Effectiveness of the Inclusion of Teachers with Disabilities in the Teaching and Learning Situation in Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Schools

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue XI, November 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

Effectiveness of the Inclusion of Teachers with Disabilities in the Teaching and Learning Situation in Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Schools

Benny Chitsa PhD¹, Grace Moyo^2
1Zimbabwe Open University; Department of Psychology
²Candidate PhD with UNISA; Department of Psychology

Abstract: The study sought to establish the effectiveness of the inclusion of teachers with physical disabilities in the teaching and learning situation in Bulawayo Metropolitan province schools. It was guided by the theoretical framework of Bronfenbrenner’s social ecological systems theory. The mixed methods approach with case study were used to enable an in-depth exploration of purposively snowballed Bulawayo Metropolitan province schools. Questionnaire and interview were employed for generating interim and thematic analyzed data. This study revealed that teachers with disabilities were given minimal opportunities by schools thereby affecting their inclusion and effective curriculum implementation. Negative attitude, limited teaching aids, lack of funds and discrimination, stereotyping and stigmatization were some of the main challenges diluted the effectiveness of the inclusion of teachers with disabilities in the teaching and learning situation in schools. The study recommended that there is need for the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to revise and review the education policy on the inclusion of teachers with disabilities in the teaching and learning and provide clear guidelines on how to accommodate them. It is recommended that there is need to cultivate and nurture positive attitudes towards the inclusion of teachers with disabilities to stakeholders such as school Heads, teachers without physical disabilities, students and parents in order to achieve the effective inclusion of teachers with disabilities in Zimbabwean schools. There is need for the teachers with disabilities to be given due recognition and equal rights in accessing all school facilities to achieve their effective inclusion in the teaching and learning situation.

Keywords: Teachers with disabilities, effectiveness, inclusion of teacher with disabilities, effective curriculum implementation, challenges, teaching and learning situation.

I. INTRODUCTION

The philosophy of inclusive education, rules of section 504 of the rehabilitation Act and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) created an opportunity for the inclusion of trained teachers with physical disabilities in the teaching and learning situation globally. Indeed, some of the teachers were born with disability while others acquired it later in life. A teacher with disability has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major teaching activities (Whetzel, Goddard and Mathess, 2016; Panick, 2017).

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