Understanding Teachers’ Experiences of Teaching Students with Visual Impairment in Inclusive Classrooms in Ghana: An Ethnographic Study

Abstract

Inclusive education ensures that all children, including those from marginalised groups, ethnic minorities, and those with disabilities, receive free, high-quality education. In support of the global movement towards inclusive education, the Government of Ghana has introduced and implemented policies that promote and uphold these principles to ensure equal educational opportunities for every child. Despite international advocacy and policy commitments, such as the Salamanca Statement, the practice of inclusion within Ghanaian educational systems reveals significant gaps and inconsistencies. This research explores the experiences of four teachers in inclusive classrooms. Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, this study provides an in-depth understanding of the experiences of teachers in educating students with visual impairment in an inclusive classroom in Ghana. The study adopted Critical Disability Theory and Akan proverbial knowledge as lenses to guide this research. The data combines interviews, observations, and hanging out, with insights from an advisory group of four final-year students with visual impairments. The study identifies a complex network of sociocultural, structural, and relational barriers that undermine the effective inclusion of students with visual impairments. The use of local proverbs became central to how inclusion is imagined in Ghana. Teachers strive to adapt their pedagogical practices; however, their efforts are frequently hindered by a lack of support and resources, resulting in limited pedagogical change. Findings indicate that both teachers and students experience a form of exclusion within inclusion. Teachers feel excluded from the development and implementation processes of inclusive policies, while students with visual impairments encounter social, emotional, and educational exclusion despite being physically included in mainstream classrooms. This study reveals that social and cultural misconceptions about visual impairment significantly exacerbate these barriers. To reduce this gap, the study proposes several recommendations for improving the alignment between educational policies and inclusive practices.