Experiences of learners with Mental Retardation learning in an Inclusive Educational setting. A case study of Kadoma Urban in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of learners with mental retardation learning in an inclusive education setting in Kadoma Urban in Zimbabwe. An inclusive education setting is one that aims to remove exclusionary practices within the education system and promote education systems that accept all people irrespective of their difference. Inclusive education practices on its own is not uniquely designed for people with disabilities, but they have been adopted by most developing countries as a basic strategy to influence and enhance social acceptance and personal growth among people with disabilities. A constructivist lived experience perspective underpinned this research, in which multiple case studies were used to interact with the participants on inclusion and their experience learning in an inclusive education among learners with mental retardation, (7 participants; 2 males and 5 females) were purposively sampled. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and transcribed verbatim. Three themes emerged from the inductive thematic analysis of data sources. It was found that participants were not recognising inclusive education peers without mental retardation as significant others, the study also found poor self-acceptance in the participants and they reported low levels of social acceptance in their schools. The findings of this study have the potential for the inclusive communities’ policy makers and researchers to better understand the attitudes of learners with mental retardation towards learning in inclusive education settings.   Keywords: Inclusive education, learners with mental retardation, self-acceptance, social acceptance, peers’