Supporting autistic pupils’ academic success in mainstream classrooms: teaching practices, adapted communication and resources in ouaga 5 and ouaga 10, Burkina Faso

In Burkina Faso, as in many West African contexts, inclusive education remains a normative ideal that teaching practice still struggles to put into effect for pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examines the contribution of inclusive pedagogical practices, adapted communication tools and support resources to the academic success of autistic pupils enrolled in mainstream classrooms in the Ouaga 5 and Ouaga 10 Basic Education Districts (CEB). Using a mixed-methods approach, the research draws on a purposive sample of thirty-six participants across four stakeholder groups: pedagogical supervisors, classroom teachers, headteachers and pupils, including autistic pupils who participated in focus groups. Data were collected using a questionnaire, a semi-structured interview guide, a classroom observation checklist and a framework for analysing academic results. Findings triangulated across stakeholder groups reveal almost universal use of differentiated instruction and peer tutoring, alongside persistent shortcomings in initial and continuing teacher training in inclusive education and a unanimously reported absence of specifically adapted teaching aids and visual communication supports. Chi-square tests applied to suitable variables confirm the statistical significance of several observed differences. However, a marked discrepancy between supervisors’ accounts and those of teachers and pupils regarding the availability of functional classroom displays reveals a breakdown in information sharing between levels of school supervision. These findings are discussed in relation to Bandura’s social learning theory, Vygotsky’s social constructivism and Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory, which respectively illuminate the roles of pedagogical practices, communication tools and support resources in autistic pupils’ academic success. The study calls for structural improvements in teacher training, wider provision of adapted communication supports and a policy for supplying specialised teaching materials.