LESSON TWO: COMPONENTS OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

There are three major components that must be addressed for successful inclusive education.
They include;
 school factors
 support services and resources
 collaboration and community involvement
1. THE SCHOOL FACTORS
There are various school factors that are necessary for the achievement of inclusive
education. These include
o classroom factors
o Student factors
o teacher factors
o curriculum
1. Classroom factors Assessment In assessment you will need to identify the learners who
may be experiencing difficulties. One should be able to recognize the barriers within the
child and in the environment that may hinder learning. This will enable one to plan for
each learner appropriately. Barriers to learning and development are likely to come
across among learners in classroom Barrier Indicator(s) visual difficulties
o Learner holding the book too closes or too near the face or missing
parts of words when reading. hearing difficulties
o Learner cocking the head on one side or cupping the ear as he/she
listens. physical difficulties

o Posture and motor co-ordination difficulties. learning difficulties

o Learner experiencing difficulties in specific subjects like reading,
writing and arithmetic. communication difficulties
o Learner stammering or unable to communicate with others.

o Learner withdrawn or aggressive.

Difficulties keeping records it is important that you keep records for each learner. This
will enable you to monitor their progress. The records should include family
background, medical information as well as individualized educational plans and
progress records. The individualize, Educational Programme (IEP) needs to be updated
and reviewed periodically. Organizing Space the learner’s needs met at designated areas
in the classroom. This requires you to plan and organize the available space in your
classroom. For example you may have the following learning centres:
 nature centre
 garden
 shopcorner
 post office
Subject centers for example;
Music, Mathematic some of the considerations you will take in organizing space for
learners with diverse needs
 A learner using a wheel-chair will require more space for free movement.
 learners with low vision may have to be placed near the chalkboard, window or
sour
 Those with hearing problems to be seated infront or at an appropriate position to
enable them see the teachers’ face.
 Those with behaviour difficulties who are constantly out of their seats should be
seated between two children to bar them from getting out unnecessarily.
 You may teach learners as a whole class, in groups, in pairs or individually.
When grouping learners, you need to consider their diversities. For example,
ability grouping should aim at learners with same needs progressing together,
while mixed ability grouping should aim at creating and encouraging
environment where those experiencing problems gain as they learn alongside
those with higher abilities. Pairing should aim at having the gifted learners
supporting those with learning difficulties.
 Planning the learning experience
When planning learning experiences you should consider the individual learner’s needs.
You can do this by:-
 organizing the classroom to address the learner’s difficulties, for example having
the learner sit close to the teacher or away from too much light
 Modifying the teaching style to incorporate more group activities where each
learner participates.
 Encouraging learners to help each other rather than competing.
 Organizing learning activities for learners with diversities.
Establishing Classroom Rules An environment that is consistent, supportive,
encourages and promotes learning. An inclusive classroom with a diversity of learners
requires simple rules to enhance positive behavior and minimise distraction. Effective
classroom rules should be:-
 Few in number.
 Positively and simply stated.
 Easy to enforce.
 Developed and owned by the learners.
  Placed on the wall as reminder to all learners.
 The table below gives examples of negatively and positively stated classroom
rules no. Negatively stated Positively
 1 Do not make noise Work quietly stated
 2 Do not litter the class Keep the classroom tidy
 3 Do not give random answers Put up your hand to answer
 4 Do not dress like a raffian Be smart
Interactive relationships All children need a close, sensitive and loving
relationship with those they spend time with. This is the basis for the
development of the child’s sense of security, confidence and the ability to cope
with others and the world. As the class teacher, you can create interactive
relationships among the learners by:
  Encouraging learners who finish their work early to work with others
experiencing learning difficulties as peer tutors and note-takers.
 Encouraging learners to interact and share tasks and responsibilities with
each other.
 Working to develop positive attitudes among pupils, teachers, and
parents about learners with special needs.
 Setting class activities to be completed by groups.
 Encouraging learners to befriend peers with special needs and assist
those with mobility problems during break time and games time.
Organizing play activities as the children grow, they need the freedom to
explore and play. Play is very important for the child’s learning and
development.
Importance of play in the childs growth and development?
 mental development
 social skills
 physical development
 creativity
 curiosity
 Confidence to move and manipulate the environment.
N/B: As a teacher, you need to encourage use of play in learning
activities. Play forms the basis for handling school work and life issues.
Preventing Behaviour difficulties even in a well-organizednclusive
classroom, behaviour problems may occur. As a teacher, you should
strive to make the learners feel good and reinforce desirable behaviour.
However, when you detect a learner is experiencing a behaviour problem
that may interfere with the learning, try to communicate your displeasure
in a manner that will not disrupt the learning. You should avoid drawing
attention to the learner or demoralizing him/her. In some cases the
learner may be seeking attention and your harsh response may be
reinforcing the behaviour.
2. Student factors Every child is unique therefore recognize the following;
  The learners’ level of ability
 Area of Special needs
 Learning process
 Learning styles
