Stakeholder experiences, attitudes and perspectives on inclusive education for children with developmental disabilities in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review of qualitative studies

Abstract

Inclusive education is a key strategy in addressing the needs of children with autism and other developmental disabilities in sub-Saharan Africa, who rarely access specialist care or quality education. We aimed to systematically review qualitative research on stakeholder experiences, attitudes and perspectives on inclusive education for pupils with developmental disabilities in mainstream schools in sub-Saharan Africa. We searched five databases and selected relevant studies through a two-stage screening process. We synthesised the papers identified through template analysis of the Results and Discussion sections, guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Thirty-two publications met the inclusion criteria. The studies were conducted in seven countries and explored the experiences of pupils with developmental disabilities, parents, peers without developmental disabilities and teachers. Multiple barriers (e.g. unclear policies, insufficient training and support for teachers) and opportunities (e.g. teachers’ commitment to inclusion, collaboration between teachers, the work of non-governmental organisations (NGOs)) for implementing inclusive education for pupils with developmental disabilities in sub-Saharan Africa were identified, occurring across national and community contexts and school, classroom and individual teacher levels. To effectively implement inclusive education for pupils with developmental disabilities, teachers need access to appropriate training, resources and support. Governments can capitalise on motivated teachers and the relevant work of NGOs. Lay abstract In sub-Saharan Africa, there are few services for children with developmental disabilities such as autism and intellectual disability. One way to support these children is to include them in mainstream schools. However, currently, African children with developmental disabilities are often excluded from mainstream education opportunities. People involved (e.g. teachers, families and children) can offer information on factors that could ease or interfere with inclusion. This article discusses the findings of published studies that explored the views of relevant groups on including children with developmental disabilities in mainstream schools in sub-Saharan Africa. We systematically searched the literature and identified 32 relevant articles from seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa. We found that unclear policies and insufficient training, resources and support for teachers often blocked the implementation of inclusive education. Factors in favour of inclusive education were the commitment of many teachers to include pupils with developmental disabilities and the work of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which provided resources and training. This review suggests that motivated teachers should be provided with appropriate training, resources and support for inclusive education, directly and by promoting the work of NGOs.