Abstract:
The main purpose of this study was to investigate the teachers’ perception to include students
with hearing impairment from grade 5
th
-8
th
in Yekatit 23 regular primary school which is found
in Bahir Dar city administration. The total participants were 14 those were, 12 regular teachers
and 2 school principals. The study raised the basic research questions such as the teachers’
perception, challenges, and opportunities that affect teachers perception towards the inclusion of
teaching student with hearing impairment in the regular primary school. The researcher used a
case study design under a qualitative approach. To recruit the participants, the researcher
employed the purposive sampling technique. The researcher also employed, interview, and focus
group discussion to collect the data and thematic analysis technique. As the research findings
show, in most cases of the teachers’ perception towards the inclusion of students with hearing
impairment were lack of understanding about inclusion. It was also revealed that the most
prevalent factors that affect the teachers’ negative perceptions were lack of training in regular
school, lack of resources or material support, lack of professional support, challenges related to
staff administration and interpreters. On the other hand, a few of the teachers expressed
“adequate” understandings about inclusion. However, they asserted that the success of this
inclusion depends greatly upon a myriad of rudiments. The study concluded that regular
teachers’ perceptions towards the inclusion of students with hearing impairments face a lot of
challenges because of the lack of understanding towards inclusive education. The study
recommended that there was a need to foster more positive attitudes of inclusion among the
school teachers. Therefore, the study recommends that if the inclusion of the school of these
students needs to be successfully implemented, the school should make every necessary possible
arrangement to equip regular education teachers.