Strategies used in inclusive early childhood development classes attached to primary schools in the South Eastern district in Zimbabwe

The paper presents findings on strategies used by teachers in Chiredzi District-Zimbabwe to assist Early Childhood Development learners with special education needs. A mixed methods approach was used to gather data for the study. To gather data questionnaires, interviews, observation schedules and document analysis were used in twenty sampled early childhood development centres attached to primary schools. In the findings teachers were employing a variety of strategies such as differentiated instructions, small groupings of mixed learners, story games and songs to accommodate learners with special education needs. ECD teachers made attempts to modify teaching instructions and learning media in trying to assist learners with learning challenges, still they faced a lot of challenges in the process. Major barriers to inclusive education were large enrolments and lack of teacher competencies to offer expert assistance to learners with special education needs. The study recommends that the government set policies that enforce schools to stick to small teacher-pupilratios. Furthermore, extensive in-service and pre-service teacher training programmes that empower teachers for inclusivity are a critical requirement.