Inclusive Education in India: Are the Teachers Prepared?

Abstract

This study examined the current skill levels of regular primary and secondary school teachers in Delhi, India in order to teach students with disabilities in inclusive education settings. A total of 223 primary school teachers and 130 secondary school teachers were surveyed using a two-part questionnaire. Part-one of the questionnaire collected background information of the respondents. Part-two was a Likert scale which required the teachers to indicate their perceived current skill levels on a list of competencies needed to implement inclusion. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests. The major findings were that nearly 70% of the regular school teachers had neither received training in special education nor had any experience teaching students with disabilities. Further, 87% of the teachers did not have access to support services in their classrooms. Finally, although both primary and secondary school teachers rated themselves as having limited or low competence for working with students with disabilities, there was no statistically significant difference between their perceived skill levels. The implications for teacher training in India are discussed in terms of the different models that can improve teacher quality for inclusive education.