PRE-SERVICE SCIENCE EDUCATORS’ PERCEPTION OF PEDAGOGICAL SKILLS ACQUISITION AND THE USE OF OPEN TECHNOLOGY FOR INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM INTERACTION

Abstract

Inclusive education, as emphasized in SDG4, seeks to ensure that students with special educational needs (SEN) learn alongside their non-disabled peers in the same classroom environment, receiving equal learning opportunities. Despite its importance, the effective implementation of inclusive education remains a challenge, largely due to gaps in educator training programs. This study explores ways to address these challenges by examining how pre-service science educators can develop the necessary pedagogical skills through the use of open technology to facilitate inclusive classroom interactions. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design, formulating five research questions and testing two hypotheses at a 0.05 significance level. The target population included science education students from both public and private tertiary institutions in Ilorin. A total of 300 respondents were selected through random sampling, with 50 participants each drawn from a federal university, a state university, a private university, a federal college of education, a state college of education, and a private college of education. Data collection was conducted using a well-structured, 32-item questionnaire designed on a four-point Likert scale, titled “Pre-service Educators’ Acquisition of Pedagogical Skills with Open Technology for Inclusive Classroom Questionnaire (PEAPSOTICQ).” Findings indicated that a significant obstacle to inclusive education in Nigeria is educators' limited knowledge, which stems from inadequate training. However, the integration of open technology can support pre-service educators in acquiring essential pedagogical skills. The study recommends enhancing teacher training programs and promoting awareness of open technology to improve the implementation of inclusive education.