Dissertation
GENERAL EDUCATION TEACHERS' ATTITUDES, KNOWLEDGE, AND STRATEGIES RELATED TO TEACHING STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES IN SAUDI ARABIA
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2014
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/5428
Abstract
Although Saudi Arabia has an inclusive classroom for students with learning disabilities (LDs) the general education teachers are not prepared to handle the special needs of the students with LDs. This study examined attitude, knowledge of evidence based practices, and perceived skills among the male general education teachers' teachers regarding LDs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia using a mixed method study. Principals were also interviewed to corroborate data. Two-hundred and seventy-eight general education teachers participated on the online survey administered via Qualtrics and ten principals were interviewed in this study. The survey instrument was analyzed for validity and reliability. More than half the teachers currently had or previously had students with LDs. Teacher preparation, academic climate, teaching approaches, teaching strategies and teacher effectiveness were themes that emerged from factor analysis. The ANOVA test identified statistically significant relationships between-years of experience, degree field, and expertise in special education. The degree field, route of certification, expertise in special education, and having students with LDs in classroom was related to the teaching strategy employed by teachers. Teacher effectiveness was related to degree field, with expertise in special education and also with if they have had students with LDs. The academic climate in schools was enhanced by the presence of resource room. General education teachers had a positive attitude towards inclusion and provide multiple strategies for accommodating students with learning disabilities. Class size was considered critical by most general teachers when inclusion was being provided. Principals interviewed in this study reported that teachers had negative attitudes towards inclusion of students with LDs and believed that instructing students with LDs was no different from teaching regular students. Teachers desired smaller class sizes when they had students with LDs in their classrooms. Teachers who were currently were having students with LDs in the classroom requested more information on specialized teaching strategies, ways to individualize their instruction, and more information about accommodations to the curriculum. Teachers certified by traditional routes, requested more training regarding special education laws, asked for more information about accommodations to the curriculum, and sought more assistance in the classroom.
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Details
- Title
- GENERAL EDUCATION TEACHERS' ATTITUDES, KNOWLEDGE, AND STRATEGIES RELATED TO TEACHING STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES IN SAUDI ARABIA
- Creators
- Abdullah Ali Alrubaian
- Contributors
- Darcy E Miller (Advisor)Susan Banks (Committee Member)Michael Dunn (Committee Member)Richard Lamb (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Teaching and Learning, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 180
- Identifiers
- 99900581442301842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation