Inclusive School Management Practices and Students’ Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Academic Performance in Public Day Secondary Schools in Bugesera District, Rwanda
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53983/ijmds.v15n07.004Keywords:
inclusive school management, STEM education, academic performance, inclusive leadership, teacher support, Bugesera District, RwandaAbstract
This study examined the influence of inclusive school management practices on students’ academic performance in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects in public day secondary schools in Bugesera District, Rwanda. Specifically, the study assessed the influence of inclusive leadership, student support systems, equitable resource distribution, and teacher support programs on STEM performance. The study adopted a descriptive research design combining quantitative correlational and qualitative descriptive approaches. From a target population of 522 respondents (476 students, 32 teachers, and 14 headteachers) drawn from 14 public day secondary schools, a sample of 227 respondents was determined using the Yamane formula and selected through stratified, simple random, and purposive sampling. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and interview guides and analysed descriptively and inferentially using IBM SPSS version 28.0. The findings show that inclusive school management practices moderately influenced STEM performance, with strong statistically significant positive correlations among all constructs (r = .746 to r = .960, p < .01) and a regression model in which inclusive management practices explained 91.4% of the variance in academic performance (R = .963, R² = .914, F = 103.907, p < .001). Implementation gaps, notably weak student representation, limited teacher involvement in academic planning, inadequate and poorly maintained STEM resources, and insufficient in-service training, constrained the full benefit of otherwise inclusive intentions. The study recommends strengthening participatory leadership, improving STEM resource provision and maintenance, institutionalising continuous professional development, and integrating comprehensive student support systems.
References
[1] Ainscow, M., & Messiou, K. (2021). Engaging with inclusive education: A framework for increasing participation in schools. Routledge.
[2] Ainscow, M., & Sandill, A. (2020). Developing inclusive education systems: The role of organisational cultures and leadership. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 14(4), 401–416.
[3] Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. Freeman.
[4] Beauchamp, G., Hulme, M., Clarke, L., Hamilton, L., & Harvey, J. A. (2021). ‘People miss children’s voices’: Distributed leadership in schools during the pandemic. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 49(3), 375–392.
[5] Bines, H., & Lei, P. (2011). Disability and education: The longest road to inclusion. International Journal of Educational Development, 31(5), 419–424.
[6] Booth, T., & Ainscow, M. (2021). Index for inclusion: Developing learning and participation in schools (3rd ed.). Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education.
[7] Brown, L., & Wilson, P. (2019). Differentiated instruction and inclusive learning in STEM classrooms. International Journal of Science Education, 41(7), 945–962.
[8] Cohen, J., Cohen, P., West, S. G., & Aiken, L. S. (2020). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences (4th ed.). Routledge.
[9] Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage.
[10] Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development. Learning Policy Institute.
[11] Donohue, D., & Bornman, J. (2014). The challenges of realising inclusive education in South Africa. South African Journal of Education, 34(2), 1–14.
[12] Florian, L., & Black-Hawkins, K. (2021). Exploring inclusive pedagogy. British Educational Research Journal, 37(5), 813–828.
[13] Loreman, T. (2017). Pedagogy for inclusive education. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education.
[14] Messiou, K., Ainscow, M., & Vitorino, T. (2024). Student voice and inclusive school leadership: A comparative study. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 28(1), 1–18.
[15] Ministry of Education Rwanda [MINEDUC]. (2018). Special needs and inclusive education policy. Government of Rwanda.
[16] National Examination and School Inspection Authority [NESA]. (2023). National examination results report. Government of Rwanda.
[17] Ntagungira, C., Uwamahoro, J., & Nsengimana, T. (2024). Inclusive education practices and learners’ academic performance in Rwandan secondary schools. Rwandan Journal of Education, 8(1), 45–62.
[18] Nsengimana, T., & Uwitonze, A. (2021). Inclusive leadership and science education access in Rwandan secondary schools. East African Journal of Education Studies, 3(2), 88–101.
[19] Rwanda Education Board [REB]. (2022). National examination performance report. Government of Rwanda.
[20] Shields, C. M., & Hesbol, K. A. (2020). Transformative leadership approaches to inclusion, equity, and social justice. Journal of School Leadership, 30(1), 3–22.
[21] UNESCO. (1994). The Salamanca statement and framework for action on special needs education. UNESCO.
[22] UNESCO. (2020). Global education monitoring report: Inclusion and education – All means all. UNESCO.
[23] UNICEF. (2021). Every child learns: UNICEF education strategy 2019–2030. UNICEF.
[24] Yamane, T. (1970). Statistics: An introductory analysis (2nd ed.). Harper and Row.
