| المستخلص: |
This exploratory study investigated teachers’ attitudes to the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) with students with an intellectual disability in Saudi Arabian schools. Although the use of ICT has the potential instruments to deliver, support and prepare students with an intellectual disability to receive information from multiple platforms, limited research has focused on teachers' use of ICT and their attitudes in special education settings. Therefore, this study was pursued to (1) examine the use of ICT and attitudes towards ICT by Saudi Arabian teachers of students with an intellectual disability, (2) explore the relationship between these variables in relation to teachers’ beliefs about Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use; Professional Development; and demographic information, by testing an adapted Technology Acceptance Model, and (3) investigate the barriers that impede teachers from using ICT in schools. The study used a sequential mixed methods design with two phases: Phase One consisted of a questionnaire, and Phase Two a purposefully selected sample of respondents to participate in an interview. The participants in the study were special education teachers who were qualified to teach students with an intellectual disability in the Riyadh region in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In Phase One, 394 special education teachers completed the questionnaire, while in Phase Two thirteen teachers participated in a semi-structured interview. Findings from the mixed method study revealed that Saudi special education teachers demonstrated a low level of ICT usage with their students with an intellectual disability. However, they appeared to hold a positive attitude and perceived that ICT was useful and easy to use with these students. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the teachers’ gender, the number of lessons they taught each week and how useful they perceived ICT were significant predictors of their use of ICT. The perceived usefulness of the ICT by the teachers significantly predicted their attitude to using of ICT. Where teachers reported limited use of ICT in their classes, this lack of use was linked to a number of barriers. These barriers included a lack of funding for ICT by the school and the government; difficulties with access and infrastructure around ICT; and lack of technical support for teachers in using ICT. In addition, it was perceived by the respondents that there was a lack of professional development and training around using ICT in the special education field. The findings have implications for the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia regarding the use of ICT in special education classes, with a recommendation to review both policy surrounding resourcing of special education and the provision of focused projects for supporting teachers’ use of ICT in schools. The findings also emphasised the need for more supportive learning environments within schools for special education, including clearer polices to enhance the use of ICT by special education teachers and provision of specialist ICT devices specifically designed to assist students with an intellectual disability. In Saudi Arabia, the Ministry, researchers, school leaders and teachers all need to work together to overcome the identified barriers for teachers to improve attitudes towards using ICT more easily and effectively in special education classes.
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