P articipation of Students with Special Needs In Extracurricular Activities

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Date

2006-06

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Publisher

Addis Ababa University

Abstract

The major purposes of this study were assessing the level of participation of students with special needs in extra curricular activities, identifying factors that affect their participation and problems that regular teachers face to include students with disabilities in extracurricular activities. To achieve the pUlposes descriptive survey method was applied. In the study, 3 groups of samples encompassing 53 regular teachers, 56 students without special needs and 34 students with special needs participated. Observation guide and questionnaire were the instntments u sed to collect data. Analysis was made both quantitatively and qualitatively. Both quantitatiue and qualitative analyses of data revealed that majority of students with special needs are kept out of extracurricular participation. The t-test employed showed statistically significant difference in the pm1icipation between the speciC/1 need and the non- special n eed groups, in which special need students were in lower leuel of pm1icipation. Nevertheless, no significant difference was found between male and female s tudent within the special n eed group. In the attempt to identify factors affecting students' pm1icipation lack of interest by themselves, discouraging attitude from non-special need peers, lack of initiation (interest) from the teachers to include them in such activities , lack of time and less suitability of activities practiced in schools to their participation were identified a s the stumbling blocks in their participation. Regarding the problems faced by teache rs in including students with special needs to pm1icipation in extracurricular activities lack of proper tmining, absence of guiding material, lo w interest and lack of awareness from students, schools' inability to provide material aid to thes e pupils and lack of suppol1 to teachers' effol1 were identified as impeding factors. Based on the finding s some pragmatic measures were suggested to improve the participation of students with special needs ill extracun-icular activities, which can e nhance the growth and development of these children.

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Keywords

special needs in extra curricular activities,

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