418.edited.format


Available	online	at:	http://journals.rsfpress.com/index.php/ijeiece	
International	Journal	of	Emerging	Issues	in	Early	Childhood	Education	(IJEIECE)	

ISSN	2685-4074	(online)	
Volume	2	Number	2	(2020):	116-126	

Corresponding	author	
egbedeyitemitope@gmail.com	
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.31098/ijeiece.v2i2.418	 										 			Research	Synergy	Foundation	

Teachers	Knowledge	Of	Inclusive	Lower	Primary	Education	In	Ifako-
Ijaiye	Local	Government	Area	Of	Lagos	State,	Nigeria	

Temitope	Funminiyi	Egbedeyi	
National	Research	University	Higher	School	of	Economics,	Russian	Federation	

Abstract	
Teachers	play	a	 significant	role	 in	 the	process	of	 implementing	 inclusive	 lower	primary	education;	
however,	 inclusive	education,	especially	at	 lower	primary,	 is	yet	to	be	fully	 implemented	in	Nigeria	
despite	the	numerous	benefits	associated	with	it.	As	one	of	the	major	implementers	of	inclusive	lower	
primary,	it	is	imperative	to	study	teachers’	knowledge	of	inclusive	lower	primary	education	in	Ifako-
Ijaiye,	as	to	provide	empirical	evidence.	Descriptive	survey	research	design	was	adopted	with	thirty	five	
(35)	teachers	who	were	sampled	using	simple	random.	The	researcher	used	‘Teachers	Knowledge	of	
Inclusive	Education	Questionnaire	(TKLEQ	α	=	0.92),	which	was	designed	by	the	researcher	to	collect	
data.	 One	 research	 question	 was	 answered,	 and	 two	 hypotheses	 were	 tested	 at	 a	 0.05	 level	 of	
significance.	 Teachers	 have	 an	 average	 knowledge	 of	 inclusive	 lower	 primary	 education	 (Average	
Percentage	=	53.6).	Regular	and	special	teachers	have	no	significant	difference	on	knowledge	of	inclusive	
education	(t	=	0.50;	df	=	33;	p>0.05).	The	recommendation	was	made	according	to	the	findings	of	the	
study:	 it	was	recommended	that	Nigerian	Government,	concerned	Non-Governmental	Organizations,	
and	Scholars	should	ensure	that	regular	training	is	organized	for	lower	primary	teachers	in	order	to	
update	their	knowledge	about	inclusive	education.	

Keywords:	Inclusive	education,	Lower	primary	education;	Teachers’	knowledge	

	

	

 
This is an open access article under the CC–BY-NC license. 

Introduction	

The	future	of	any	society,	group,	or	nation	lies	on	the	shoulders	of	children,	so	says	an	age-long	
adage,	which	refers	to	them	as	leaders	of	tomorrow.	To	assume	this	position,	therefore,	they	deserve	the	
best	form	of	education,	whether	informal,	 formal,	or	non-formal	education,	 irrespective	of	their	race,	
gender,	colour.	It	is	important	to	note	that	education	in	all	ramification	is	the	catalyst	of	development,	
thus,	since	no	nation	can	grow	beyond	the	quality	of	education	delivered	to	her	younger	generation,	
whereas	the	younger	generation	is	the	future	of	any	society	(Egbedeyi,	2017).	

Education	has	been	viewed	from	different	perspectives,	with	each	scholar	attempting	a	definition	
to	explain	a	process,	which	involves	the	impartation	of	skills,	concepts,	and	critical	information	to	pupils,	
with	the	intention	of	making	them	informed	and	useful	to	the	society	they	belong	to.	Adedokun	and	
Olaleye	(2014)	submit	that	the	best	way	any	nation	or	society	can	advanced	is	to	invest	in	her	citizens	or	
people;	 this	investment	 is	known	as	education,	because	 it	 is;	therefore,	education	becomes	the	tool;	
which	communities	can	employ	for	nurturing	personal	growth,	that	is	children	and	directly	culminates	
into	the	development	of	the	community	(Adedokun	&	Olaleye,	2014).	Odebiyi	(2014)	defines	education	
as	the	transmission	of	more	abstract	qualities	such	as	critical	thinking	skills,	healthy	living,	resilience,	and	
self-confidence	 that	 are	 resident	 in	 the	 older	 generation	 to	 the	 younger	 ones.	 According	 to	 the	
researcher,	education	can	be	defined	as	the	transmission	of	culture,	values,	and	norms	of	the	society	to	



International	Journal	of	Emerging	Issues	in	Early	Childhood	Education	(IJEIECE),	Vol.	2	(2),	116-126	
Teachers	Knowledge	Of	Inclusive	Lower	Primary	Education	In	Ifako-Ijaiye	Local	Government	Area	Of	Lagos	State,	

Nigeria	
Temitope	Funminiyi	Egbedeyi	

 
ISSN 2685-4074 (online) 

│ 117 

the	younger	generation	for	the	preservation	and	progress	of	society's	heritage.	One	of	the	important	
things	that	can	be	derived	from	the	definition	is	that	education	is	the	right	of	every	child	in	society.�	

