Special education teachers and student academic achievement in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Teaching evaluation has been used in many learning institutions around the world to address achievement gaps for students with special needs. disabilities constitute children with disorders in mathematics and languages. Successful knowledge acquisition involves teacher guidance and student interactions. This study involved a survey of 170 special education administrators drawn from three regions of Saudi Arabia Riyadh, Makkah, and Madina to explore the effectiveness of training and certification of special education teachers towards positively influencing academic outcomes in mathematics.

 The study used a purposive sampling method to recruit the participants. Descriptive analysis was used to study the underlying characteristic of the sample. Data was reported on graphs and tables based on the responses. The results of the study showed that the special education positions are filled with qualified practitioners (55.88%), uncertified personnel (38.24%), while a few institutions had such positions empty (5.88%). Most special education teachers (52.94%) use teacher-directed instruction as opposed to student-centered learning (47.06%). The results of the study were discussed as well as the recommendations.