INCLUDING STUDENTS WITH HEARING DIFFICULTIES IN GHANAIAN

MAINSTREAM EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

2023

The purpose of the study was to assess the success of inclusive education for children with

hearing difficulties in Ghanaian mainstream education. The study was guided by the following

three objectives: firstly, identify the attitude of stakeholders towards the inclusion of children with

hearing difficulties. The second objective was to investigate the resource adequacy of

educational institutions in terms of the inclusion of children with hearing difficulties. Lastly, to

determine the appropriateness of the curricula in Ghanaian mainstream educational institutions

for the needs of hearing-impaired children in inclusive education. Qualitative research was used

on the study sample of 16 participants (8 teachers and 8 parents). Convenience sampling

technique was used. Semi-structured interviews and secondary sources of data were adopted as

data collection techniques. The findings of the study indicate that public and private school

teachers as well as parents recognize the importance of inclusive education, aligning with the

global consensus on the benefits of inclusion. All the respondents raised concerns about its

practicality or collective impact. In addition, the study found out that parents and teachers had

negative responses to the resource adequacy of mainstream schools in Ghana. Lastly, all teachers

felt that the stipulated curriculum for the Ghana Education Service had to be improved to ensure

the successful inclusion of students with hearing difficulties. On the other hand, parents were

unsure about the nature of the school’s curriculum. Based on the findings of the study,it

recommends improvements of resources (hard and soft resources), support of special needs

schools, a flexible education curriculum, and improved supervision.

University of Agder