There has been an increase in advocacy for inclusion in education world-wide. In Uganda, the extent to which this provision is achieved is not yet consistent with the practices advocated for at international level. One of the basic parameters expected in inclusion is interaction between children with special needs and their peers. This main theme in this thesis is teacher training for inclusion. The issue explored in the study is how teacher education in Uganda is preparing pre-service teacher trainees to develop competencies for fostering communicative interactions in inclusive classrooms.
Within a qualitative study approach, data was obtained through document analysis, individual interviews with teacher trainers, focus group discussions with teacher trainees and field observations. The study yielded two main findings: First, the pre-service teacher education curriculum is not well suited to enable trainees to develop competencies for fostering communicative interaction in inclusive classrooms. Second, the skills-oriented provisions in the teacher education programme are not implemented in a way that might enable trainees to develop practical skills for performing the above role. The findings imply that there is need to revise the teacher education curriculum with a view to making the subject content and practical activities more relevant to helping trainees to develop the competencies for fostering communicative interaction in inclusive classrooms. Furthermore, there is need to dedicate more resources towards enhancing teacher training for inclusion.
By pointing out the accommodations made and how they are implemented to enable trainees to develop competencies for fostering communicative interaction in inclusive classrooms, the study attempts to shed light on how the policy of inclusion is implemented in practice in the context of Uganda. Considered at an international level, the findings generally reflect the extent to which the global agenda of inclusion is implemented in developing countries.