Primary School Pre-Service Teachers’ Knowledge about Inclusive Education: The Case of Three Teachers’ Training Colleges in Ethiopia

Abstract

This study focuses on examining the general education primary school pre-service teachers’ level knowledge of inclusive education (IE) and effect of demographic variables on the participants’ knowledge about IE. The research used cross-sectional survey research design. For this purpose, 283 pre-service teachers were randomly selected from purposefully picked three general education teachers’ training colleges in Ethiopia: Kotebe, Debre Berhan and Dessie teachers’ training Colleges. The study result showed that pre-service teachers had low level of knowledge of IE. Analysis of demographic variables indicated that the participants’ age category from 19-25 had statistically significant differences in knowledge of inclusive education than age categories less than 19 and 26-35, respectively. Additionally, participants from teachers’ training College one (TTC1) had statistically significant better knowledge of inclusive education than TTC2 and TTC3. However, the study result revealed that there was no statistically significant better mean difference between male and female participants. Additionally, there were no statistically significant better mean differences among the participants who were selected from three study fields: languages, social sciences and mathematics and natural sciences. Finally, the researcher forwarded recommendations to improve these teachers’ training program to enhance the trainees’ knowledge of and self-efficacy belief regarding IE and to conduct further research in the area under discussion.