	As	part	of	the	efforts	of	the	United	Nations	toward	creating	a	better	environment	for	children,	
education	was	rightly	recognized	as	one	of	the	rights	of	the	children.	That	is,	education	becomes	essential	
for	children	to	have	not	to	privilege	as	documented	for	the	first	time	Art.26	of	The	Universal	Declaration	
of	Human	Rights	of	the	United	Nations	of	1948	(Struzik,	2014).	Also,	the	Convention	on	the	Rights	of	the	
Child	 of	 1989,	 ratified	 in	 Poland	 in	 1991,	 was	 divided	 into	 two	 parts	 (Arts	 28	 and	 30),	 and	 the	
responsibilities	of	each	section	were	spelled	out.	For	instance:	Art.28	targeted	free,	quality,	and	equal	
access	to	primary	education,	while	Art.29	targeted	quality	welfare	of	the	child	as	well	as	understand	and	
appreciate	the	uniqueness	of	other	children	within	his/her	locality	and	around	the	world	(Szczepska-
Pustkowska,	2009;	Struzik,	2014).		

Fakolade	and	Adeniyi	(2009)	believe	that	Nigeria	government	firstly	recognized	special	needs	
children	between	the	decades	of	1970-1980,	which	was	enshrined	in	the	first	edition	of	the	Nigeria	
National	 Policy	 on	 Education,	 published	 in	 the	 year	 1977.	 However,	 Omode	 (2011)	 discover	 that	
inequalities	in	educational	access	and	achievement,	which	have	contributed	to	an	increase	in	the	number	
of	out-of-school	children	in	Nigeria,	which	the	special	needs	children	are	affected	the	most	(Omede	2011	
cited	in	Odebiyi,	2014).	The	Nigeria	population	census	carried	out	in	the	year	2006	gave	the	number	of	
special	people	like	3,	253,	169	out	of	which	39%	of	these	people	were	school-age	children,	and	this	
number	seems	to	raise	over	the	years	due	to	many	factors	(Vanguard	Newspaper,	2012).	Lucy	et	al.	
(2015)	identify	that	the	Nigerian	constitution	makes	provision	for	a	suitable	education	for	all	children.	It	
is	quite	disheartening	to	note	that	the	percentage	of	enrolled	special	needs	children	is	0.42%	out	of	the	
39%	of	special	age	children,	the	percentage	is	very	poor	while	compared	to	their	regular	counterparts	is	
around	67.05%	(Adetoro,	2014;	Lucy	et	al.,	2015).�	

The	deprivation	has	a	traditional	undertone,	that	is	before	the	colonial	era,	there	were	very	few	
people	with	special	educational	needs	since	the	inured,	or	severally	ill	persons	eventually	met	with	an	
early	death	as	adequate	medical,	education,	and	other	support	services	were	not	available	(Silwimba,	
2011;	Odebiyi,	2014).	In	traditional	society,	every	special	needs	child	is	considered	sick,	which	results	in	
reverence	and	meeting	the	needs	of	such	children	by	both	 immediate	and	extended	family	(Wnayi,	
2012).	 They	 tend	 to	 overstress	 the	 disability,	 thus	given	 little	 chance	 for	 special	needs	 children	 to	
develop	positive	self-esteem	as	well	as	explores	the	environment;	instead,	they	receive	sympathy	rather	
than	empathy	(Odebiyi	2014).	One	of	the	ways	society	sympathies	with	the	special	needs	children	to	
provide	a	special	school	named	after	the	particular	special	needs	(Egbedeyi,	2017)	

Struzik	(2014)	explains	that	segregation	becomes	relevant	because	it	helped	to	educate	children	
with	special	needs	in	the	right	environment,	such	as	curriculum	revised	and	specially	prepared	teachers.	
After	segregation,	integration	becomes	prominent	since	it	allows	both	special	needs	and	regular	children	
to	be	within	the	same	school	compound,	and	the	origination	could	be	traced	to	the	1960s	(Struzki,	2014).	
Hulek	(1997)	explains	that	an	"integrated	system	of	teaching	and	education	consists	maximum	inclusion	
of	 children	 and	 teenagers	 with	 derivations	 from	 standards	 in	 public	 available	 schools	 and	 other	
institutions	as	well	as	allowing	them,	as	 far	as	possible,	 to	develop	and	 learn	among	healthy	peers"	
(Struzik,	2014).		

Maheshwari	et	al.	(2015)	find	out	in	Nigeria,	the	challenges	faced	by	the	children	with	special	
needs	never	change,	such	as	discrimination,	segregation,	and	low	enrolment	in	primary	school	(Nwayi,	
2012,	Odebiyi,	2014).	Therefore	in	order	to	forestall	the	discrimination	against	the	special	needs	children	
in	the	world,	especially	Nigeria,	inclusive	education	becomes	the	bride	of	all	the	Nations.	



