PEDAGOGICAL PARITY OR SUBTLE EXCLUSION? TUTOR-STUDENT DYNAMICS IN SELECTED COLLEGES OF EDUCATION, GHANA

Inclusive education in Ghanaian colleges has largely emphasized physical accessibility and formal equality, while the nuances of pedagogical practice remain insufficiently examined. This study explores how tutors attitudes and practices influence the experiences of student-teachers with orthopaedic impairments. Using semi-structured interviews and focus-group discussions with 15 participants from three colleges, the findings indicate that overt discrimination is rare; however, subtle institutional inflexibilities-such as rigid attendance policies, inaccessible dining arrangements, and unadapted classroom routines-perpetuate forms of pedagogical exclusion. Accommodation practices are often inconsistent, relying more on individual tutor goodwill than on formal institutional frameworks. Guided by Critical Disability Pedagogy, the study argues that genuine inclusion requires equitable (systemic, empathetic, and accessible) approaches rather than a narrow focus on equal treatment. The paper concludes by recommending policy reforms and targeted professional development to support sustainable pedagogical inclusion.