Knowledge and Techniques of Basic Schools Teachers in the Identification and Management of Pupils with Special Educational Needs
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the knowledge and techniques of teachers from basic schools in identifying and managing of children with special educational needs. The study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive research design. Sixty-five full-time teachers in Ghana (mean age of 35.04±9.05 years; mean work experience of 7.71 ±8.20 years) were recruited. Self-structured interview guide and questionnaire were used for data collection. Data analysis showed that 86.2% of the teachers reported being aware of educational and national policies for children with SEN in Ghana. Additionally, 93.9% indicated that they had received training and held responsibilities for identifying children with SEN in their classes. Regarding the methods used, 76.9% relied on referrals from parents, 75.4% on referrals from colleague teachers, and 70.8% on students’ academic progress reports. Moreover, 63.08% stated that “special attention” was the primary technique used in managing children with SEN. 86.15% agreed that “there are no resources, strategies, or interventions in schools that are particularly effective in supporting SEN children. As for support techniques, 84.6% reported collecting more detailed information from class teachers and conducting further assessments, 76.9% relied on information from parents, while 75.4% set targets for identifying children with SEN. Participants significantly conducted further assessments and arranged for assessments from other professionals as techniques of identifying children with SEN. Although the participants have a general understanding of how to identify and manage SEN children, they need more extensive exposure and practical experience in working with SEN children within the regular classroom environment.
Source: Educational Academic Research
Institution: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4414187092