TEACHER PREPAREDNESS FOR INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS WITH LEARNERS WHO HAVE SENSORY IMPAIRMENTS IN PRIVATE SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN RIVERS STATE

This study examined the relationship between teacher preparedness and the inclusive learning participation of learners with visual and hearing impairments in private senior secondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria. Three dimensions of preparedness were studied, namely instructional adaptation, resources and assistive technology, and training and professional development. The study adopted a descriptive survey design with a correlational component. The population was 3,064 teaching staff in 318 private senior secondary schools, and 354 teachers were selected using Taro Yamane's formula and proportionate stratified random sampling. A researcher-developed questionnaire with four scales was validated by three experts and yielded reliability coefficients of .79 to .86. Of the questionnaires distributed, 331 were valid for analysis, a return rate of 93.5%. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to answer the three research questions and test the three hypotheses at the .05 level of significance. Instructional adaptation (r = .448), resources and assistive technology (r = .372) and training and professional development (r = .431) each showed a significant positive relationship with inclusive learning participation (p < .001), and all three null hypotheses were rejected. The study concludes that teachers who adapt instruction, have access to assistive resources and receive sustained training are better placed to include learners with sensory impairments. The study recommends adaptation-focused in-service training, a shared assistive resource pool for private schools, and sensory impairment content in pre-service teacher education.