Access to Education for Children with Learning Disabilities: Inclusive Primary School Teachers’ Efficacy in Adapting Classroom Instructions for Children with Learning Disabilities.

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to investigate how primary school teachers’ efficacy in adapting classroom instructions for children with disabilities affect the access to inclusive education. Teachers’ efficacy refers to teachers’ own ability on his or her capabilities to achieve the outcomes of the students’ educational needs. An effective education participation of children with disabilities would rely on the efficacy of teachers to adapt classroom instructions. This quantitative study was carried out with sixty primary school teachers including 51 females and 09 males who teaching for children with learning disabilities were selected using purposive sampling method. The study setting was inclusive primary schools in the Thanamalwila educational zone in Sri Lanka. A Telephone-administered questionnaire was used to collect data and data were analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. According to the results, a majority of primary teachers had the certain level of efficacy to make equity, diversity and adapting classroom instruction in inclusion practices for children with learning disabilities. Teachers’ educational qualification was associated with teacher efficacy level in making equity, diversity and adapting classroom instruction in inclusion practices but other demographical factors such as age, training in special education, undergone teacher training programme related to disabilities and years of training students with disabilities is not associated with teachers’ efficacy in make equity, diversity and inclusion. Children with learning disabilities benefit from the efficacy of teachers to make equity, diversity and inclusion when teaching in inclusive classroom environments. Teacher training needs to address these crucial aspects. The findings of the studies are contributed to literature regarding ‘primary school teachers’ efficacy in equity, diversity and inclusion in teaching with learning disabilities in the Thanamalwila education zone’