KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF REGULAR TEACHERS TOWARDS SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE OF STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES IN IBADAN, NIGERIA

Abstract

Inclusion of individuals with disabilities in regular school is enshrined in Sustainable Development Goal four SDG-4. In Nigeria, students with learning disabilities (SLDs) are found in regular classrooms with their peers without learning disabilities where the teacher may have little or no knowledge about their uniqueness. In addition, the teacher’s attitude at times determines the rate 
at which SLDs will be socially accepted in the regular classroom. Hence, the study investigated the knowledge and attitude of regular teachers (RTs) towards social acceptance of SLDs in Ibadan, Nigeria. One hundred and forty-five regular teachers were randomly selected in the study. The instrument used for data collection was researchers’ developed questionnaire tagged Questionnaire 
on Regular Teachers’ Knowledge and Attitude towards Social Acceptance of Students with Learning Disabilities. It comprised twenty items. The questionnaire was subjected to validity which was done by three experts in related fields and they positively asserted that it is detailed enough to collect relevant data in the area of study. The reliability of the instrument was tested using test re-test method and a reliability coefficient of 0.76 was obtained. Data collected was analysed and interpreted using descriptive statistics. The findings 
of the study revealed that RTs have high knowledge about the social acceptance of SLDs and the attitude towards them is receptive. It is therefore recommended that RTs should always have positive attitude towards social acceptance of SLDs in their classrooms.