International	Journal	of	Emerging	Issues	in	Early	Childhood	Education	(IJEIECE),	Vol.	2	(2),	116-126	
Teachers	Knowledge	Of	Inclusive	Lower	Primary	Education	In	Ifako-Ijaiye	Local	Government	Area	Of	Lagos	State,	

Nigeria	
Temitope	Funminiyi	Egbedeyi	

 
ISSN 2685-4074 (online) 118 │ 

For	achieving	education	 for	all,	 inclusive	 education	 serves	as	an	avenue	 for	 such	 because	 it	
provides	an	opportunity	for	all	pupils	irrespective	of	their	challenges	or	needs.	Adedokun	and	Olaleye	
(2014),	 inclusive	education	provides	a	premise	where	the	right	to	education	 is	upheld;	because	the	
provision	of	quality	education	becomes	paramount	to	all	the	stakeholders	in	order	to	develop	holistic	
children.	Salami	and	Egbedeyi	(2018)	believe	that	inclusive	education	is	necessary	for	every	society	that	
believes	in	equal	and	quality	education	for	all	citizenry.	The	implementation	of	inclusive	lower	primary	
education	lies	on	the	shoulder	of	the	teachers;	being	the	custodian	or	facilitator	of	knowledge	and	as	well	
the	ones	who	guide	the	younger	generation	or	pupils	to	knowledge.	Many	countries,	including	Nigeria	
are	making	effort	to	 implement	 inclusive	education,	yet	 inclusive	education	 is	yet	to	gain	ground	 in	
Nigeria	(Odebiyi,	2014;	Egbedeyi,	2017).	Therefore,	this	study	is	important	as	it	investigated	teachers’	
knowledge	of	inclusive	lower	primary	education	in	Ifako-Ijaiye	Local	Government	Area	of	Lagos	State.	

	
Research	Question	
One	research	question	was	answered	in	this	study.	

1. What	is	the	level	of	teachers’	knowledge	of	 inclusive	lower	primary	education	in	Ifako-Ijaiye	
Local	Government	Area	of	Lagos	State?	

	
LITERATURE	REVIEW	
Teachers’	Knowledge	Of	Inclusive	Lower	Primary	Education	

Asodike	and	Ikpitibo	(2011)	state	that	“primary	education	is	the	foundation	of	formal	education”.	
Primary	 education	 becomes	 important	 no	 wonder	 every	 nation	 strives	 to	 provide	 quality	 primary	
education	for	her	children.	It	is	worth	noting	that	primary	education	provides	an	avenue	for	the	receivers	
to	acquire	certain	skills,	which	will	be	useful	to	the	pupils	and	society.	It	is	important	to	note	that	pupils	
who	attend	primary	education	have	a	higher	chance	to	complete	tertiary	education	and	enjoy	a	good	
standard	of	living	(Asodike	and	Ikpitibo,	2011).		

The	first	three	years	of	primary	education	is	tagged	as	lower	primary	education,	and	it	is	the	last	
cohort	of	early	childhood	education.	Akinbote	(2011)	and	Oduolowu	(2011)	note	that	early	childhood	
education	 covers	 from	 birth	 to	 eight	 plus,	 and	 it	 can	 be	 accounted	 for	 the	 largest	 percentage	 of	
development	in	pupils	before	age	eight.	Hence,	lower	primary	education	is	very	important	in	the	lives	of	
pupils	as	it	provides	an	avenue	to	correct,	adjust	and	modify	any	challenge,	prepare	pupils	for	the	task	in	
life	as	well	as	ensure	holistic	development	of	pupils	is	given	a	priority.	Thus,	no	child	should	be	left	
behind.�	

Inclusive	education	is	very	important	towards	providing	and	educating	pupils	with	or	without	
special	 needs	 without	 any	 iota	 of	 discrimination.	 The	 term	 "inclusion"	 replaced	 all	 previous	
terminologies,	 such	 as	 integrated	special	 education,	 reverse	mainstreaming	 in	 hopes	 that	 the	 word	
would	mean	more	than	placing	pupils	with	special	needs	in	the	regular	education	classroom	will	aid	the	
holistic	developments	of	both	the	regular	and	special	need	such	as	a	sense	of	belonging,	interpersonal	
relationship	with	colleague	and	teachers,	learning	(Odom,	Buysse	and	Soukakou,	2011).		

The	 major	 aim	 of	 inclusive	 education	 is	 to	 eliminate	 social	 exclusion,	 discrimination,	 and	
sympathy	society	has	developed	for	the	special	needs	children,	which	form	as	a	result	of	their	attitudes,	
perception,	and	knowledge	as	respect	 for	 individual	child	difference	or	uniqueness	(Adetoro,	2014).	
According	 to	 United	 Nations	 Children's	 Fund	 (UNICEF),	 2007,	 pupils	 with	 special	 needs	 face	
discrimination	in	various	means:	cultural	prejudices	often	reflect	guilt,	shame	or	even	fear	associated	
with	 the	 birth	 of	 a	 child	 with	 a	 special	 need.,	 socio-economic,	 legislative	 measures,	 inaccessible	
environment	to	children	with	special	needs.	Therefore,	inclusive	education	becomes	an	avenue	to	tackle	
all	 the	 discrimination,	 that	 is,	 all	 the	 educational	 stakeholders	 need	 to	 work	 together	 in	 order	 to	



International	Journal	of	Emerging	Issues	in	Early	Childhood	Education	(IJEIECE),	Vol.	2	(2),	116-126	
Teachers	Knowledge	Of	Inclusive	Lower	Primary	Education	In	Ifako-Ijaiye	Local	Government	Area	Of	Lagos	State,	

Nigeria	
Temitope	Funminiyi	Egbedeyi	

 
ISSN 2685-4074 (online) 

│ 119 

implement	inclusive	education.	One	of	the	most	important	stakeholders	is	teachers,	the	implementer	of	
inclusive	education.		

