Barriers to Knowledge Transfer by Graduates of Special Education in Basic Educational Institutions in Buea, South West Region of Cameroon

Abstract

Teacher training in special education is to positively impact the lives of learners with disabilities. With the presence of graduates of special education in basic education, the performance of persons with disabilities is hoped to improve. Unfortunately, various research findings and our observations suggested a plethora of barriers to the effective transfer of knowledge and skills from training to the classroom of practice. This study investigated the barriers to knowledge transfer by graduates of special education in Basic Educational institutions in Buea. An exploratory qualitative approach was adopted for the study and purposive sampling technique used. Interview guides were used to collect data from 6 lecturers of Special Education, 8 graduates of Special Education teaching in the basic education, 3 administrators and 3 focus group discussions. Collected data were analysed thematically with the aid of Atlasti3.0., Findings showed that; large class size, large scheme of work/workload, lack of didactic materials/resources, inadequate practical, impatience from parents, language barrier from kid themselves, and poor adaptation of school environment were some of the challenges they faced in transferring knowledge and skills. Generally, it was recommended that the special education programme, quality of training offer and strategies to enable transfer be upgraded.