Community and Not Identity First: How Bahamian Teachers Educate Students with Disabilities Without a Formal Inclusion Model

• In Event: AER Roundtable Session Friday 1:45 pm - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Inclusion, Transnationalism, and Pedagogical Innovation in Africa and the Caribbean

Abstract

In The Bahamas, public school teachers often educate students with diverse academic and behavioral needs without formal special or inclusive education systems or training. Limited healthcare and educational resources leave many disabilities undiagnosed, placing additional demands on teachers. Using decoloniality as a framework, this qualitative study draws on interviews with ten Bahamian teachers to explore how they support students in these conditions. Findings highlight how educators rely on local and community knowledge to nurture students’ academic, emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being. The study underscores the value of indigenous pedagogies and urges education stakeholders in the global south to resist adopting U.S. models uncritically, instead embracing culturally grounded approaches to inclusive education.

Authors

• Phillandra Samantha Smith, University of Pittsburgh

• Jaleah N Robinson, Duquesne University