Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

In the last decade, inclusive education (IE) has become a trending topic in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This small-scale, qualitative Saudi study reports on how some teachers view IE in their country and whether students with a disability (autism) could be educated in mainstream schools. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted and recorded using a smartphone. The analysis of interview data identified three themes related to IE and the concept of mainstream schooling for students with autism. Findings showed that the participants had some knowledge and understanding of IE. However, whether students with autism could be taught by general education teachers in mainstream schools reported mixed results. Some teachers spoke positively about the possibility, while others focused on existing barriers. These included the need for general education teachers to receive specialised training and professional learning in the form of authentic mentoring networks, training in special needs education to link theory with practice and how the scarcity of classroom resources hampers quality educational experiences and outcomes for some students. These findings provide a starting point for further research into the emerging phase of IE in Saudi Arabia.

Keywords

Autism spectrum disorder inclusive education Saudi Arabia schooling special education teachers

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Ainscow

Booth

Dyson

(2006). Improving schools, developing inclusion. Routledge.

Al-Ahmadi

N. A.

(2009). Teachers’ perspectives and attitudes towards integrating students with learning disabilities in regular Saudi public schools [Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Ohio University].

Aldabas

R. A.

(2015). Special education in Saudi Arabia: History and areas for reform. Creative Education, 6(11), 1158–1167.

Al-Farsi

Y. M.

Al-Sharbati

Al-Farsi

O. A.

Al-Shafaee

M. S.

Brooks

D. R.

Waly

M. I.

(2011). Prevalence of autism in Oman. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41(6), 821–825.

Alghamdi

A. A.

Ernest

G. M.

(2019). Teachers’ beliefs about developmentally appropriate practices in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Childcare and Educational Policy, 13(1), 1–16.

Alharbi

Madhesh

(2018). Inclusive education and policy in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Education Research and Reviews, 6(1), 946–956.

Aljlamdah

(2014). Attitudes of primary and middle school teachers and administrators about the integration of students with special needs in regular schools in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Special Education Journal, 9, 155–193.

Al-Mousa

N. A.

(2010). The experience of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in mainstreaming students with special educational needs in public schools. The Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States.

Alnahdi

G. H.

Saloviita

Elhadi

(2019). Inclusive education in Saudi Arabia and Finland: Pre-service teachers’ attitudes. Support for Learning, 34(1), 71–85.

10.

Alquraini

(2011). Special education in Saudi Arabia: Challanges, perspectives, future possibilities. International Journal of Special Education, 25(3), 139–147.

11.

Alquraini

(2012). Teachers’ perspectives of inclusion of the students with severe disabilities in elementary schools in Saudi Arabia [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University].

12.

Alruwaili

M. A.

(2018). Obstacles facing implementation of inclusion of SEN students in mainstream secondary schools in Saudi Arabia. Scientific Research Journal in Education, 19, 665–684.

13.

Al-Salehi

S. M.

Al-Hifthy

E. H.

Ghaziuddin

(2009). Autism in Saudi Arabia: Presentation, clinical correlates and comorbidity. Transcultural Psychiatry, 46(2), 340–347.

14.

Alzahrani

Brigham

(2017). Evaluation of special education preparation programs in the field of autism spectrum in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Special Education, 32(4), 746–766.

15.

Amor

A. M.

Hagiwara

Shogren

K. A.

Thompson

J. R.

Verdugo

M. V.

Burke

K. M.

Aguayo

(2019). International perspectives and trends in research on inclusive education: A systematic review. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 23(12), 1277–1295.

16.

Anderson

Boyle

(2019). Looking in the mirror: Reflecting on 25 years of inclusive education in Australia. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 23(7–8), 796–810.

17.

Braun

Clarke

(2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.

18.

Cassimos

D. C.

Polychronopoulou

S. A.

Tripsianis

G. I.

Syriopoulou-Delli

C. K.

(2015). Views and attitudes of teachers on the educational integration of students with autism spectrum disorders. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 18(4), 241–251.

19.

Cho

Trent

(2006). Validity in qualitative research revisited. Qualitative Research, 6(3), 319–340.

20.

Cologon

(2019). Inclusive education isn’t dead, it just smells funny. Journal of Education Policy, 34(5), 742–743.

21.

Creswell

J. W.

(2014). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (4th ed.). Pearson.

22.

Dare

Nowicki

Felimban

(2017). Saudi children’s thoughts on inclusive education. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 29, 286–543.

23.

Dyson

(2014). A response to Nilholm and Göransson. European Journal of Special Education, 29(3), 281–282.

24.

Florian

(2014). What counts as evidence of inclusive education? European Journal of Special Education, 29(3), 286–294.

25.

Forlin

(2018). Teacher education and inclusion in the Asia Pacific region. In Oxford research encyclopedia of global perspectives on teacher education. Oxford University Press.

