Dissertation
EDUCATORS’, LEADERS’, AND PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS, KNOWLEDGE, AND USE OF SECONDARY TRANSITION EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES FOR STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES IN SAUDI ARABIA
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2017
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/107706
Abstract
Considerable research demonstrates that evidence-based practices (EBPs) improve post-school outcomes for students with intellectual disabilities. Secondary transition EBPs are used by special educators to prepare students with ID for post-school education, employment, and independent living. The most important and effective practices in transition education include student-focused planning, student development, interagency collaboration, program structure, and family involvement (Kohler & Field, 2003). These practices, however, are often not implemented due to lack of knowledge, skills, and training on the part of educators (Anderson, Kleinhammer-Tramill, Morningstar, Lehmann, Bassett, Kohler, &Wehmeyer, 2003). This mixed method study examined secondary special educators’ and leaders’ perceptions, knowledge levels, and use of secondary transition EBPs for students with ID in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Potential barriers to implementation of transition services for students with ID were also examined. This study surveyed 176 special educators and leaders of secondary students with ID. Ten parents of students with ID were also interviewed about their perceptions and knowledge of intellectual disabilities, transition services, self-determination skills, and community services for their children with ID.
The study found that secondary special educators and leaders had little knowledge, training, or preparation to use secondary transition EBPs. Secondary special educators and leaders felt unprepared to use secondary transition EBPs in their classrooms. They reported that university teacher preparation programs did not provided adequate knowledge to implement secondary transition EBPs. The study identified barriers to implementing transition services in Saudi Arabia. These barriers, as identified by respondents, included lack of coordination between schools and businesses in job placements for students with ID, lack of community services and resources, lack of community-based vocational instruction programs, inadequate systems for follow-up on transition planning, and lack of administrative support for funding to implement transition services. Finally, the study found no significant differences across the three themes of knowledge, preparation, and collaboration based on gender, educational level, teaching experiences, and job title. The one exception was seen in the number of transition services courses taken, which affected the level of knowledge of the educators who participated in the study.
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Details
- Title
- EDUCATORS’, LEADERS’, AND PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS, KNOWLEDGE, AND USE OF SECONDARY TRANSITION EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES FOR STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES IN SAUDI ARABIA
- Creators
- Yasser Aldossari
- Contributors
- Susan Banks (Advisor)Darcy Miller (Committee Member)Michael Dunn (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Department of Teaching and Learning
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 160
- Identifiers
- 99900581430601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation