Selection of a classroom observation tool for disability inclusion in Uganda

Obuntu Bulamu is a Ugandan intervention promoting inclusive education for children with disabilities. This culturally appropriate approach, based on the Ubuntu philosophy, utilises peer-to-peer support activities for children, parents and teachers.

To effectively measure the intervention's impact on disability inclusion, the study aimed to select, adapt and test classroom observation instruments suitable for the Ugandan context.

Three structured classroom observation tools were selected and piloted in 10 primary schools in Wakiso District: The Classroom Observation Checklist (CoC), the Teacher-Pupil Observation Tool (T-POT) and the Interaction Engagement Scale (IES). These tools were adapted to ensure cultural relevance and applicability within Ugandan school settings.

Factors like class size, teaching methods, cultural relevance, language and ease of use influenced the suitability of the selected tool. The CoC emerged as a more effective tool with a strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha of 0.80) for capturing inclusiveness and peer-to-peer support in the classroom compared to the T-POT and IES.

The study findings emphasise the significance of adapting and testing tools in specific cultural contexts and low-income country settings and considering culturally contextual factors like class size, teaching methods, language complexity and ease of use when measuring disability inclusion in primary schools.

The selection of a classroom observation tool for the Obuntu Bulamu randomised control trial contributed to African disability knowledge and practices designed on and for the continent.