26.

Friend

Cook

Hurley-Chamberlain

Shamberger

(2010). Co-teaching: An illustration of the complexity of collaboration in special education. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 20(1), 9–27.

27.

Gaad

(2011). Inclusive education in the middle east. Routledge.

28.

Haimour

A. I.

Obaidat

Y. F.

(2013). School teachers’ knowledge about autism in Saudi Arabia. World Journal of Education, 3(5), 45–56.

29.

Hakeem

A. A.

(2009). Attitudes of teachers of primary and middle schools in Mecca towards the policy of inclusion in public schools: Comparative study. College of Education Journal, 79(19), 188–214.

30.

Hopkins

S. L.

Round

P. N.

Barley

K. D.

(2018). Preparing beginning teachers for inclusion: Designing and assessing supplementary fieldwork experiences. Teachers and Teaching, 24(8), 915–930.

31.

Jamshed

(2014). Qualitative research method-interviewing and observation. Journal of Basic and Clinical Pharmacy, 5(4), 87–88.

32.

Jarvis

J. M.

Bell

Sharp

(2016). Leadership for differentiation: An appreciative inquiry of how educational leadership shapes pedagogical change. Leading and Managing, 22(1), 75–91.

33.

Katz

Mirenda

(2002). Including students with developmental disabilities in general education classrooms: Educational benefits. International Journal of Special Education, 17(2), 14–24.

34.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. (n.d.). Human capital development program. Vision 2030. https://vision2030.gov.sa/en/programs/HCDP

35.

Kvale

Brinkmann

(2009). Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing. SAGE.

36.

Leonard

Smyth

(2020, early online). Does training matter? Exploring teachers’ attitudes towards the inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorder in mainstream education in Ireland. International Journal of Inclusive Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2020.1718221

37.

McGillicuddy

O’Donnell

G. M.

(2014). Teaching students with autism spectrum disorder in mainstream post-primary schools in the republic of Ireland. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 18(4), 323–344.

38.

Messiou

(2017). Research in the field of inclusive education: Time for a rethink? International Journal of Inclusive Education, 21(2), 146–159.

39.

Ministry of Education. (2002). The document of roles and regulation for special education institutes and programs. General Administration of Special Education.

40.

Ministry of Education. (2012). Statistical manual of institutes and special education programs for the academic year 2012/2013. Ministry of Education.

41.

Ministry of Education. (2016). Regulatory guide for special education (RGSE). https://departments.moe.gov.sa/SPED/Documents/RegulatoryGuide.pdf

42.

Ministry of Education. (2021). Premium education to build universally competitive knowledge society. https://www.moe.gov.sa/en/default.aspx

43.

Park

Chitiyo

(2011). An examination of teacher attitudes towards children with autism. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 11(1), 70–78.

44.

Roberts

Simpson

(2016). A review of research into stakeholder perspectives on inclusion of students with autism in mainstream schools. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 20(10), 1084–1096.

45.

Rodrıguez

I. R.

Saldana

Moreno

J. F.

(2012). Support, inclusion, and special education teachers’ attitudes toward the education of students with autism spectrum disorders. Autism Research and Treatment. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/259468

46.

Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission. (2013). Background educational system in Saudi Arabia. https://www.sacm.org/ education.aspx

47.

Shogren

K. A.

Wehmeyer

M. L.

Shing

N. N.

(2017). Handbook of positive psychology in intellectual and developmental disabilities: Translating research into practice. Springer.

48.

Smirnova

(2012). Saudi Arabia. In Glenn

C. L.

De Groof

(Eds.), Balancing freedom, autonomy and accountability in education (pp. 215–225). Wolf Legal Publishers.

49.

Smith

M. G.

(2000). Attitudes of middle school teachers in Tennessee toward inclusion for students with disabilities in the regular education classrooms [Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Memphis].

50.

Strategic Gears Management Consultancy. (2018). Growth potential of private education in Saudi Arabia. https://www.strategicgears.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Growth-Potential.pdf

51.

Tomlinson

C. A.

(2014). The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners (2nd ed.). Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.

52.

UNESCO. (1994). The Salamanca statement and framework for action on special needs education. http://www.unesco.org/education/pdf/SALAMA_E.PDF

53.

UNESCO. (2000). The Dakar framework for action. https://www.right-to-education.org/sites/right-to-education.org/files/resource-attachments/Dakar_Framework_for_Action_2000_en.pdf

54.

UNESCO. (2017). A guide for ensuring inclusion and equity in education. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000248254

55.

UNESCO. (2020). Inclusion and education: All means all. https://en.unesco.org/gem-report/report/2020/inclusion

56.

United Nations. (2006). Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html

57.

Villa

R. A.

Thousand

J. S.

(2005). Creating an inclusive school. Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.

Conceptualising inclusive education in Saudi Arabia through conversations with special education teachers

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References