Inclusive education in Nigeria: exploring parental attitude, knowledge and perceived social norms influencing implementation

Inclusive education has become a ‘buzzword’ in the contemporary discourse on equal access to education. It has been argued that different stakeholders play a crucial role in an effort to implement inclusive education. Although teachers are key ‘architects’ who are expected to support the learning of all students in the classroom, the decisions of parents of children with and without disabilities are critical to successful implementation. In the Nigerian context, despite efforts at implementing inclusive education, only few studies have attempted to document parental perspectives. Employing Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study explored parental attitudes, knowledge and perceived social norms in influencing the implementation of inclusive education. A total of 708 parents completed the Parents’ Attitudes towards Inclusive Education (PATIE) survey questionnaire in two states in Nigeria. The study found that parents were ambivalent in their attitudes and had limited knowledge and slightly positive perceived social norms. The implications of the findings for policymaking are also discussed.