Inclusive Education Practice of Two Private Kindergartens in Tabor Sub-city, Hawassa City Administration

Master's Thesis from the year 2018 in the subject Pedagogy - Nursery Pedagogy, Early Childhood Education, Addis Ababa University (Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia), language: English, abstract: This study was aimed at investigating the implementation of inclusive education in two private kindergartens in Tabor Sub-city, Hawassa City Administration. Early inclusion and intervention has the greatest impact on child¿s learning and development. Conducting research on this kind of issue is expected to have a significant role providing insights to improve the practice. Factors that hinder proper implementation of inclusive education in selected private kindergartens had been investigated across this research. To find solution for the problem stated above, all participants who were believed to give rich information were purposively selected. Qualitative research method specifically phenomenological approach was employed and all necessary studies conducted before were critically reviewed. There were about twenty eight key informants involved in the study. They were six children with disabilities, two kindergarten principals, twelve teachers/assistants, six parents and two officers from the centers. Document analysis, semi-structured interview, participant observation and focus group discussion were data gathering tools employed. All raw data were transcribed and narrated in to meaningful report. Even though both kindergartens claim that they are inclusive, finding shows that they are not inclusive. Neither physical nor social environment of both kindergartens was accessible for children with disabilities. Absence of trained manpower, lack of knowledge with regard to inclusion of children with special needs and negative attitude of the parents were factors hindering the implementation of inclusive education in the kindergartens. Findings imply that teachers, principals and parents need awareness raising training, and private kindergartens have to assign special need education teachers so as to promote inclusion of children with disabilities.