Special Education ETDs

Publication Date

Fall 11-11-2017

Abstract

The Saudi government pays much attention to improving the quality of teachers who teach students with disabilities, including those identified with ASD. The purpose of this study was to explore the beliefs and perceptions of teachers of students with ASD in Al Qassim about their knowledge, teaching skills, and preparation to teach students with ASD. This study addressed two questions. The first question was what teachers in Al Qassim believe they know about ASD and how to teach students with ASD. The second was what teachers of students with ASD believe they need to be successful teachers of students with ASD. The study was qualitative in nature. I addressed these two questions by interviewing seven practicing special educators in Al Qassim, Saudi Arabia. Three themes emerged from the analysis: (a) Participants’ Perceptions of their Teacher Preparation Programs, (b) post-BA learning, and (c) the Reality of Teaching in Schools. Conclusions, implications, and suggestions were made based on the findings of the study.

Keywords: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), teacher preparation programs, professional development courses, in-service special education teachers, and pre-service teachers.

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Degree Name

Special Education

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Special Education

First Committee Member (Chair)

Julia Scherba de Valenzuela

Second Committee Member

Susan Copeland

Third Committee Member

Megan Griffin

Fourth Committee Member

Jan Armstrong

Download

Share

COinS