Botswana Early Childhood Educators’ Perceptions on Factors associated with the Inclusion of Children with Disabilities
Abstract
Abstract. The study examines the perception of Early Childhood Educators’ (ECEds) on factors associated with the inclusion of children with disabilities in Early Childhood Education (ECE) settings in Botswana. ECEds (128) completed a Support Scale for Preschool Inclusion (SSPI) to air their views regarding the necessary/available factors for the inclusion of Children With Disabilities (CWD) in ECE settings. Findings of the study revealed that factors like principal support, family involvement, appropriate materials, peer acceptance of CWD, knowledge and skills about curriculum adaptation/ implementation, promoting positive interaction among children, positive attitudes of school personnel for inclusion, and a few others were considered necessary by ECDs; believed that most of them were not available in ECE settings; and in-service training, extra time for collaboration and reduced class size were least available. The findings suggested professional development of ECEds along with additional in service training necessary for successful inclusion of young CWD in ECE settings of Botswana.
Keyword: Inclusion, Early Childhood Education, Children with disabilities, Inclusive Education, Botswana
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References
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