with matching support (Okeke-Oti; 2010).  Okuoyibo (2001) asserted that inclusion means bringing students with disabilities regardless of the nature and  severity  of  their disabilities into  all  placement  activities of  general education such as schools, classrooms and the surrounding communities. Further, Okuoyibo explained that the thrust of the matter on inclusion is that children with disabilities should be unconditionally mainstreamed into the regular education system without regard to the nature and severity of their disabilities.  Ojogwu  (2005)  observed  that  the  nature  of  inclusiveness requires that all learners regardless of disability be educated in the same classroom. The emphasis of inclusion therefore, is to give everybody in the society an equal opportunity to benefit from formal education programme.

Inclusive  education  denotes  three  or  more  shades  of  meaning according to Ozoji (2005). First, it entails enabling all learners to participate

fully in the life and work of mainstream setting. Second, it conveys a continuing process of breaking down barriers to learning and participation for all children and young people. Third, it implies a right to belong to the mainstream or a joint undertaking to and discrimination and to work toward equal opportunities for all pupils and students. Hence, Ozoji (2005) defined inclusive education as an education option or programme carefully designed to educate learners with diverse needs within the re-structured mainstream or school, regardless of their strengths and  weaknesses in any area and become part of the school community.

Similarly, the Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education (2002) of the University of Bristol, England, stated that inclusive education means that all children and young people, with or without disabilities or difficulties should learn together in ordinary pre-school provision, schools, colleges and Universities with appropriate networks of support. In  the  context  of  this study, inclusive education is taken to refer to the participation of all primary school pupils in a general curriculum. The researcher is aware that inclusive education goes beyond special needs children but this study does not include such other categories of children as those with legal confinement, ethnic minorities and those with social stigmas.

One  of  the  arguments  in  favour  of  inclusive  education  is  the realization that every individual is unique, hence the focus must be on the individual  and  not  on  the  subjects.  According  to  Deiner  (1999),  if  all

children are part of regular settings and all children participate in the general curriculum, then all educators need to know sufficient techniques to care for and educate all children. (Unachukwu, Ozoji & Ifelunni, 2008). Inclusive education programme is planned to meet individual educational needs. Specifically, inclusive education has the following goals according to Ozoji (2005);

         to provide education for children with diverse learning needs within the re-structured school community,

          to   make  special  needs  children   active   members  of   the   school community and then

         to  help  them  achieve  quality  education  outcomes  based  on  their individual Education Programme (IEP’s)

    to achieve social competence,

         to build a supportive school community that is able to identify and minimize barriers to learning and participation,

    to educate more children better,

    to ensure successful learning and social experience and competence,

     to empower children who are hitherto excluded or isolated,

         to enable students to participate in mainstream education to the best of their abilities,

    to build inclusive schools that can respond to diverse needs,

         to study the pressures that lead some people in schools to feel excluded and separated,

     to attend imaginatively to diverse learning needs in the classroom,

         to provide education for children with diverse learning needs within the re-structured school community,

          to   make  special  needs  children   active   members  of   the   school community and then

         to  help  them  achieve  quality  education  outcomes  based  on  their individual Education Programme (IEP’s)

    to achieve social competence,

         to build a supportive school community that is able to identify and minimize barriers to learning and participation,

    to educate more children better,

    to ensure successful learning and social experience and competence,

     to empower children who are hitherto excluded or isolated,

         to enable students to participate in mainstream education to the best of their abilities,

    to build inclusive schools that can respond to diverse needs,

         to study the pressures that lead some people in schools to feel excluded and separated,

     to attend imaginatively to diverse learning needs in the classroom,

    to ensure improvement of student learning outcomes,

         to develop exemplar units of planning for diversity and to dismantle barriers to access and participation and in the end facilitate achievement in schooling and training.

to ensure improvement of student learning outcomes,

         to develop exemplar units of planning for diversity and to dismantle barriers to access and participation and in the end facilitate achievement in schooling and training. P:126

Inclusive education takes place in an inclusive classroom where teachers, learners and other paraprofessionals interact to achieve individual learner’s educational goals. It is an active learning environment where every learner is participating in the classroom activities (Onwubolu & Edozie,

2011). The authors further see inclusive classroom as a classroom where learning often happens in small groups with peer helping and supporting each other. It is also a classroom that is student centred and has a high level of responsibility for creativity in their community. Inclusive classroom is concerned with a system of education which offers every member of the society an equal opportunity to acquire basic education in the regular school environment  (Chukwu,  2006).  This  implies  that  everybody  in  a  given society has a right to be educated in the regular school irrespective of his or her mental or physical status or condition. In other words, in a society where inclusion is practiced, disability is not a barrier for an individual to attain the

desired  education in the  same environment  with  his or her able bodied counterparts.

