WELCOME TO THE DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN, IBADAN, NIGERIA.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT

Generally speaking, the Faculty of Education came into being in the year 1962 when the Institute of Education (founded in 1957) and the Department of Extra-Mural Studies (founded 1949) were merged and called “Faculty of Education and Extra-Mural Studies”. It was based in the present Faculty of Art until it moved to its present site in 1967.

In the year of its inception in 1962, the Institute of Education commenced the Bachelor of Education programme and it was renamed the Department and Institute of Education that same year.

From 1974/75 to 1976/77 sessions, new departments were created from the initial set-up. These were the Departments of Physical and Health Education, now called Human Kinetics and Health Education, Educational Management, Guidance and Counselling and Special Education all in the 1975/76 session.

However, credits should be given to Mr. Gier, who brought special education to the University of Ibadan when it started the running of the certificate course programme in the 1974/75 session. Other pioneering staff who initiated the curriculum of special education were Dr. P.O.Mba (Late), Dr.E.O.Adesokan (Retired). Professor C.A.Bakare (Retired), Dr. Ladipo, and Mr. Kuforiji.

The current Department of Special Education may be described generally as an academic arena where teaching and research are actively pursued as well as the application of therapeutic strategies in alleviating human suffering.

The major areas of specialization in the Department include Education of the Gifted and Talented, Education for the Mentally Retarded, Education for the Learning Disabled, Education for the Hearing Impaired, Education for the Visually Impaired and Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Unit.

The Department offers degree programmes for the award of Bachelor of Education Degree in Special Education which could be combine with a teaching subject from Faculties of Arts, Science and Social Sciences. The students have the choice of specializing in any unit areas specified above. At postgraduate level, the students can be specialize in any unit area of their choice but without teaching subjects.

Besides teaching and research, the Department also provides community services in form of workshops for teachers, teaching and assessing children and adults with learning difficulties and testing persons with speech and hearing problems. The Department currently has twelve Lecturers three of which are in the status of Professor.

Programmes offered

Degree:

a) B,Ed Special Education (Full time and Distance Learning Centre)

b) M.Ed, M.Phil; M.Phil/Ph.D and Ph.D.

(i) Audiology and Speech Pathology

(ii) Hearing Impairment

(iii) Intellectual Disability

(iv) Learning Disability

(v) Visual Impairment’

(vi) Gifted and Talented

Vision

To be a beacon in Africa and beyond in the Field of Special Needs Education.

Mission

• To enlarge the coast of Special Needs Education and make it highly enviable to all and sundry and foster competitiveness among related fields.
• To make teaching/learning and research output evidence based.
• To produce graduates with sound judgement in character and learning with creative skills.
• To enlarge the frontier of knowledge and foster collaboration among relevant fields.

Research Agenda/Focus

The research agenda of the Department is focused on Assessment and Teaching of Special Needs Persons, Rehabilitation, Inclusive Education and Psychology of Disability.

The findings are published in the Departmental and Faculty journals and other reputable outlets within and outside Nigeria.

Leadership Quality

The Department is headed by a Senior Lecturer who is responsible for day-to-day running of the Department according to the rules and regulations of the University. The Department for administrative convenience is divided into units and headed by the following:

1. Audiology and Speech Pathology - Prof. Moji Oyebola

2. Gifted and Talented - Prof. I.A.Nwazuoke

3. Hearing Impairment - Prof.J.A.Ademokoya.

4. Visual Impairment - Dr.M.S.Eniola

5. Intellectual Disability - )

6. Learning Disabilities - ) Dr.J.O.Oyundoyin