Exploring inclusive teaching competence as an approach to data-based development of Nigerian teacher training: a qualitative study on pre-service teachers’ perceptions of their students’ special needs and their implementation of inclusive teaching measures

As diversity among students is a reality, it is recommended that teachers worldwide meet the different needs of students through the implementation of inclusive education. The successful implementation is dependent on educational policies, teacher training, teachers’ professional competences, as well as on resources available in the single countries. In the case of Nigeria, previous research has shown that teacher training is neither providing future teachers effectively nor adequately with inclusive teaching competence. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to investigate and document Nigerian pre-service teachers’ inclusive teaching competence by exploring their perceptions of their students’ special needs as well as their implementation of inclusive teaching measures. Twenty interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis (intercoder reliability coefficient: 0.86). The interviews were conducted immediately after a practical phase within teacher training in which the pre-service teachers were to teach in an inclusive learning group including students with and without special needs for the first time. Results reveal that the Nigerian pre-service teachers under study strongly link special needs to disciplinary problems. Moreover, they not only lack professional terminology to describe special needs but also professional competence to implement inclusive teaching practices to meet their students’ needs.