Knowledge and Practice: Teachers’ Perspectives on Implementing Inclusive Education for Learners with Autism in Ghanaian Mainstream Classrooms

Inclusive education is increasingly recognised as a priority across the world, but its employment in low resourced contexts can be a challenge. This is a qualitative study which sought to examine the views of 60 mainstream school teachers in Central, Greater Accra and Upper East regions of Ghana about integration of children with autism. Based on Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, the study was designed to explore teachers’ knowledge, attitudes toward learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), challenges and strategies supporting such a group of children in inclusive classrooms. Interviews were semi- structured and data was subject to thematic analysis following the procedure of Braun and Clarke. Results indicated that teachers had a general familiarity with autism but had little to no detailed information on its characteristics and effective teaching strategies. Their views were varied: While many supported inclusion as a human right that encourages empathy and belonging, others worried about classroom delays and workload implications. They also pointed out structural barriers like overcrowded classrooms, poor preparation, a lack of resources to teach and social stigma. Nevertheless, teachers revealed several recovery strategies through adaptive ways such as differentiated teaching, visual support systems, routines and peer-mediated learning. What this study suggests, therefore, is that Ghana’s INFE policy is progressing and progressive while practice on the ground skews more to against it. It calls for enhancing teacher training, allocating resources, involving communities to tackle stigma and creating shared structures between teachers, parents and policymakers to ensure true inclusion of pupils with autism.