Abstract:
The main purpose of this study was to investigate the practices and challenges
implementation inclusive education primary schools of Gimbichu district in Hadiya zone.
Descriptive survey design was employed to conduct the study. The data were organized
through quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative data were analyzed by
using descriptive statistics such as percentages, frequency, mean and standard deviation
by using version 20 (SPSS) for data analysis. Qualitative data were transcribed coded and
then categorized into theme and presented in a narrative form. The major tools used for
data collection were questionnaires, interview, and document analysis and filed
observation. The data was collected from 12 school Principals, 126 teachers, 2 special
needs inclusive education experts and 4 supervisors. Simple random sampling techniques
was employed to obtain the data from teachers and census sampling technique was
employed to obtain data from principals, supervisors and SNIE experts. The result of the
study revealed that, the following major findings were obtained. The inadequate training
about special needs education teachers, lack of knowledge and awareness, lack of
motivation and commitments teachers and principals, inaccessible infrastructure, lack of
involvements of parents and stakeholder’s, lack of information communication technology
skill of teachers and rigid and poor teaching methods are major challenges of
implementation of inclusive education. Based on the findings some recommendations were
suggested such as; school principals should be follow up the implementation of IE
program, modifying the teaching learning methods in schools, modifying physical
infrastructure, to develop schools based implementation of inclusive education strategy,
allocating budget and finance, develop ongoing framework curriculum, raising awareness
about IE among parents and school community and s principals work collaboratively with
teachers parents and community were very strongly recommended.
