Demographic Characteristics of Teachers and Contextual Implications for Assistive Technology in Tanzanian Inclusive Secondary Schools

The policy of inclusive education in Tanzania provides the system with the requirement of learners with disabilities to be placed in regular classes of public secondary schools across the country, which increases the pressure on the professional preparedness and working conditions of teachers. This paper has examined demographic characteristics of teachers and contextual implications for assistive technology in Tanzanian inclusive secondary schools. The descriptive survey design was applied based on primary data that involved 180 teachers in public inclusive secondary schools. To summarise gender, age, teaching experience, academic qualifications, and teachers’ exposure to inclusive training, descriptive statistics were used in analysing the data in terms of frequencies and percentages. The results reveal that inclusive public secondary schools are run by a demographically diverse teaching staff; although, there is a significant gap between professional preparation levels of teachers in inclusive education and use of assistive technology. According to these differences, it is possible to imply that demographic factors influence the contextual circumstances within which inclusive education policies are implemented instead of directly defining the instructional practices. This study draws the conclusion that, to enhance the inclusive education in the Tanzanian secondary schools, the policy and the professional development plans that are both demographically and professionally responsive to the teachers are needed.