Teacher trainees’ level of preparedness for inclusive education in Botswana schools: need for change

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which the University of Botswana special education teacher-training programme. Inclusive education has gained significant currency nationally and internationally. Inclusive education demands that the teacher should be able to meet the needs of students with disabilities in a regular/ ordinary classroom. The success of inclusive education rests on quality teacher preparation gearing towards inclusive education. How teachers are prepared is intrinsically linked to the quality of education provided in the schools. Qualitative research method was used to explore how teachers are prepared for inclusive education in Botswana. Eighteen final year special education student teachers were involved in two focus group discussions. Findings of this study revealed that special education student-teachers were not prepared to meet the learning needs of diverse categories of learners with disabilities in inclusive settings. Based on the findings of this study, a teacher preparation model is proposed for successful implementation of inclusive basic education in Botswana.