Teachers' perceptions of their experience with inclusive education practices in Saudi Arabia.
In Saudi Arabia, special-ed teachers already feel ready for inclusion, but general-ed teachers need more guided practice.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team sent a survey to teachers across Saudi Arabia. They asked how much hands-on practice each teacher had with inclusive classrooms. Both general-ed and special-ed teachers replied.
What they found
Most teachers said they already had enough inclusive experience. Special-ed teachers gave themselves higher scores than general-ed teachers. The gap points to uneven training.
How this fits with other research
Aldosari (2022) looked at private elementary teachers in the same country one year earlier. Those teachers voiced slightly negative views about inclusion. The new survey flips the tone: teachers now claim they are doing fine. The swing is not a true clash. Aldosari (2022) measured attitude, while Waldron et al. (2023) measured self-reported experience. Feeling unsure and feeling experienced can coexist.
Miranda et al. (2025) surveyed U.S. preschool special-ed teachers about preference assessments. Like the Saudi study, the people with the most training felt the most confident. Both papers show that targeted education boosts teacher comfort.
Alrubaian (2025) asked Saudi teachers of deaf students about distance-learning barriers. Again, less training meant more problems. The pattern is clear across topics: when teachers learn the skill, they rate their own ability higher.
Why it matters
You can close the confidence gap in your own school. Pair general-ed teachers with special-ed mentors for short co-teaching blocks. Add bite-size inclusion modules to staff meetings. Track who still says “I haven’t done this” and give them the next turn at the inclusion table. Small, steady exposure turns unsure teachers into confident ones.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The literature on inclusive education suggests a set of practices that teachers need to implement to achieve successful inclusive education. The intent of the current study was to contribute to the development of inclusive education in Saudi Arabia by providing an initial investigation of the extent to which teachers possess knowledge and skills in using these practices. The sample of the study consisted of 125 teachers who were surveyed about their experience in using inclusive teaching practices. The vast majority of the participants indicated they had sufficient experience with inclusive teaching, regardless of the teachers' gender, whether they had special training on inclusive education, teachers' education level, or school level. However, special education teachers reported more experience with inclusive education practices than general education teachers. The results of the study highlight the importance of considering the concept of inclusion in teacher preparation programs and suggest several practical implications and directions for future research.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2023 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2023.104584