Students with Intellectual Impairment: Learning Activities in Biology Lessons as Mediators of Self-Efficacy and Generic Skills in Uganda’s New Lower Secondary Curriculum

This study explores how biology learning activities influence the development of self-efficacy and generic skills among students with intellectual impairment (SWII) in Uganda’s lower secondary schools. Intellectual impairment affects learners’ ability to understand abstract concepts, which poses significant challenges in subjects like biology. Through a qualitative case study involving classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with biology teachers, the research identifies the types of learning activities commonly used, how pedagogical approaches shape these activities, and the degree to which they align with the new competency-based curriculum. Findings reveal that hands-on, collaborative, and inquiry-based activities are more effective for SWII, enhancing both confidence in learning and acquisition of transferable life skills. However, textbook-reliant methods remain dominant. The study recommends adapting instructional strategies to include multimodal and differentiated learning experiences that accommodate the cognitive needs of SWII. These findings have implications for inclusive pedagogy, curriculum alignment, and teacher professional development in Uganda’s evolving education landscape.