Factors Predicting Pre-service Special Education Teachers’ Intentions Towards Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities in Regular Classrooms in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Teachers play an important role in the success or failure of inclusive education, and teacher preparation programs have an important role in preparing new teachers to cater for all students. The theory of planned behaviour suggests that individuals’ behaviours can be predicted by their intention, which is influenced and can be determined by their attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural controls. This study used a mixed methods research design to investigate pre-service special education teachers’ intentions to uphold the principles inclusive education through examining their attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural controls. A two-phase explanatory method—a quantitative phase followed by a qualitative phase—was used to gain an in-depth understanding of the factors influencing pre-service special education teachers’ intentions. One hundred and eighty-eight participants from three universities in Saudi Arabia completed the questionnaire of this study. Attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control as examined through the survey were found to be significant predictors of pre- service special education teachers’ intentions to teach students with learning disabilities in regular classrooms. Semi-structured interviews with five of the pre-service special education teachers who participated in the quantitative phase of the research were conducted. Participants reported their concerns about the school environment and insufficient experience. A careful examination of datasets provided evidence that pre-service teachers were generally positive in their intentions to be inclusive of students with disability. These positive attitudes, and generally strong self-efficacy, were challenged by concerns raised in the interviews about collaborating and working with general education teachers in the regular classroom. These findings are discussed in relation to the wider literature and the theory of planned behaviour.