The	teacher	is	one	of	the	stakeholders	and	perhaps	the	most	important	one	for	the	success	of	
inclusive	education	(Sucuoğlu,	Bakkaloğlu,	Karasu,	Demir	&	Akalın,	2014).	Maheshwari	and	Shapurkar	
(2015)	state	that	“a	major	part	of	the	responsibility	for	the	actualizing	of	an	inclusive	system	where	
excellence	and	equality	work	in	perfect	harmony	therefore	rests	in	the	hands	of	the	teacher”.	However,	
teachers	need	to	be	aware	of	the	needs	of	children	with	special	needs,	modified	the	class	curriculum	with	
practice,	and	extra	effort	are	significantly	necessary	for	teachers	to	impart	knowledge	in	inclusive	lower	
education.		

Right	information,	training,	and	awareness	on	the	concept	of	inclusive	education	are	passed	to	the	
teachers,	and	it	will	develop	the	teachers'	self-confidence	about	the	roles	they	needed	to	perform	in	the	
classroom	(Burke	and	Shutlerland,	2004;	Maheshwari	and	Shapurkar,	2015).	Since	lack	of	knowledge,	
awareness	and	skills	needed	to	support	 children	with	special	needs	alongside	regular	children	 in	a	
regular	classroom	is	a	major	barrier	as	it	affect	the	implementation,	 influenced	teachers’	disposition,	
perceptive	and	attitude	towards	inclusive	education	(Maheshwari	and	Shapurkar,	2015).		

Sucuoğlu	et	al.	(2014),	 in	their	findings,	report	that	teachers'	lack	of	knowledge	of	teaching	in	
inclusive	preprimary	and	elementary	classroom,	the	level	of	teachers	knowledge	of	children	with	special	
needs	 seemed	 deficient,	 thus,	 their	 lack	 of	 inadequate	 knowledge	 is	 reflected	 in:	 assessment	 and	
adaptations,	 supporting	 language	 and	 speech	 and	 inclusive	 classroom	 management.	 Sucuoğlu	 et	 al	
(2014)	advocate	that	teachers	need	to	have	access	to	training	on	inclusive	education	practices,	skills	and	
hands-on	training	opportunities	for	working	with	children	with	special	needs	rather	than	focusing	on	the	
teachers’	knowledge.		

Also,	Crane-Mitchel	and	Hedge	(2007),	in	their	study,	emphasize	that	teachers	do	not	understand	
the	features	of	children	with	special	needs	and	as	well	lack	knowledge	related	to	meeting	these	children's	
needs.	Dapudong	(2014)	reveals	that	“teachers	have	moderate	knowledge	on	inclusive	education	as	a	
way	 of	 reducing	 social	 discrimination	 and	 as	 integration	 of	 Special	 Educational	 Needs	 students	 in	
mainstream	classrooms	yet	exhibited	partial	knowledge	on	inclusive	education	as	an	avenue	that	can	
educate	all	children	irrespective	of	race,	creed,	gender,	and	socio-economic	status”	(Dapudong,	2014).		

Inclusive	education	was	introduced	in	the	Nigeria	National	Policy	on	Education	in	2004,	various	
researchers	had	carried	out	studies	on	inclusive	education	such	as	Inclusive	education	in	Nigeria:	the	
Journey	so	far	(Salami,	2013),	inclusive	education	in	the	21st	century:	challenges	and	opportunities	for	
Nigeria	(Garuba,	2003);	however,	lack	of	enough	or	no	research	studies	on	the	teachers'	knowledge	of	
inclusive	 education;	 which	 can	 serve	 as	 the	 catalyst	 of	 ensuring	 full	 implementation	 of	 inclusive	
education.	 Thus,	 this	 study	 aimed	 at	 providing	 empirical	 evidence	 on	 the	 teachers’	 knowledge	 of	
inclusive	lower	primary	education	in	Ifako-Ijaiye	Local	Government	Area	of	Lagos	State.	Ifako-Ijaiye,	as	
the	research-based,	was	premised	on	the	availability	of	primary	school,	which	has	inclusive	units	but	
failed	to	practice	inclusive	education	as	it	supposes	to	be.	The	observation	has	shown	that	integration	
was	termed	as	inclusive	education.	In	addition,	there	are	few	such	schools	in	the	Local	Government	Area.	
However,	the	results	from	this	work	can	serve	as	a	guideline	on	what	government	needs	to	do	in	order	to	
ensure	full	implementation	of	inclusive	education.		

	
Hypotheses	

Ho1:	 There	 is	 no	 significant	 relationship	 between	 teachers’	 level	 of	 education	 and	 their	
knowledge	of	inclusive	education	in	Ifako-Ijaiye	Local	Government	Area	of	Lagos	State.	
H02:	 	 There	 is	 no	 significant	 difference	 between	 special	 and	 regular	 teachers	 in	 their	
knowledge	of	inclusive	education	in	Ifako-Ijaiye	Local	Governa	ment	Area	of	Lagos	State.	