The Learners level of ability learners have different abilities such that some could be
slow and others fast, some are neat and others careless, some are organized while other
are disorganized, some are good at some activities and otherspoor in others, some are
friendly and others are aggressive while some are playful others are withdrawn. Area of
Special Need These is barriers that pose unique needs for individual learner e.g.
 Learners with difficulties in communicating through spoken may require sign
language and written language
 Learners with visual problems may require tactile materials and listening skills while
those with hearing problems will need to see teachers’ actions as they speak in the
learning experiences.
 Learners with physical problems may require adaptive devices and modified physical
environment for easy movement.
 Learners with EBD may require more counseling and positive reinforcement in their
learning experience.
 Those with Hearing Impairments (HI) may need preferential sitting and alternative
modes of communication.
 Learners with Specific learning difficulties may need remedial work
 Learners with Mental Disabilities (MD) may require the use of real objects in order to
develop concepts. Learning Process Learning is the permanent change of behaviour due
experience of practice, it takes place in any environment.
The learner is exposed to and through a process. All learners including those with
Special needs learn through six learning processes. These include;
 Cognitive Abilities- this enables a learner to understand, think, reason, pay attention,
criticize, store, retrieve , interpret, organize and categorize information among others.
Learners with SNE may have different cognitive abilities and therefore differences in
their learning. Some of these abilities may include a) Attention- the learner should be
able to concentrate on a task at hand. Some of the SNE have short attention span e.g
mental disabilities, EBD etc.
b) Recognition-you should present the material in an interesting manners considering
the learners’ ability
c) Perception- the ability to tell differences between objects shapes and sounds etc.
d) Classification – ability to tell similarities and differences in objects, numbers, letters,
sounds etc.
e) Sensory integration- learning through the integration of sense such as seeing,
modeling and saying numbers.
f) Concept formation- refers to a mental picture of an idea or object. In the absence of
senses the brain will have no sensory input hence the learner will miss vital information
from the environment
 Visual sense- the eye plays a vital role in taking information from the environment to
the brain. for a learner to utilize this sense then the learner should be able to develop the
following skills
a) Visual skills- this involves the use of eyes in the environment
b) Visual Perception- this is awareness and attention which involves interpretation of
what one sees. Those with SNE may have visual perception problems therefore teachers
must provide activities that develop this skill e.g use of real objects.
 Auditory sense- a lot is learnt through the sense of hearing. The teacher should
therefore strive at developing auditory skills that may enhance the use of auditory sense.
These may include
a) Environmental sounds-it is important for a learner to be aware and attend to
environmental sounds.
b) Sound recognition and association –this helps a learner to attach meaning to words.
c) Auditory discrimination-identifying specific sounds heard. The learner should be able
to name sources of sound for example sounds of different animals.
d) Interpreting Verbal Instruction-learners need to be guided to attend to speech that
provides directions and instructions.
e) Auditory skills and listening in learning- this involves attending keenly to auditory
input, locating the source of sound and attaching meaning tio what he/she hears.
Listening is a skill that should be taught particularly to learners with SNE such as those
with hearing problems.
f) Auditory memory- for learning to take place, learners should be able to store auditory
experiences, retrieve and relate them when it is desirable.
The learner needs tp remember, discriminate, relate sounds to meaning and blend
speech sounds such as house, ha/u/s.
 Tactile sense It involves touching and feeling of objects through manipulation using
fingers, hands or other parts of the body. The following aspects are developed through
the sense of touch;
a) Awareness and attention is marked by touching and feeling and models which
enhances the identification of texture.
b) Structure and shape – this is learnt by moving the hands along objects, grasping and
manipulating.
c) Relationship of parts of the whole e.g. in case of Jigsaw puzzles where pieces are
separated and joined together to make a whole object
d) Graphic representation which involves making an object to represent the actual form
of the object giving a mental image
e) Braille symbols for learners who cannot read or write print.
 Sensory motor this refers to the input from senses and output through motor activity.
Perceptual development occurs through sensory motor activities and corresponds to
sensory feedback. The foundation of learning is established through the integration of
sensory feedback to the brain expressed in sensory motor activities such as; eye hand
coordination, gross motor and fine motor skills.
 Speech and language there are two aspects of language mainly;
a) Receptive language this is concerned with receiving information and reacting to it.
b) A learner with respective difficulties is likely to miss out a lot of information in
class hence experience academic and social problems. Learners with receptive
language problems have difficulties in listening, carrying out instructions ,
responding appropriately to information either spoken, written or signed or
communicated by any other means like reading , interpreting signs, gestures etc. b)
Expressive language This is concerned with production or formulating and using
 spoken written signed or brailed language. Learners with expressive language
problems have difficulties in speaking, signing, writing or brailing information. in
class these learners are likely to be withdrawn, or reserved making it difficult for the
teacher to evaluate whether he/she has understood or not. Learning Style this refers
to the way that learner will receive information for example
 Listening to it repeatedly
 Writing it

