abstract

This study investigated the opinion of teachers on the integration of special needs learners in inclusive classroom environment in public and private secondary schools in Imo state. Five research questions and five null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The sample for the study consisted of 1152 teachers consisting of 432 teachers from private Secondary school schools and 720 teachers from public secondary schools in Imo state. The sample was drawn through multistage sampling techniques from a population of 11,520 teachers comprising of 7200 teachers from public secondary schools and 4320 teachers from private secondary schools respectively. An instrument named “Teachers Perception on Special Need Learners Inclusive Classroom Environment Questionnaire” (TPSNLICEQ) was used for the study. The instrument was face-validated by three experts one from Educational Administration and planning, one from Educational Curriculum and instruction and one from Education Measurement and Evaluation, all from the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. The data obtained through the trial testing were used to determine the internal consistency reliability of the items which yielded reliability index of 0.80.The data collected were analysed using Mean scores and Standard Deviations in order to provide answers to the three research questions, while the null hypotheses were analysed using t-test statistics at P < 0.05 level of significance which revealed that teachers’ mean opinion on full inclusive classroom environment for the special need learners  in private and public secondary schools in Imo state is low while teachers’ mean opinion on partial inclusive classroom environment for the special need learners in private and public secondary schools is high. There is no significant difference in the mean opinion of private and public secondary school teachers on full and partial inclusive classroom environment for the special need learners in secondary schools in Imo state. The study further revealed that teachers’ mean opinion on the influence of inclusive classroom environment on the learning outcome, social behaviour and emotional development of the special need learners in private and public secondary schools in Imo state is high. There is no significant difference in the mean opinion of private and public secondary school teachers on the influence of inclusive classroom environment on the learning outcome, social behaviour and emotional developments of the special need learners in secondary schools in Imo state. Hence the study among other things recommended that the government, school administrators, religious groups, and non-governmental organizations should organize seminars, retreats, workshops and conferences regularly for teachers to create awareness on the influence of inclusive education on special need learners and that teachers should be encouraged to make adequate use of instructional materials in the course of their teaching in order to ensure effective learning for all categories of learners.