The inclusion of students with disabilities in Jordan : the impact of teachers' attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and resources

Abstract

As a policy, inclusive education aims to provide equal educational opportunity for all students, regardless of their abilities. However, inclusive education policy on its own cannot guarantee the successful inclusion of students with disabilities in the general classroom. Many factors intervene at the level of policy implementation which determine the success or failure of inclusive education policy in a country. Although there has been much research on identifying the facilitators and barriers to inclusion in Western education systems, little research has been done in Jordan where an inclusive education policy has been in place since 1993. This thesis reports on the first large-scale study exploring the factors that teachers identify as critical for implementing effective inclusive education in Jordan. Several critical issues appear to be associated with teachers' perception of the effective implementation of inclusive education in Jordan. These factors include: (1) the policy itself, (2) the availability of resources, (3) teacher attitudes, (4) teacher preparation and (5) teacher knowledge (Alkhateeb, Hadidi, & Alkhateeb, 2016; UNESCO, 2008a). An exploratory sequential mixed-method design was used in this study, which included (1) qualitative interviews with six teachers: three from special education schools and three from general schools; 2) a quantitative survey developed for this project and exploring teacher perception of the factors outlined above, with 341 teachers (183 with a general education background and 158 with a special education background), using an instrument, the Malkawi Measure, developed for this project to explore teachers' perceptions of the factors outlined above and (3) an analysis of the Jordanian inclusive education policy and strategy related to inclusive education. The data for the qualitative phase were analysed using descriptive thematic analysis whilst the quantitative data were analysed using the statistical software package SPSS version 24. The framework that was used in the policy analysis is the United Nations Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI) framework (UNGEI, 2008, 2010) on equity and inclusive education. The items in the survey for each subscale (based on the five named factors) were tested for reliability and validity and were subjected to an exploratory factor analysis. Internal consistency was also measured using Cronbach's alpha, with an overall value of higher than 0.70 achieved. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed using all 40 items included in the survey to measure the five constructs: inclusive education policy, teacher preparation, resources, teacher attitudes and knowledge. The aim of this exercise was to identify the structural pattern of the items. A five-factor structure was found. Multiple linear regression was used as the main multivariate technique in the data analysis to identify the factors affecting the level of confidence that teachers have in their ability to teach students with disabilities. Teacher knowledge; teacher preparation and understanding of inclusive education policy; holding a special education qualification; level of qualifications; and years of experience in general education were found to account for a significant proportion of the level of confidence that teachers have in their ability to teach students with disabilities. The independent variables explained 42.8% of the variance. The most important predictor of the teachers' levels of confidence was their knowledge of inclusive education followed by having a qualification in special education. The results indicate that more than one factor is associated with successful inclusive education in Jordan. It seems that, to achieve educational equity for diverse groups of learners in general education schools in Jordan, two key aspects must be considered: the changes needed for the development of an inclusive education system and the associated preparation of teachers. Therefore, the goal of creating inclusive education in Jordan should not rely only on the needs of students with disabilities but must include teacher preparation, knowledge, attitudes and resources, the education system and policies. Overall, the findings suggest that inclusive education in Jordan will not occur unless the implementation of an inclusive education policy is combined with well-organised practices that directly address inequity in teacher preparation, teacher attitude, teacher knowledge and the resources available across the education system in Jordan.

Date of Award	2018
Original language	English