Investigating the implimentation of inclusive teaching strategies in Rwandan primary schools. A case study of Gatsibo District primary schools

Abstract

This study entitled Investigating the Implementation of Inclusive Teaching Strategies in Primary Schools: A Case Study of Gatsibo District, aimed at investigating teachers’ implementation of inclusive teaching strategies and understanding of educational needs of learners who face barriers to learning and provide means to support them.This research discussed inclusive teaching strategies that teachers use in teaching learners with learning difficulties and Special Educational Needs with great emphasis on teaching learners with mild sensory and physical difficulties, cognitive and learning difficulties, communication and interaction difficulties, as well as behavioral, emotional and social difficulties. The main objective of the research was to investigate how well teachers implement inclusive teaching strategies in Rwandan primary schools with case study of Gatsibo District. The research methodology was based on semi-structured interview and questionnaires. All in all 9 questionnaires were distributed among teachers and interviews among three Head teachers from 3 Primary schools in Gatsibo District. The subjects were chosen from all primary school grades, P1 to P6. The main themes identified in the questionnaires and interviews were among others availability of resources, strategies need, and problems encountered in implementing inclusive teaching strategies. The conclusion reached is that inclusive teaching strategies are continually being implemented by primary school teachers in Rwandan schools. It is recommended to the Rwanda Basic Education Board and all other stakeholders that they should effectively collaborate to make it work more successfully.