International	Journal	of	Emerging	Issues	in	Early	Childhood	Education	(IJEIECE),	Vol.	2	(2),	116-126	
Teachers	Knowledge	Of	Inclusive	Lower	Primary	Education	In	Ifako-Ijaiye	Local	Government	Area	Of	Lagos	State,	

Nigeria	
Temitope	Funminiyi	Egbedeyi	

 
ISSN 2685-4074 (online) 120 │ 

METHODOLOGY	
Aggarwal	 (2008)	 “defines	 descriptive	survey	 research	design	as	 devoted	 to	 the	gathering	 of	

information	about	prevailing	conditions	or	situations	for	the	purpose	of	description	and	interpretation”.	
Thus,	a	descriptive	survey	research	design	was	used	for	this	study,	with	the	purpose	to	observe,	record,	
analyze,	 interpret	and	describe	 the	knowledge	of	 teachers	on	 inclusive	education	at	 lower	primary	
classes	as	it	exists,	without	any	iota	of	manipulating	any	variable.	The	population	for	this	study	covered	
all	 teachers	(regular	and	special)	of	 the	 lower	primary	pupils	 in	 Ifako-Ijaye	Local	Government.	The	
random	sampling	technique	was	used	to	select	ten	(10)	regular	primary	schools,	while	total	enumeration	
was	used	to	select	the	two	(2)	special	schools	in	Ifako	Ijaye	Local	Government	Area	of	Lagos	State.	Simple	
random	was	used	to	select	3	lower	primary	school	teachers	in	both	the	regular	and	special	schools	from	
the	first	three	classes	of	the	primary	school.	At	the	end	of	the	selection,	35	teachers	participated	in	the	
study.	The	research	instrument	used	for	this	study	was	self-designed	titled	 ‘Teachers	Knowledge	of	
Inclusive	Education	Questionnaire	(TKIEQ)’.	The	research	instrument	consisted	of	two	sections.	Section	
A	focused	on	the	demographic	information	of	the	participants,	and	Section	B	measured	the	teachers'	
knowledge	of	inclusive	lower	primary	education,	and	it	contained	14	items	which	were	derived	from	the	
literature	on	a	two	response	scale.	The	TKIEQ	was	validated	with	a	split-half	technique,	which	yielded	a	
coefficient	of	0.92.	The	data	were	analyzed	using	descriptive	statistics	of	frequency	count,	percentage,	
mean,	and	standard	deviation,	while	inferential	statistics	of	Pearson	product-moment	correlation	and	t-
test	were	used	to	test	the	hypotheses.�	

	
RESULTS	AND	DISCUSSION	

Data	were	collected	from	35	teachers	who	fully	participated	in	the	study,	out	of	which	29(83%)	
teach	in	regular	school,	and	6(17%)	teach	in	a	special	school.	

	
Figure	1:	Bar-Chart	showing	the	School	type	of	Teachers�	

	

The	 educational	 qualifications	 of	 the	 teachers	 are	 as	 follows:	 2(6%)	 were	 primary	 leaving	
certificate	holders,	5(14%)	were	SSCE	holders,	14(40%)	were	degree	holders,	12(34%)	were	others	
(certificate)	holders,	and	2(5.7%)	did	not	indicate.	



International	Journal	of	Emerging	Issues	in	Early	Childhood	Education	(IJEIECE),	Vol.	2	(2),	116-126	
Teachers	Knowledge	Of	Inclusive	Lower	Primary	Education	In	Ifako-Ijaiye	Local	Government	Area	Of	Lagos	State,	

Nigeria	
Temitope	Funminiyi	Egbedeyi	

 
ISSN 2685-4074 (online) 

│ 121 

	

Figure	2:	Bar-Chart	showing	the	Educational	Qualifications	of	the	Teachers	

Research	 Question	 1:	 What	 is	 the	 level	 of	 teachers’	 knowledge	 of	 inclusive	 lower	 primary	
education	in	Ifako-Ijaiye	Local	Government	Area	of	Lagos	State?	

	
Table	1:	Descriptive	Statistics	of	Frequency	and	Percentage	showing	the	Level	of	Teachers’	

Knowledge	Inclusive	Lower	Primary	Education	
S/N	 ITEM	 FALSE	 TRUE	
1	 Inclusive	education	is	hard	to	maintain	in	term	of	assessment,	

placing	children	with	special	needs	in	the	regular	classroom	
8	
(23)	

27	
(77)	

2	 Inclusive	education	encourages	teachers	to	spend	quality	time	
with	special	needs	children	than	their	counterpart�	

9	
(26)	

26	
(74)	

3	 Inclusive	education	makes	teachers	better	than	any	other	forms	
of	educational	practices		

15	
(43)	

20	
(57)	

4	 Inclusive	education	protect	the	right	of	every	child	irrespective	
of	their	needs	or	interest�	

10	
(29)	

25	
(71)	

5.		 Proper	training,	the	good	curriculum	will	help	teacher	to	
function	well	in	inclusive	education�	

6	
(17)	

29	
(83)	

6	 Early	identification	of	the	needs	of	special	children	will	guide	
teachers	to	plan	learning	lessons.		�	

5	
(14)	

30	
(86)	

7	 Inclusive	education	put	unnecessary	pressure	on	the	parents	of	
both	children	with	and	without	special	needs	

9	
(26)	

26	
(74)	

8.		 Inclusive	education	develop	leadership	skill	in	the	children			 21	
(60)	

14	
(40)	

9	 Learning	is	easy	in	inclusive	classroom	than	segregated	
classroom	

22	
(63)	

13	
(37)	

10.	 Inclusive	education	bridge	the	gap	between	regular	and	special	
teachers	since	they	are	working	together	under	the	same	roof	
with	the	same	pupils/children�	

17	
(49)	

18	
(51)	

