The Role of Social Workers in Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities in Saudi Primary Schools

Abstract

Globally, school social workers play a vital role in promoting inclusive educational environments, particularly for students with disabilities. Their responsibilities extend beyond direct support to students, encompassing the development of mental health interventions and the coordination of student services. As active members of multidisciplinary teams, they collaborate closely with school leaders and teachers to establish realistic goals and expectations that support students with disabilities both academically and socially. Despite the well-established role of social workers in inclusive education across many countries, their contributions within the Saudi Arabian context remain largely unexplored. Although they are expected to help create and sustain inclusive school environments, the absence of empirical research means that little is known about their effectiveness, the challenges they face, or the systemic barriers they encounter. This thesis aimed to explore the perceptions of social workers in Saudi primary schools regarding their roles, the resources available to them, and the support systems in place to facilitate inclusive education for students with disabilities. Guided by an interpretivist philosophy, the study adopted a qualitative methodology, drawing on semi-structured interviews conducted with 25 social workers from state, private, and international schools across Saudi Arabia. A thematic analysis approach was employed to identify key themes in their experiences and practices.

The findings revealed that social workers often struggled with the conflation of inclusion and integration. Participants reported encountering numerous challenges, including limited resources, unclear policies, and increasing workloads. Professional development opportunities were found to be unevenly distributed, with state schools particularly disadvantaged in this regard. Nonetheless, social workers demonstrated resilience and a strong commitment to advocacy, driven by intrinsic motivation and values rooted in Islam that emphasised social justice.

The study highlights the urgent need for clearer policy frameworks, improved professional training, and fairer resource allocation to enable social workers to fully support inclusive education. It argues that systemic reforms should draw on international best practices while remaining sensitive to the cultural and religious context of Saudi Arabia. This research contributes to the limited body of literature on the role of school social workers in inclusive education and provides a foundation for further study in non-Western educational settings.