Teachers' Professional Development Needs Regarding Inclusive Education in Ghana

This study was designed to explore the professional development needs of both general and special education teachers in Ghana regarding students with disabilities in an inclusive environment. Unlike the traditional top-down approach, where professional development for teachers is designed from the top and thrust upon them, this study sought to do the opposite by letting the teachers identify their own professional development needs. The study also sought to explore the teachers' perceptions regarding educating students with disabilities together with their peers without disabilities. A sample of 232 teachers selected through convenience, purposeful, and simple random sampling techniques participated in the study by completing a survey instrument comprising of both Likert type and open-end questions. Data were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative thematic analysis methods. The results indicated that the teachers felt inadequately prepared to teach students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms. Almost all the participants indicated that professional development was important. In addition to the teachers identifying all the topics presented to them as important, they were able to rank order the topics thereby identifying what they considered most important. Also, a slight majority of the teachers were in favor of educating students with disabilities together with their peers. Implications of these results are discussed. Implications of the results are discussed.