An  inclusive  classroom  is  a  programme  in  which  all  available resources are  collaboratively  utilized  to meet  the  educational needs and challenges of all children who reside in its attendant area. Furthermore, inclusive classroom have strong site based management and teaching teams when jointly plan, implement and evaluate their educational programmes.

As a working definition in this study therefore, an inclusive classroom is a place where everyone with or without special needs belong, is accepted, and is supported by their peers and other members of the school community in the course of having his or her educational needs met.

For inclusion to be successful in the classroom therefore, there is the need for teachers to acquire skills necessary  to handle all categories of children with needs. Teachers need to find out how to work with each child rather than assuming someone also will tell them how to do it. Teachers need to  know a variety of instructional strategies and  how to use them effectively.  Teachers in  an attempt to  ensure maximum  participation of pupils in classroom apply certain instructional skills for effective teaching and learning.

These instructional skill needs of teachers are essential for inclusive classroom to function effectively. To understand instructional skills properly

there is the need for us to understand the concept of instruction. Instruction has been defined and described differently by different authors in the area of education.  Kpangbon  &  Onwuegbu  (2004)  describe  instruction  as  the process of communicating information to the learner, stimulating relevant learning  activities,  evaluating  the  result  of  these  activities  and  taking remedial action if necessary.  Okeke (2006) also perceived instruction as the process of passing on information from a more knowledgeable person (instructor) to a less knowledgeable person. In the process of instruction, the instructor,  through  order,  command  or  direction,  requires the  learner  to perform certain tasks or operation. The idea of instruction, judging from the view of Okeke, can be explained in terms of “drill”. A command is given and there is compliance implying the stimulus response process of learning. Instruction in the context of this study therefore, is the process of communicating information to the pupils, stimulating relevant learning activities, evaluating the result of these activities and taking remedial action if necessary by teachers in inclusive classroom.

Instructional skills according to Kpangban & Onwuegbu (1992) are patterns adopted by teachers to interact with their subjects. It is the knowledge and ability the teacher uses to communicate with the students. According to Romiszowski (2004) instructional skills is described as the process teachers use to communicate information to the learner, stimulating relevant learning activities and taking remedial action.

Further, instructional skills according to Saylor & Alexander (2004) includes; assessment skills, (that is ability and knowledge of the teacher to assess the learner) communication skills, (that is ability to interact with the learner) management skills, (that is the ability to control human and material resources) motivational skills (that is the ability to arouse the moral of the learner) and evaluation skills (that is the ability to ascertain whether learning has  taken  place).  Assessment  skills  are  knowledge  and  ability  of  the teachers to consider and judge students in the classroom (Okeke, 1996). Assessment skill as part of the instructional skills are an attempt to find out the strengths and weaknesses or the effectiveness of a programme (Anagbogu, 2005). Assessment skills are the knowledge and ability of teachers to determine the strengths and weakness of the learners.

In communication skills, teachers ought to pass on veritable lesson objectives to the leaner are yet another instructional skill needs of teachers for inclusive classroom. Smith (2005) explained that communication skills are the ability of the teacher to understand what the learner is trying to express and  being  able  to  express  him/her  self  to  the  learner.  Through communication skills the teacher is able to clarify his feeling about the topic being taught. In management skills however, Dececco & Crawford (2004) explained that management skills are the process or act of controlling or organizing  lesson  which  the  teacher  adopt  to  enhance  learning.  The classroom teacher needs the management skill to be able to organize the

learners for effective instruction.  In Motivation skills (Anagbogu, 2005) sees it as inner drive or compulsion that is not easily noticeable. Motivation has to do with the struggle to achieve a goal. Motivation skills are the inner drive of teachers which enable them to achieve their goal.  All these skills according to Dearden (2003) are needed for teaching and learning to be effective. Instructional skills therefore, in this present study is the teaching strategies or plans adopted by teachers to ensure that children reach their potentials.

