Inclusive Schools' Teachers' Perspectives about the Academic Achievement of the Type of Emotional and Behavioural Difficulty

Abstract

Teachers in inclusive schools in Ghana are expected to have positive perception and believe in the Special Educational Needs children that they can achieve academically. This study was conducted in inclusive schools where teachers teach various children with special educational needs who have learning difficulties. The problem was that most teachers believe that children with emotional and behaviour difficulties cannot achieve academically. In all, there were 243 teachers and three educational directors involved in the study. The study revealed that majority of the teachers believe that children with emotional and behaviour difficulties cannot achieve academically. On the contrary, the Directors of Education who were involved in the study revealed that if children with emotional and behaviour difficulties are handled well, they can perform better, but the problem is about how to identify the needs of these children. The research confirmed that, the Directors of Education believe the children with emotional and behaviour difficulties can be high academic achievers provided there is a positive change in behaviour.  The findings of this study have important implications for policy and practice for growth and performance of children with emotional and behaviour difficulties in Ghanaian schools.