Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Exploring Some Perspectives Of Saudi ESL Teachers On Teaching Students With ASD.(King's College London, 2024-09) Alsunaid, Rahma; Puig-Mayenco, EloiThere is currently limited research on autistic children growing up in multilingual environments, even though nearly half of the world's population speaks multiple languages. Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) involve significant challenges in communication and language skills, and for this, expert advice is sought by many parents of ASD children over whether or not their child should learn both languages in a bilingual setting. This study explored Saudi teachers' perspectives on teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to young students with ASD, and the effective strategies and difficulties they encounter. The participants in the study were eight ESL teachers from two private schools with international curriculum in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia. They were interviewed following a qualitative approach. The results indicated that using teaching strategies like visual aids, modelling, and repetition in ESL instruction can effectively enhance the language and social skills of children with autism. Teachers did observe that, despite the difficulties in developing effective teaching strategies, children with ASD are highly capable of learning new languages. Furthermore, the study highlights different methods that teachers can employ to help children acquire and expand their English learning. The study also indicates the importance of parents working together with the teachers for successful language acquisition. Lastly, to gain a deeper understanding of the whole teaching experience that meet ESL teachers when teaching Saudi ASD students, the study also recommends suggestions for further future research.14 0Item Restricted Analysis of Inclusive Pedagogy for Students with Mild Learning Disabilities in Saudi Arabia: Perspectives of Primary School Teachers(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-11-06) Alshuraym, Taghreed; Anglin-Jaffe, HannahInclusive education is a broadly accepted approach that aims to provide quality learning experiences for all students, including those with disabilities. This study used a mixed-method approach to examine the perception of primary school teachers in Saudi Arabia on inclusive pedagogy and the way in which it is applied to students with mild learning disabilities. To obtain detailed data from the participants, the research included both questionnaires and interviews. While the majority of teachers appear to accept the concept of inclusive education, concerns about the availability of resources and teacher readiness remain. The research examined inclusivity, training and experience, along with resources and assistance through the interview findings. These themes are further classified into a number of sub-themes that are investigated in order to shed light on the perspectives of instructors, the effects of inclusion on students' academic achievement and social development, and the existence of explicit school policies on inclusive practices. The dearth of official special education training for general instructors necessitates additional support and training initiatives, as well as sufficient physical infrastructure and cutting-edge educational materials to establish classrooms and schools for successful inclusion. According to the study's findings, although many primary school teachers in Saudi Arabia recognise the value of inclusive education, there is a need for specialised training programs and readily available resources to improve their ability to successfully teach students with mild learning disabilities. Additionally, fostering a positive and inclusive school culture is crucial to encourage teachers to embrace diversity and adapt their teaching methods accordingly.26 0Item Restricted A critical qualitative study of inclusive education in Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-05-05) Alrudayni, May Abdulaziz; Alrudayni, May AbdulazizIn 2016, the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Education released an inclusive education initiative with the aim of shifting the education system away from exclusion towards inclusion. This initiative resulted in the development of an inclusive education policy and the implementation of an inclusive approach that was piloted in a number of schools in Saudi Arabia. The current study investigates this movement by scrutinizing the educational policies and the inclusive approach implemented in schools. This thesis examines how educational discourse and practice have changed in Saudi Arabia as a result of the country’s move towards inclusion, particularly in relation to students with disability. The research aims to critically investigate the Saudi Arabian inclusive education approach to students with disability in relation to historical, cultural, political and social factors and the international context. The study adopts a critical qualitative position towards Saudi Arabia’s inclusive education to investigate issues in education tied to power and privilege. A post-structural discourse analysis was employed to analyse governmental policies and interviews undertaken with key stakeholders in inclusive education in Saudi Arabia. Inclusive Education Theory (Slee, 2011, 2018) was the main theory applied in this research supplemented by Critical Disability Theory (Goodley, 2011, 2017). Both were utilised as a means to conceptualise, interpret and think analytically about the ways in which power maintains exclusion within Saudi Arabia’s education. The study's findings highlight that while educational policy language in Saudi Arabia has changed to some extent within the global push for inclusive education, practice in schools seems to fall well short of reforms beyond increasing enrolment numbers of students with disability. The findings suggest that the potential of inclusive education in Saudi Arabia is contested and undermined by a raft of political, ideological and cultural forces. It is hoped that the findings of this study will contribute to a better understanding of inclusive education policy enactment and the reconceptualization of inclusive practices for students with disability in Saudi Arabia.100 0Item Embargo Teacher Attitudes, Self-Efficacy Beliefs and the Utilisation of Evidence-Based Strategies in Classroom and Behaviour Management for Students with Learning Disabilities in Inclusive Primary Classrooms in Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Librery, 2023) Aljabr, Moneerh; Johnston, ChristineToday, inclusive education is becoming an increasingly common and important educational practice in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. Therefore, it is necessary to understand how teachers work with students with learning disabilities in order to provide better inclusion experiences for them. This study investigated the perceptions of general education teachers (GETs) and special education teachers (SETs) regarding inclusion, and their assessment of their self-efficacy when teaching Saudi Arabian students with a learning disability (LD). In addition, the study examined GETs’ and SETs’ perceptions of their use of classroom and behaviour management (CBM) practices while working with students with LD. Lastly, the study evaluated how gender impacted on the beliefs of GETs and SETs with regard to the inclusion of students with LD, their aptitude for teaching and managing these students’ behaviour, and how they implement various CBM practices when teaching them. To meet the study objectives, an explanatory two-stage sequential mixed-methods design was established. In the first stage, a questionnaire was answered by 286 male and female primary school GETs and SETs, with 250 participants going on to answer the open-ended questions at the end of the questionnaire. The second stage consisted of semi-structured interviews involving 12 female primary school teachers, equally divided between SETs and GETs. Overall, the findings indicated that even though GETs and SETs held similar positive attitudes regarding inclusion, they had different levels of self-efficacy and different approaches to the use of CBM practices when teaching students with LD. Moreover, the finding indicated that gender had a statistically significant influence on the attitudes of GETs and SETs towards inclusion and on CBM strategies used by GETs; however, no impact was found for the self-efficacy levels of GETs and SETs regarding teaching students with LD in inclusive classrooms.41 0