The   teacher   according   to   Maduewesi   (1999)   needs   a   sound knowledge of the psychological theories related to learning and human behaviour. The teacher should be familiar with such concepts as, communication skills, reinforcement, motivation, attitude, readiness, peer approval,  self-concept,  retention  of  knowledge  and  many  others.  The teacher needs a sound knowledge of these terms to enable her understand and interpret the behaviour of children in the classroom. Taking reinforcement as an example, the teacher should understand that when a learner receives even verbal rewards such as ‘excellent’, ‘well done’, ‘good answer’,  among others,  these  serve as  reinforcement and  encourage the child to try and give some more correct answers in future. The knowledge of these concepts enable the teacher to react appropriately to pupil behaviour.

Another factor to consider in the instructional skills needs of teachers in inclusive classroom is gender. Gender plays an important role in teachers’

instructional outcome. Male teachers have been found to be more skillful than their female counterpart (Nwafor, 2000). Gender is the condition of being masculine or feminine through one’s behaviour (Sinclair, 1996). This means there are behaviour meant for male and there are the ones meant for female. For example, in the traditional Igbo society, males are expected to be strong and assertive while females are expected to be soft and sensitive (Guinand & Lemessa, 2000). Obasi (2004) refers to gender as many social and cultural constructed characteristics, qualities, behaviour and roles which different societies ascribed to male and female.   But in the present study gender refers to the manifestation of instructional skills needs by male and female teachers for inclusive classroom. Previous research suggested that male regular teachers and female regular teachers are likely to differ in their type of instructional skills. Female regular teachers are more likely to discriminate  than  the  male  regular  teachers  in  their  teaching  in  the classroom (Nwafor, 2002). Hosever, Jacklin & Lacey (1997) perceived that male regular teachers exhibit good organisational and grouping strategies than their counterparts. It is for this points that the study investigated the influence of gender on the instructional skill for inclusive classroom.

However, it has also been confirmed by Aluko (1992) and Anagbogu (2000) that teachers in the cities perform better than their counterparts in the rural areas in terms of techniques and  skillful ways of teaching.  Aluko asserts that facilities and high expectation in urban locations to perform is

high in teaching and learning. Location refers to the place where a school is sited. It is called the geographic location of the school (Jones, 2002). A location is a place, especially the place where something happens or is situated (Sinclair, 1996). Some secondary schools and primary schools in Ebonyi state are located in urban areas while some are located in the rural areas.  Here, urban area means township or metropolitan part of Ebonyi state. Rural areas here mean local areas or an underdeveloped part of Ebonyi state. Teachers in urban areas may perform better than those in rural areas in terms of instructional skills. Based on the forgoing, the study investigated the influences of location on the instructional skills of teachers for inclusive classroom.

In Ebonyi state primary schools, inclusive classroom appears to be relatively new among teachers. It has been observed by researchers like Efobi (1999) that the level of awareness of inclusive classroom in primary schools in Ebonyi state is quite negative and alarming hence denying special needs children equal access to education.   Ozoji, (2003), Okeke, (2004), Nwazuoke, (2004) have also pointed to the acute negativity with which Nigerians treat the different categories of special needs children: the hard of hearing, the people with visual impairment, among others. The researchers have also shown that both the society and government have not done much to lessen the burden of these less fortunate members of the society. This shows that they are treated as “burdens” of society with little or no facilities

provided for them to afford them the opportunity of realizing their potentials in inclusive classroom. To ameliorate this ugly situation, teachers need to acquire instructional skills to enable them meet the challenges of inclusive classroom. It is against this background, that the present study investigated the instructional skills needs of teachers for inclusive classroom in Ebonyi state primary schools.

Statement of the Problem

In spite of the general global yearning for high quality education for inclusive classroom, there is an apparent realization by stakeholders that the quality of instruction has declined considerably especially in the primary school classrooms. The quality of training and retraining provided for teachers were not adequate to ensure optimum service delivery as an assurance to nation building and the realization of the vision of inclusive classroom. Similarly, the quality of instruction of teachers in primary school was out of sync with the objective of inclusive classroom. Inclusive classroom,  concerned  with  a  system  of  education  which  offers  every member of the society an equal opportunity to acquire basic education in the regular school environment is not achieving the expected objective as a result of poor teachers’ instructional skills.