11.	 Inclusive	education	provides	special	training	for	teachers	to	cope	
with	the	inclusive	classroom�	

9	
(26)	

26	
(74)	

12.	 Inclusive	education	brings	weariness	and	tiredness	at	a	very	fast	
pace�	

11	
(31)	

24	
(69)	



International	Journal	of	Emerging	Issues	in	Early	Childhood	Education	(IJEIECE),	Vol.	2	(2),	116-126	
Teachers	Knowledge	Of	Inclusive	Lower	Primary	Education	In	Ifako-Ijaiye	Local	Government	Area	Of	Lagos	State,	

Nigeria	
Temitope	Funminiyi	Egbedeyi	

 
ISSN 2685-4074 (online) 122 │ 

13.	 Teachers	productivity	will	increase	due	to	inclusive	education	 13	
(37)	

22	
(63)	

14.	 Necessary	learning	resources,	school	infrastructure,	and	finance	
will	make	inclusive	education	run	smoothly.�	

6	
(17)	

29	
(83)	

	 Average	Percentage=	53.6	 	 	
	

Table	1	shows	the	level	of	teachers'	knowledge	of	inclusive	lower	primary	education.	The	detailed	
analysis	shows	that	teachers	have	knowledge	of	inclusive	education	that:	Early	identification	of	the	needs	
of	 special	 children	 will	 guide	 teachers	 to	 plan	 learning	 lesson	 (86%).	 Proper	 training,	 the	 good	
curriculum	will	help	teacher	to	function	well	in	inclusive	education(83%),	Necessary	learning	resources,	
school	infrastructure,	and	finance	will	make	inclusive	education	run	smoothly(83%),	Inclusive	education	
provide	special	training	for	teachers	to	cope	within	the	inclusive	classroom	(74%),	Inclusive	education	
protects	right	of	every	child	irrespective	of	their	needs	or	interest	(71%),	Teachers	productivity	will	
increase	due	to	inclusive	education	(63%),	Inclusive	education	makes	teachers	better	than	any	other	
forms	of	educational	practices	(57%)	and	Inclusive	education	bridge	gap	between	regular	and	special	
teachers	since	they	are	working	together	under	the	same	roof	with	the	same	pupils/children	(51%).		

Teachers	have	no	knowledge	that:	Learning	is	easy	in	the	inclusive	classroom	than	the	segregated	
classroom	(63%)	and	Inclusive	education	develop	leadership	skill	in	the	children	(60%)	were	stated	in	
positive	term	while	 Inclusive	education	brings	weariness	and	tiredness	at	 the	very	 fast	pace	(31%),	
Inclusive	education	put	unnecessary	pressure	on	the	parents	of	both	children	with	and	without	special	
needs	(26%),	Inclusive	education	encourages	teachers	to	spend	quality	time	with	special	needs	children	
than	their	counterpart	(26%),	Inclusive	education	is	hard	to	maintain	in	term	of	assessment,	placing	
children	with	special	needs	in	the	regular	classroom(23%)	were	stated	in	the	negative	term.	The	average	
percentage	of	the	table	is	53.6,	which	indicates	that	teachers	have	an	average	knowledge	of	inclusive	
lower	primary	education.	�	

This	result	falls	below	expectation,	which	can	be	deduced	as	one	of	the	reasons	inclusive	lower	
primary	education	is	not	fully	implemented	in	Nigeria.	This	might	be	as	a	result	of	little	exposure	of	the	
teachers	to	inclusive	education,	non-sufficient	availability	of	inclusive	lower	primary	schools	in	Lagos	
and	Nigeria	at	large,	inaccessible	to	books	on	inclusive	education,	among	others.	Their	lack	of	adequate	
knowledge	of	inclusive	lower	primary	education	has	an	impact	on	their	beliefs	and	attitude	toward	it,	
and	also	on	the	implementation.	This	finding	is	in	support	of	Sucuoğlu	et	al.	(2014)	in	their	findings	
report	that	teachers’	lack	of	knowledge	of	teaching	in	inclusive	preprimary	and	elementary	classroom,	
the	 level	of	 teachers	knowledge	of	children	with	special	needs	seemed	deficient	and	the	study	also	
supports	the	finding	of	Dapudong	(2014)	reveals	that	teachers	have	moderate	knowledge	on	inclusive	
education	as	a	way	of	reducing	social	discrimination	and	as	the	integration	of	Special	Educational	Needs	
pupils	in	the	mainstream.�	
	

Testing	the	Null	Hypotheses	
Ho1:	 There	 is	 no	 significant	 relationship	 between	 teachers’	 levels	 of	 education	 and	 their	

knowledge	of	inclusive	education	
	
	
	
	



International	Journal	of	Emerging	Issues	in	Early	Childhood	Education	(IJEIECE),	Vol.	2	(2),	116-126	
Teachers	Knowledge	Of	Inclusive	Lower	Primary	Education	In	Ifako-Ijaiye	Local	Government	Area	Of	Lagos	State,	

Nigeria	
Temitope	Funminiyi	Egbedeyi	

 
ISSN 2685-4074 (online) 

│ 123 

Table	2:	Summary	of	Pearson	Product	Moment	Correlation	showing	the	Relationship	between	
Teachers’	Level	of	Education	and	Knowledge	of	Inclusive	Education	
Variable	 N	 Mean	 Std.D	 r	 Sig	 Remark	
Educational	Qualification	
	
