Our voices matter in moving towards the ideal of inclusive education in Nigeria.

• In Event: Poster Session 6
  In Poster Session: Our voices matter in moving towards the ideal of inclusive education in Nigeria.

Proposal

Who am I? Why do they refer to me as ‘the blind boy?”
As a special-needs teacher, I have heard such questions from my students. As a researcher, I bring the voices of young adults with disabilities and their parents into discourse and recommendations for inclusive education in Nigeria, my homeland. This research features in-depth narratives of these participants on navigating the terrain of Nigerian society and schools with different models of special education.
I utilize Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological model as a theoretical framework to design the ecology of inclusive education using narrative inquiry to bring in the voices of all the participants to share their journey of special education in Nigeria and how to make the school systems more inclusive.

My study offers a qualitative inquiry into narratives of what entails navigating the educational system in Nigeria for young adults with exceptional needs, for their parents, teachers, and policymakers. I understand that where a child with special needs is born and lives impacts that child’s educational journey within particular social, cultural, and economic environments. Therefore, my study considers contextual and relational perspectives from young adults with disabilities to their families, the community, and the nation. In addition, this study brings recommendations for moving Nigerian educational systems towards equitable learning opportunities and the ideal of inclusive education.
The study brings to perspective the importance of listening to the stories of people (n-11) who experience a peculiar occurrence (living with disabilities, parenting a child(ren) with disabilities, teaching children with disabilities) within a specific context, Nigeria. I invite them to share their stories using Clandinin and Connelly’s narrative inquiry methodology, offering them a space to share rich, lived experiences. Furthermore, how their experiences have shaped their knowledge and daily lifestyle in accessing education in Nigeria. These participants were purposefully selected because of their life trajectory through the different educational systems before inclusive education. Also, how these stories inform the educational system in Nigeria on ways to move towards inclusive education for people with disabilities, I analyze the participants’ narratives through the lens of Urie Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological system theory (1986) in search of themes by coding the narratives into small categories of information while noting relationships in the stories.
The findings from this research from the participants’ narratives included the effect of stigma and cultural beliefs in including people with disabilities alongside non-disabled peers. Also, the lack of resources, funding, and professional development for teachers in inclusive education. Parents asked for immense community support, including their workplace, government, and immediate environment. With these findings, I developed what an ecology of inclusive education should look like, considering the systems in Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model and including all these structures. Recommendations from this study include the need for professional development for teachers, parents’ networks to support themselves, and public awareness to address the stigma toward people with disabilities and their families. Finally, the Nigerian government should increase funding, allocate budget, and availability of resources to people with disabilities and their families. Inclusive education has become a global phenomenon, so it’s time for Nigeria to implement every policy enacted to support people with disabilities in the educational system.

Author

• Joann Ihuoma Anokwuru, University of British Columbia