Effects of Inclusive Education Programme on Reading Performance Among Primary School Pupils in Niger State
Keywords:
Inclusive Education, Academic Performance, Reading, Writing, ComputationAbstract
This study investigates the effects of inclusive education programmes on the academic performance of primary school pupils in the core areas of reading, writing, and computation and handwriting. three research questions and three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The Umolu informal reading inventory was adapted to measure literacy and a teacher made test to measure computation and handwriting proficiency. The study employed quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design and. A sample of forty-five (45) primary four pupils were purposively selected, and pupils’ performance in literacy, numeracy proficiency was assessed over a period of eight (8) weeks. Findings using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation for the research questions and inferential statistics of t-Test for the hypotheses revealed that inclusive education has a generally positive impact on academic outcomes on all the variables under observation, with pupils showing improved engagement and collaborative learning skills. The study concludes that while inclusive education can enhance academic performance, its effectiveness depends on adequate teacher training, resource availability, and ongoing support systems. Recommendations include strengthening teacher capacity and fostering adaptive teaching practices to meet diverse learning needs.
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