RUAHA CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY

This study explored teachers‘ and parents‘ perceptions towards inclusive education in Iringa District Council. A phenomenological research design was deployed to achieve the study objective. The study sample constituted 10 special education teachers and 24 regular teachers. The study also involved 12 parents whose children attended inclusive classes. The findings indicated that most teachers had negative perceptions about including pupils with disabilities in regular classrooms, whereas parents viewed them positively. Most of the teachers‘ perceptions were influenced by the situation of the learning environment, especially resources and their conceptualization about inclusion. The parents, on the other hand, doubted the attitudes of the teachers in the inclusive classrooms and the school management to effectively deal with disabilities. Therefore, further sensitization of teachers and parents on the education to children with disability and inclusive strategy is highly needed.

Inclusion, Perceptions, Inclusive Education, Restrictive Environment