Aptitude Test as Determinant of Academic Achievement of Special and Neurotypical Learners' Aptitudinal Display in Nigerian Inclusive Classrooms

Sustainable Development Goal 4 emphasises equitable learning opportunities for all learners,regardless of ability or condition. Ensuring equal classroom participation is for developinglearners’ skills, self-esteem, and competencies needed for future employability. This studycompared the learning aptitude of special learners-Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), AttentionDeficit Disorder (ADD), and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-withneurotypical learners in classroom activities across five states, including the Federal CapitalTerritory, Abuja. The comparison was guided by socio-emotional and metacognition theoriesfor neurotypical learners and integrated behaviour management and constructivist theories forspecial learners. The study examined differences in academic achievement and gender betweenSpecial Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEN-D) learners and neurotypical learners usingacademic aptitude support strategies. An experimental design was adopted, involving 66special learners and 77 neurotypical learners selected through multi-stage sampling. Data werecollected using an academic aptitude test with a reliability coefficient of r = 0.781. Fourhypotheses were tested at the 0.05 significance level, and independent t-tests were used tocompare mean differences in academic achievement. Findings revealed significant differencein neurotypical learners’ academic achievement across gender for both pretest and posttestscores (P = 0.001 < 0.05), resulting in rejection of the null hypotheses. In contrast, speciallearners’ mean scores indicated no significant gender-based differences (P = 0.228 pretest; P =0.215 posttest > 0.05), leading to acceptance of the null hypotheses. The study concluded thatacademic achievement improved for both groups and recommended integrating aptitude-basedactivities for special learners to foster inclusive learning practices.