Student teachers’ experiences in implementing inclusive education during teaching practice in Zimbabwean primary schools

Abstract

The study sought to investigate student teachers’ experiences in implementing inclusive education during teaching practice in Zimbabwean primary schools. The investigation serves as a springboard to establishing a teacher preparation model for preparing student teachers for teaching practice experiences. A mixed-methods concurrent design was employed in the current study and self-designed questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation were used to collect data. Three hundred and seventy-five student teachers, 60 college lecturers and 180 school administrators participated in the study. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM SBSS) version 25 calculated the percentages that were used in the study. The qualitative data were analysed using a thematic approach. The study revealed that student teachers were not given adequate content on inclusive education to prepare them for teaching practice experiences. The study also revealed that student teachers had limitations in applying inclusive pedagogy during teaching practice that included minimum support from mentors, school administrators, SPS/SNE personnel and parents, which resulted in student teachers’ bad experiences. The study further established that stakeholders generally held positive attitudes towards the inclusion of children with mild disabilities rather than children who are deaf, blind and those with emotional and behavioural disabilities as they preferred special schools for such children. These attitudes inhibited student teachers from gaining good teaching practice experiences with diverse children with disabilities. The study finally established that the policies and legislations available in schools exposed student teachers to good teaching practice experiences. Though not clear, policies and legislations made a positive impact on stakeholders’ attitudes towards the inclusion of children with disabilities. Such attitudes were exhibited by the improvement of disability user-friendly infrastructure. The study recommended that the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education have a binding policy on the training for student teachers for teaching practice experiences in implementing inclusive education. It was recommended that teacher trainers review curricula in tandem with the theory of inclusive pedagogy. Finally, the study recommended a teacher preparation model to prepare student teachers for teaching practice experiences.