3. TEACHER FACTORS AND TEACHING METHODS

The teacher is the most important person in the process of including a learner with
special needs in a regular classroom. The teacher may make it possible for the learner to
be accepted by other learners through demonstrating positive and supportive attitude to
the learner. Having negative attitude towards a learner with SNE may block any chances
of learning in a regular class. How would you enhance the inclusion of a learner with
Special Needs in your class? At classroom level the following actions are key;
 Making the learner feel welcome and an important member of the class for example
talking to him and encouraging him to participate in the class activities.
 Encouraging other learners to support the one with SNE
 Providing appropriate materials and learning experiences to the learner
 Talking to other teachers about the needs of the learner
 Working closely with learners parents to assist in and out of school egg helping in
homework. Ways of enhancing Inclusive Education include;
1. Diversifying teaching methods
2. Differentiating curriculum
3. Promoting collaborative learning
4. Enhancing communication
Diversifying Teaching Methods
The teacher should use appropriate teaching methods in order to help a learner with
SNE. Some of the approaches may include
 Peer tutoring- this is where other children are used to assist those learners
experiencing difficulties in learning activities. It is on the basis that children understand
each other‘s language better than anyone else
.  Group teaching- this is where learners are placed in small groups of between 4 and 8
and the teacher teaches the groups. It allows learners to participate actively.
 Individualized Instruction- the teacher initiates individualized Education Programme
(IEP) where parents are involved. This allows adaptations in the learning activities for a
learner with SNE
 Team Teaching- this refers to teachers conducting lessons together so that they can
share their expertise to assist learners’ experiencing difficulties in the school. In team
teaching members may assist one another by; planning together, teaching together,
evaluating the results together, and modifying the learning goals regularly together
Promoting collaborative learning this is also referred to as co-operative learning. It is
based on the idea that children learn from one another by doing activities together
Learning is organized in such a way that learners work with their peers towards a
common goal rather than competing with one another. it enhances the spirit of pulling
together in learners which promotes the skill of sharing ideas, and responsibilities,
listening to each other and working together in order to succeed. They learn to control
their emotions, make decisions, and develop tolerance in each other. Enhancing
Communication In communication there is a sender, the message, receiver and the
feedback. It about understanding what has been said and being understood. if there is
break in the chain of communication then it leads to breakdown e.g. when the sender
uses mode of communication which the receiver does not understand then there will be
no feedback because the receiver did not understand the message.
4. Curriculum Factors Curriculum refers to the subject matter that is planned to be taught
to learners at any level of education. it provides guidelines on the content, sequence of
activities, teaching methods, educational resources, time schedules and evaluation
procedures. This is meant for an average learner hence learners with SNE may require
modifications and flexibility which results in a differentiated curriculum.Differentiated
curriculum is a modified curriculum with intention of meeting the needs of learners with
SNE. This may be done through;
 Manipulating the environmental factors
 Adapting teaching approaches and time schedules
 Modifying the content
 Adapting the exam questions and assessment procedures.
 Providing appropriate learning materials to meet the learner’s individual needs
 Including other lifelong subjects such as independent living skills
 Sign Language
 Braille
 Orientation and mobility.