	
	
Knowledge	of	Inclusive	
Education	

	
	
35	
	
	
	

2.91	
	
	
	
8.23	

1.12	
	
	
	
2.98	

	
	
0.288	

	
	
.094	

	
Not	
significant	

	
Table	2	shows	that	there	is	no	significant	relationship	between	teachers’	level	of	education	and	

knowledge	of	inclusive	education	(r=	0.29;	P>0.05).	Therefore,	hypothesis	1	is	not	rejected.	This	finding	
reveals	that	teachers’	level	of	education	has	no	influence	on	their	knowledge	of	inclusive	education.	This	
could	be	as	a	result	of	the	seminar,	workshop,	and	other	forms	of	training	which	is	accessible	to	the	
teachers,	and	also	 their	 years	of	 teaching	experience	might	 have	an	 impact	 on	 their	 knowledge	 of	
inclusive	education.	This	 finding	support	 that	of	Sucuoğlu	et	al.	 (2013),	who	 finds	out	 that	 it	 is	no	
different	in	the	knowledge	level	of	the	teachers	and	also	submit	that	proper	training	of	teachers	will	
increase	 their	 knowledge	 level.	 Also,	 Maheshwari	 and	 Shapurkar's	 (2015)	 findings	 show	 that	 the	
teachers'	knowledge	about	the	meaning	of	special	needs,	types,	causes,	and	intervention	was	more	based	
on	what	they	have	seen	around	them	than	the	scientific	knowledge	base.	Most	of	them	were	not	aware	of	
the	term	“inclusive	education.	

H02:		There	is	no	significant	difference	between	special	and	regular	teachers	in	their	knowledge	of	
inclusive	education	

	
Table	3:	Summary	of	t-test	Analysis	showing	the	difference	between	Regular	and	Special	Teachers	

on	Knowledge	of	Inclusive	Education	
Variable		 N	 Mean	 Std.D	 t	 df	 Sig.	 Remark		
knowledge	of	inclusive	
education	
	
Regular	
		
	
Special	
	

	
	
	
29	
	
	
6	

	
	
	
8.349	
	
	
7.667	

	
	
	
3.027	
	
	
2.944	
	

	
	
	
	
0.502	

	
	
	
	
33	

	
	
	
	
0.619	

	
	
	
Not	
significant		

Table	3	shows	that	there	 is	no	significant	difference	between	regular	and	special	teachers	on	
knowledge	of	inclusive	education	(t	=	0.50;	df	=	33;	p>0.05).	Therefore,	hypothesis	2	is	not	rejected.	This	
implies	that	the	school	type	of	teachers	has	no	impact	on	their	knowledge	of	inclusive	education.	This	
might	be	due	to	a	lack	of	awareness	on	inclusive	education,	and	little	presence	of	training	which	will	
prepare	the	teachers	with	the	necessary	skills	needed	to	implement	inclusive	education	is	not	public.	
This	 result	 is	 in	 line	 with	 Forlin	 (2001),	 who	 suggests	 that	 one	 of	 the	 greatest	 barriers	 to	 the	
development	of	inclusion	is	that	primary	school	teachers	do	not	have	the	required	knowledge,	skills,	and	
attitudes	to	carry	out	this	work.	Bruns	and	Mogharberran	(2009)	are	of	the	opinion	teachers	at	the	
elementary	and	preschool	level	lack	adequate	preparation	to	teach	children	with	special	needs.	
	

CONCLUSION	
Efforts	have	been	made	by	Nigerian	government	in	ensuring	that	inclusive	education	comes	to	

stay	in	Nigeria,	however,	various	reasons	and	challenges	such	as	parental	belief	and	attitude,	teacher's	



International	Journal	of	Emerging	Issues	in	Early	Childhood	Education	(IJEIECE),	Vol.	2	(2),	116-126	
Teachers	Knowledge	Of	Inclusive	Lower	Primary	Education	In	Ifako-Ijaiye	Local	Government	Area	Of	Lagos	State,	

Nigeria	
Temitope	Funminiyi	Egbedeyi	

 
ISSN 2685-4074 (online) 124 │ 

awareness	of	 inclusion	have	played	significant	roles	 in	the	 implementation	of	 inclusive	education	 in	
Ifako-Ijaiye	and	Nigeria.	As	popular	axiom	"you	cannot	give	what	you	do	not	have"	this	statement	is	true	
in	 Nigeria,	 as	 teachers	 are	 reluctant	 in	 implementing	 inclusive	 education	 due	 to	 perceiving	 stress	
associated	with	it.		Thus,	this	study	has	established	that	teachers	reluctant	to	implement	inclusive	lower	
education	is	their	lack	of	adequate	knowledge	about	how	inclusive	education	works.	

	
RECOMMENDATIONS	

The	following	recommendations	were	made	based	on	the	findings	of	this	study:	Governments,	
concerned	NGOs,	and	Scholars	should	ensure	that	regular	training	is	organized	for	the	teachers	in	order	
to	 update	 their	 knowledge	 about	 inclusive	 education.	 Both	 regular	 and	 special	 teachers	 should	 be	
exposed	to	the	same	level	of	training	via	seminars,	workshops,	and	symposium,	due	to	the	fact	there	is	no	
difference	in	their	knowledge	of	inclusive	education.		

