A Comparative Study on the Academic Achievement of Non-Disabled Learners in Inclusive and Non-Inclusive Classrooms at a Rural Primary School in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The study sought to compare the academic achievement of non-disabled learners in inclusive classrooms and non-inclusive classrooms in mathematics at a rural primary school in Zimbabwe. A quasi-experimental research based on a factorial design was utilised. Three grade 4 classrooms with each class having 2 learners with moderate intellectual disabilities comprised the experimental group (inclusive classroom). The remaining three classrooms with learners without disabilities formed the control group (non-inclusive classrooms). A partially adapted Wide Range Achievement test—Revised Level 1 was used to determine the academic achievement in mathematics at the beginning and end of the school calendar. The pre-test resulted in a sample size of 168 participants (84 in the experimental group; 84 in the control group) equally distributed by level of achievement (28 low; 28 average; 28 high) for each group and matched by gender achievement (42 in inclusive and 42 in non-inclusive classrooms, with each variable having 21 boys and 21 girls). The post-test results indicated a non-significant main effect for class type, indicating that non-inclusive classes (M = 27) had higher mean scores than inclusive classes (M = 25), F (1, 164) = 1.54 p > 0.05. The main effect for gender was also non-significant. Males had higher scores (M = 27) than their female counterparts (M = 25), F (1, 164) = 1.54 p > 0.05. The two factor analysis of variance, also, showed a non-significant main effect for class type, F (1, 162) = 2.32, p > 0.05; a significant main effect for achievement level (low, average and high achieving learners), F (2, 162) = 12.36 p < 0.05. The effect size (f = 0.39) was large. The degree of association between performance and their low, average and high achievement levels (estimated ω2 = 0.17) was small. A non-significant interaction between class type and achievement, F (2, 162) = 2.07, p > 0.05 was found.