TEACHERS UNDERSTANDINGS OF INCLUSION IN VIEW OF IMPLEMENTING INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN BOTSWANA PRIMARY SCHOOLS.

Abstract

Inclusive education was declared by the government of Botswana as a priority for educating learners with special educational needs especially those who have Learning Difficulties - LD since 1984. The Revised National Policy on Education (1994) articulates government’s commitment to the education of all children, advocating for an inclusive education as much as is feasible. This article is an exploration of what teachers do in their schools and/or classrooms to implement inclusive education particularly looking at what they do to differentiate for learners who have LD through their teaching. Six primary schools in urban, semi-urban and rural areas were purposively selected and data were collected through classroom observations, interviews and document analysis. Fourteen participants were interviewed.
The findings reveal that teachers’ conceptualization and understanding of inclusive education seemed not to fit within the national requirements of using learner-centred approaches. The findings also reveal that the teachers conceptualisation and understanding of inclusive education seem embedded within the cultural concept of botho (respect for humanity), a discourse which takes into account accepting all individuals. A dynamic constructive relationship between curriculum, teachers and learners is suggested, moving from ‘teaching the curriculum’ to ‘understanding and developing inclusive curricula’ within a social constructivist discourse.

Key words: Inclusive education, Learning difficulties, Botho (respect for humanity)