Teachers’ Perception of Inclusive Education Policy Implementation in Primary Schools in Kogi State

This study examines teachers' perceptions of the implementation of inclusive education policy in public primary schools in Kogi State, North Central Nigeria. Inclusive education, which requires that children with diverse learning needs be educated alongside their peers in regular classrooms, has been adopted as national policy in Nigeria. However, implementation remains uneven, with teacher preparedness, attitudinal acceptance, and resource availability identified as critical success factors. In Kogi State, where special education infrastructure is limited, understanding classroom teachers' perspectives is particularly important for informing implementation strategy. A descriptive survey design was adopted, administering questionnaires to 200 primary school teachers across 20 schools in Lokoja, Okene, and Idah local government areas. Teacher perception dimensions assessed include attitudes toward inclusion, perceived competence to teach diverse learners, available support resources, and implementation challenges. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis were applied. Results reveal mixed perceptions, with the majority of teachers expressing moderate support for inclusion in principle but significant concerns about their capacity to meet diverse learning needs in large, under-resourced classes. Teachers without special education training showed markedly lower perceived competence. The study concludes that while teachers broadly support inclusive education values, implementation readiness is limited by training gaps and resource deficits. It recommends that the Kogi State Ministry of Education provide mandatory inclusion training for all primary school teachers and deploy itinerant special education support teachers to schools with identified learners with disabilities.

Keywords: inclusive education, teacher perception, primary school, Kogi State, special needs.