The  public  perception  therefore  is  that  public  primary  school teachers’  instructional skills are  low and  standard  have  dropped. Public primary  school  teachers  are  presumed   to   be   unable   to   boost   their

instructional skills and as a result, they perform poorly. However, teachers in primary schools were found not to have requisites instructional skills to discharge their duties for effective teaching in inclusive classroom.  The causes of failures of the instructional outcomes of primary school teachers have been attributed to diverse factors. Review of empirical works, showed that some works have been carried out in some related areas to the study at hand, for instance many studies associated with inclusive classroom and special  needs  children  have  been  done.  However,  none  of  the  works available to the researcher seem to have focused on the instructional skill needs of teachers and special need educators for inclusive classroom. As a result of this, all educators need to have the knowledge of these instructional skills  for  effective  teaching  in  inclusive  classroom.  It  is  against  this backdrop that the problem of this study was posed into question form narrowed to: what are the instructional skill needs of teachers and special educators for inclusive classroom in Ebony State primary schools?.

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the instructional skill needs of teachers for inclusive classroom in Ebonyi state primary schools.

Specifically, the study:-

1.    Determined  the instructional assessment skill  needs of teachers and special educators for inclusive classroom.

2.    Determined the instructional communication skill needs of teachers and special educators for inclusive classroom.

3.    Ascertain  the  instructional  management  skill  needs  of  teachers  and special educators for inclusive classroom.

4.    The  motivational  instructional  skill  needs  of  teachers  for  inclusive classroom.

Significance of the Study

The findings of this study will be of great significance both theoretically and practically to policy makers, curriculum planners, teacher and school management board.

Theoretically, in the area of special education, the findings of the study will provide data that may be useful for clear understanding of the existing theories of teaching and behaviour modification. The study will provide data which will provide the functionality or otherwise of human relation theory and theory of human motivation and social learning theory. The  study  is  therefore  anchored  on  all  the  theories  because  of  their relevance to the study.

Practically,  the  finding of  this study  were  of  immense  benefit  to policy makers, curriculum planners and teachers. The findings of this study provided empirical data for policy makers on instructional skills needs by teachers  for  inclusive  classroom.  This  could  enable  them  make  policy

statement  relevant  to  teachers’  possession  of  the  needed  skills  before employment to teach in inclusive classroom.

If the curriculum planners are informed of the findings of the study, it would enable them modify existing curriculum coverage for teachers’ preparation   for   inclusive   classroom.   This   could   as   well   make   the modification to take care of areas of challenges as identified.

Equally, the findings of the study will benefit teachers as these would help them to be informed of the instructional skills needed to be able to teach children with special needs in their classroom. Special Educators can begin  to  explore  these  instructional  skill  needs  on  their  own  prior  to organized preparation programme for their acquisition. Sensitization workshop would be organised for teachers to update their knowledge on the instructional skills required of them to accommodate children with special needs in regular classroom.

Finally, the findings of this study when documented and published will  add  to  the  stock  of  existing  knowledge  in  the  area  of  inclusive education and the instructional skill needs of regular teachers which will be disseminated through workshops, learned journals, conferences and internet postings.

Scope of the Study

The present study focused on the instructional skill needs of teachers for inclusive classroom in Ebonyi state primary schools. In addition, gender and location as variables in this study were explored to establish their influence on instructional skills. The independent variables are the instructional skill  needs of  teachers while  the  dependent variable is the teachers outcome of instructional skills on pupils in inclusive classroom. So, the researcher focused on the instructional skill needs of teachers for successful inclusive classroom in Ebonyi state primary schools.

Research Questions

The following four research questions guided the study:

1.    What  are  the  instructional  assessment  skill  needs  of  teachers  and special educators for inclusive classroom?

2.    What are the communication instructional skill needs of teachers for inclusive classroom?

3.    What  are  the  management  instructional  skill  needs  of  teachers  for inclusive classroom?

4.    What  are  the  motivational  instructional  skill  needs  of  teachers  for inclusive classroom?

Hypotheses

The under listed hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. H01:   There is no significant difference between the mean scores of male

and  female  teachers  on  the  instructional  skill  needs  for  inclusive

classroom.

H02:   There is no significant difference between the mean scores of regular teachers and  special educators on  the  instructional  skill needs for inclusive classroom in urban and rural areas.

H03:   There is no significant difference between the mean scores of regular teachers and  special educators on  the  instructional  skill needs for inclusive classroom.

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