Teacher Effectiveness in Adapting Instruction to the Needs of Pupils With Learning Difficulties in Regular Primary Schools in Ghana

Ghana education system has failed to effectively address the needsof pupils with learning difficulties (LDs) in regular classrooms. Underachievement,school dropout, streetism, and antisocial behaviors are the consequences. Teachers’ lackof adequate competence in adaptive instruction is one of the fundamental reasonsresponsible for this anomaly. This study aims to examine teachers’ competence inadapting instructions to teach pupils with LDs in the regular classroom in Ghana. Thedata were gathered from 387 sampled teachers in a cross-sectional survey usingquestionnaires and structured observation methods. We analyzed the data usingdescriptive statistic, chi-square test, correlation, t test, and ANOVA. The results showthat (a) teachers have limited to moderate competence in adaptive instruction, (b)adaptive teaching is strongly associated with teachers’ competence in teaching pupilswith LDs in the regular classroom, and (c) apart from gender and class size, teachers’background variables such as school location and teaching experience differsignificantly. The study has serious implications for Ghana’s inclusive education policyand teaching practice