Knowledge and Techniques of Basic Schools Teachers in the Identification and Management of Pupils with Special Educational Needs

The objective of this study was to investigate the knowledge and techniques of teachers from basic schools in identifying and managing of children with special educational needs. The study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive research design. Sixty-five full-time teachers in Ghana (mean age of 35.04±9.05 years; mean work experience of 7.71 ±8.20 years) were recruited. Self-structured interview guide and questionnaire were used for data collection. Data analysis showed that 86.2% of the teachers reported being aware of educational and national policies for children with SEN in Ghana. Additionally, 93.9% indicated that they had received training and held responsibilities for identifying children with SEN in their classes. Regarding the methods used, 76.9% relied on referrals from parents, 75.4% on referrals from colleague teachers, and 70.8% on students’ academic progress reports. Moreover, 63.08% stated that “special attention” was the primary technique used in managing children with SEN. 86.15% agreed that “there are no resources, strategies, or interventions in schools that are particularly effective in supporting SEN children. As for support techniques, 84.6% reported collecting more detailed information from class teachers and conducting further assessments, 76.9% relied on information from parents, while 75.4% set targets for identifying children with SEN. Participants significantly conducted further assessments and arranged for assessments from other professionals as techniques of identifying children with SEN. Although the participants have a general understanding of how to identify and manage SEN children, they need more extensive exposure and practical experience in working with SEN children within the regular classroom environment.