Special Education for Students With Learning Disabilities in Saudi Arabia: Reality and Challenges

This mixed method study explored the perspectives of general and special education teachers in Saudi Arabia regarding special education services provided to students with learning disabilities. It identified what general and special education teachers prefer as the best suitable placement for educating students with learning disabilities, explored challenges that hinder the provision of appropriate education to these learners, and defined whether there are significant differences in their perspectives. Survey data were collected from 150 general and special education teachers; 10 were interviewed. Descriptive statistics were used to make initial comparisons in the data. Independent sample t-tests were also employed to determine the relationship between the variables and the given responses. The results of the study indicated that the majority of the teachers found special education services to be beneficial. Moreover, the study found that most teachers supported the use of general education classrooms with resource rooms as the best placement for students with learning disabilities. The results also indicated that the lack of an appropriate curriculum, poor parent-teacher relationships, lack of administrator support, and proper training were key challenges that teachers of students with learning disabilities faced in Saudi Arabia. Teachers recommended some strategies to improve the instructional delivery and effectiveness of teaching students with learning disabilities. Based on this study’s findings, a comprehensive discussion about the implications for practice and overall recommendations for future research are offered.