	
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Doubleday	
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Burke,	K.	and	Sutherland,	C.	(2004).	Attitudes	towards	inclusion:	Knowledge	vs.	Experience.		
Education	125(2):	pp	163-172	

Chaula,	G.	J.	(2014).	Challenges	Teachers	Face	in	Implementation	of	Inclusive	Education	in		
Primary	Schools	in	Tanzania	A	Case	Study	of	Two	Primary	Schools	in	Tanzania.		
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Crane-Mitchel,	L.,	and	Hedge,	A.	V.	(2007).	Belief	and	practices	of	in-service	preschool						
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Dapudong,	R.	C.	(2014).	Teachers’	Knowledge	and	Attitude	towards	Inclusive	Education:		

Basis	for	an	Enhanced	Professional	Development	Program.	International	Journal	of		
Learning	and	Development	4(4)	

Fakolade,	O.	A	and	Adeniyi,	S.	O.	(2009).	Attitude	of	teachers	towards	the	inclusion	of		
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Egbedeyi,	T.	F.	(2017).	Parents	and	Teachers’	Awareness	and	Knowledge	of	Economic	and		
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Garuba,	A.	(2003).	Inclusive	Education	on	the	21st	Century.	Challenges	and	Opportunities		
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Teachers	Knowledge	Of	Inclusive	Lower	Primary	Education	In	Ifako-Ijaiye	Local	Government	Area	Of	Lagos	State,	

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Struzik,	A.	(2014).	Different	ways	to	individual	success	of	a	pupil	–	from	segregation	to		
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Zdzisława	Zacłona	and	Ivica	Radovanović.	Nowy	Sącz	pp	9-17	

Sucuoğlu,	B.,	Bakkaloğlu,	H.,	Karasu,	F.	İ.,	Demir,	Ş.,	and	Akalın,	S.	(2014).	Inclusive		
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International	Journal	of	Emerging	Issues	in	Early	Childhood	Education	(IJEIECE),	Vol.	2	(2),	116-126	
Teachers	Knowledge	Of	Inclusive	Lower	Primary	Education	In	Ifako-Ijaiye	Local	Government	Area	Of	Lagos	State,	

Nigeria	
Temitope	Funminiyi	Egbedeyi	

 
ISSN 2685-4074 (online) 126 │ 

APPENDIX		

TEACHERS’	KNOWLEDGE	OF	INCLUSIVE	EDUCATION	QUESTIONNAIRE	(TKIEQ)	
Dear	Teacher,	
This	 instrument	 is	designed	to	obtain	 information	on	the	knowledge	of	 inclusive	education	 in	
Ifako-Ijaye	Local	Government.	The	information	collected	is	purely	for	academic	purpose	and	such	
information	provided	will	be	treated	with	utmost	confidentiality.	Therefore,	kindly	 feel	 free	to	
answer	the	questions	without	any	reservation.	
Thank	you	
SECTION	A:	DEMOGRAPHIC	INFORMATION	
Gender:		Male	(					)				Female	(					)�	
Educational	Qualification:	Primary	leaving	certificate	(					)	SSCE	(					)	Degree/HND	(					)	others	(							
)	--------�	
School	type:	regular	(					)	special	school	(					)�	
Teaching	Experience:					1-5years	(				)					6-10years	(				)					11-15years	(				)					16-20years	(				)					20	
years	and	above	(				)	
	
SECTION	B:	KNOWLEDGE	OF	INCLUSIVE	EDUCATION	PRACTICES	

Kindly	 indicate	 the	extent	 to	which	you	agree	or	disagree	with	 the	 following	 items	by	 ticking	
FALSE	OR	TRUE	

S/N	 ITEM	 FALSE	 TRUE	
1	 Inclusive	education	is	hard	to	maintain	in	term	of	assessment,	

placing	children	with	special	needs	in	the	regular	classroom	
	 	

2	 Inclusive	education	encourage	teachers	to	spend	quality	time	with	
special	needs	children	than	their	counterpart	

	 	

3	 Inclusive	education	makes	teachers	better	than	any	other	forms	of	
educational	practices		

	 	

4	 Inclusive	education	protect	right	of	every	child	irrespective	of	their	
needs	or	interest	

	 	

5.		 Proper	training,	good	curriculum	will	help	teacher	to	function	well	
in	inclusive	education	

	 	

6	 Early	identification	of	needs	of	special	children	will	guide	teachers	
to	plan	learning	lesson.			

	 	

7	 Inclusive	education	put	unnecessary	pressure	on	the	parents	of	
both	children	with	and	without	special	needs	

	 	

8.		 Inclusive	education	develop	leadership	skill	in	the	children			 	 	
9	 Learning	is	easy	in	inclusive	classroom	than	segregated	classroom	 	 	
10.	 Inclusive	education	bridge	gap	between	regular	and	special	

teachers	since	they	are	working	together	under	the	same	roof	with	
the	same	pupils/children	

	 	

11.	 Inclusive	education	provide	special	training	for	teachers	to	cope	
within	the	inclusive	classroom	

	 	

12.	 Inclusive	education	bring	weariness	and	tiredness	at	the	very	fast	
pace	

	 	

13.	 Teachers	productivity	will	increase	due	to	inclusive	education	 	 	
14.	 Necessary	learning	resources,	school	infrastructure	and	finance	will	

make	inclusive	education	run	smoothly.