Exploring teachers' perceptions of Continuing Professional Development for inclusive education: General and special education teachers in Mkushi District, Zambia

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for inclusive education in Mkushi District, and its role in improving pedagogical practices in inclusive settings. The study was conducted among 78 general and special education teachers teaching in primary and secondary schools that were either special or inclusive education schools. A survey research design was used to measure teachers’ perceptions about the current practices in inclusive education and their training needs to enable them to implement inclusive education. A self-administered online questionnaire was sent out to participants, through which quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed. The findings suggest that generally, teachers in Mkushi have positive perceptions about CPD for inclusive education and were enthusiastic about the practice. However, the teachers indicated that they needed CPD to focus on how to teach in inclusive settings and to develop skills in adapting teaching materials to meet learners’ needs.
The teachers believed that these training needs could be achieved if they were trained by experts in inclusive education. It is hoped that the findings of this research would lead to more effective models for teachers’ professional development in inclusive education in Zambia.