Journal of Education and Practice www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online) Vol.4, No.24, 2013 58 Exploring Classroom Teachers' Awareness of Pupils with Learning Disabilities: Focusing on Public Primary Schools in Tanzania Focas M. Kafonogo (MA Ed.) Faculty of Humanities and Education, St. John’s University of Tanzania, P.O. Box 47, Dodoma, Tanzania E-mail: fockafo@yahoo.com Theodora A.L. Bali (PhD) College of Education, University of Dodoma, P.O. Box 523, Dodoma, Tanzania E-mail: bali_theo1@yahoo.com The research is financed by authors Abstract This study explored the presence of pupils with learning disabilities in regular primary schools and whether or not the classroom teachers were aware of their presence. Data were collected using questionnaires, classroom observation guide, interview schedules, and documentary review checklist. Based on exploratory research design, the study was guided by the Activity theory. A sample of 200 participants was drawn out of 11,304 eligible persons (100 pupils out of 10,000 eligible children and 100 teachers out of 1304 in public schools). The collected data were analyzed thematically. The descriptive statistics used included frequencies, means, charts, and tables. Indeed, 15% of pupils in regular schools have learning disabilities even though few teachers were aware of their presence and how to provide appropriate instruction for their learning. This is higher than 10-12% portrayed in the existing literature. Keywords: special needs education, learning disabilities, learning difficulties, disabilities, impairment, and inclusive education. 1. INTRODUCTION Learning Disability is a condition in which children despite appearing ‘normal’ are unable to perform commensurate to their age and ability levels due to a basic psychological problem. This psychological problem causes a discrepancy between the child’s achievement and their actual intellectual ability in oral, listening, comprehension, reading and written expression skills (Ross, 1977). Although learning disabilities may occur concomitantly with other handicapping conditions, they are not the result of those conditions or influences (Wood, 2000). For example, they may co-occur with sensory impairment, mental retardation, serious emotional disturbance, or with extrinsic influences such as cultural differences, insufficient or inappropriate instruction. Causes of learning disabilities are not clear. Students with learning disabilities are not simply the low achievers i.e. students without disabilities whose academic performance is below that of their classmates. These students’ reading achievement differs dramatically from students without learning disabilities as well as from those who might be considered low achievers (Fuchs et al., 2002). However, it is difficult to distinguish students with learning disabilities from students who are low achievers for other reasons even though a distinction does exist (Fuchs et al., 2001). Students with learning disabilities generally perform better on intelligence tests than low achievers do. Low achievers, on the other hand, tend to score higher on achievement tests than those with learning disabilities do (Turnbull et al, 2004). Some of the literature shows that the cause of learning disabilities is not known since their inability to learn cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors (Heward, 2005). Most researchers and educators however, believe that learning disabilities result from a central nervous system dysfunction – that is from an underlying neurological problem (Hallahan and Mercer, 2001). A learning disability can cause a person to have trouble in learning and using certain skills. The skills most often affected are: reading skills, writing, auditory processing, spoken and written language skills, abstract reasoning, visual processing and visual spatial skills and doing mathematics (Mather & Goldstein, 2001). Learning disabilities (LD) however, vary from person to person. One person with learning disabilities may not have the same kind of learning problems as another person with learning disabilities. One person may have trouble with reading and writing. Another person with learning disabilities may have problems with understanding Mathematics. Still another person may have trouble in each of these areas, as well as with understanding what people are saying. Rutter and Taylor (2008) contend that children or young people who have a general learning disability are