Using Interactive Mobile Applications to Teach Reading Skills to Female Students with Hearing Impairments

The purpose of the study was to investigate the use of mobile applications to teach word reading to three students with hearing impairments aged 9-12. Instruction was conducted using four mobile applications (Chalkboard, Expeditions, Phonto, and Words Seller) that combined interactive multimedia features such as text, images, videos, and interactive content. A multiple probe design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the applications in teaching reading skills. Results indicated that the use of these mobile applications was effective on the acquisition of the reading skills. Results also showed that all students performed at or above criterion on maintenance probe sessions. Additionally, students were able to generalize the acquired reading skills to read new words. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are discussed. Keywords: Hearing impairments, interactive multimedia, mobile applications, reading skills, multiple probe design

Difficulties Encountered by Parents of Students in the Elementary Stage During Distance Learning

This study aimed to identify the difficulties that parents of students in the elementary stage faced during their distance learning and to identify statistical differences according to the study variables. The researcher used the descriptive method and prepared a questionnaire that included 22 items consisting of three subscales. The participants comprised a total of 456 parents of elementary school students in the Eastern Region, Riyadh, and Asir. The results showed the difficulties were at a high level, and the difficulties were in the following order: the organizational difficulties related to the learning environment, the difficulties related to the educational process, and the difficulties associated with technology. The results also showed statistically significant differences due to the gender, region, age, and educational level variable and that there were not statistically significant differences due to the number of children variable. The researcher recommends the necessity of intensifying efforts from educational institutions to prepare for distance education especially for the elementary stage and providing courses at the elementary stage using distance education to develop study skills and self-learning. Keywords: Distance learning, elementary stage, parents of pupils

Attitudes of Saudi Students toward the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in Physical Education Classes

The purpose of this study was to examine typical students’ attitudes toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in physical education (PE) classes. The participants were between 10 – 16 years of age and their grade level from fifth grade to ninth grade in the Eastern province in Saudi Arabia. The participants were 614 typical students in elementary and middle schools. Participants responded to Children’s Attitudes Toward Integrated Physical Education-Revised (CAIPE-R). The findings of this study indicated that the overall means scores of attitudes of all participants toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in physical education classes was 2.99, indicating normal attitudes toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in PE classes. In general, female students had more positive attitudes toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in PE classes than male students, as well as students who had a family member or a close friend with a disability, had more positive attitudes toward inclusion than students who did not have. Moreover, very competitive students had less attitudes toward inclusion than not competitive students did, and very competitive students who had students with disabilities in their schools had more positive attitudes toward inclusion than very competitive students who did not have students with disabilities in their schools. Finally, students who attended schools with students with disabilities had more positive attitudes toward inclusion than students who did not have students with disabilities in their schools. Keywords: Attitude, Disabilities, Physical Education, Saudi Arabia, Inclusion

Faculty Knowledge of Services for Students with Disabilities and Attitudes toward Academic Accommodation

The current study aimed to discover the extent of faculty members knowledge of the services provided to students with disabilities, in addition to identify their attitudes towards providing academic accommodations to students with disabilities. The study investigated the differences in participants' responds attributed to gender, college, academic rank, and years of experience. The researcher used the descriptive approach, using the questionnaire as a data collection tool. The study sample consisted of 213 faculty members at King Saud University. The results showed deficiency of knowledge in the faculty members of procedures and services provided to students with disabilities in university, however, they showed positive attitude towards providing accommodations for students. The results did not show any statistically significant differences in the mean of participants' responses related to current study variables. The study introduced some recommendations that would support university education for students with disabilities. Keywords: Higher education; students with disabilities; academic accommodations; King Saud University

The Role of Sustainable Development in Supporting the Education of Students with Disabilities from Teachers’ and Special Education Department Pre-Service Teachers’ Viewpoints

The study aimed to identify the role of sustainable development in supporting the education of students with disabilities from the viewpoint of special education teachers and pre-service teachers. The sample consisted of 42 teachers and 35 pre-service teachers. The researchers used a survey about the role of sustainable development in supporting learning of students with learning disabilities, which consisted of 40 items divided into four domains. The results showed that sustainable development plays a big role in supporting education of students with disabilities from the point of view of both their teachers and pre-service teachers. There were no statistically significant differences in the special education teachers’ responses regarding teaching experience, age, and academic degree. There was a statistically significant difference due to the academic specialization for pre-service teacher teachers in favor of intellectual disabilities. Also, there was a statistically significant difference in the responses of teachers for the benefit of the pre-service teacher. Keywords: Sustainable development, students with disabilities, special education teachers, pre-service teachers

Impact of Organizational Support on Faculty Commitment to Academic Accreditation in Higher Education Institutions

The study aimed to identify the degree of perceived organizational support (POS) of faculty members and their commitment to academic accreditation (CTAA). Then, it explores the effect of POS on CTAA, gender, nationality, and administrative positions on them. Participants included a convenient sample of 221 faculty members from Sultan Qaboos University in Oman. Data analysis included measures of central tendency and structural equation modeling to conduct confirmatory factor analysis and build regression models. Results showed moderate degree of faculty POS and high level of CTAA. Significant gender difference is also observed for POS, with male faculty members showing higher POS and female members showing higher CTAA. In addition, non-Omani members reported significantly more POS and those with administrative positions reported significantly higher CTAA. Finally, empirical evidence is validated for the positive influence of POS on CTAA. Keywords: Organizational support, commitment to change, academic accreditation, higher education, Oman

The Extent to Which the Islamic Education books Include the Needs of Second Cycle Basic Education Students in the Sultanate of Oman "This article is extracted from an unpublished Master’s thesis by the first author"

The research aims to identify the extent to which the Islamic education books include the needs of the students of the second cycle basic education in the Sultanate of Oman. In order to achieve this objective, the research adopts the descriptive and analytical methodology. Additionally, a content analysis card has been created as a research tool. After ascertaining their validity and reliability, 42 needs have been found on the basis of the following four axes: physical, psychological, mental and social needs. The research concluded that the axis of psychological needs occupied the first rank, followed by the axis of social needs, then the axis of mental needs, while the axis of physical needs came in the last rank in terms of degree of inclusion. The seventh-grade book ranked first among the grades of the stage in the students' needs, while the least of them included the fifth-grade book. In the light of the results reached, the research recommended that the balance of students' needs in the content of Islamic education textbooks should be considered in the second cycle of basic education. Keywords: Islamic Education Books, the second cycle of basic education, the needs of students

Barriers of the Inclusion of Children with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Classes from Pre-service Teachers’ Viewpoints

This study aims to investigate the barriers towards inclusion of children identified as having SEN in mainstream classes in Kuwait as seen by 452 pre-service teachers at the College of Basic Education. The researchers used a mixed-methods design that involved both an open-ended questionnaire and focus group. Each method investigated dimensions of the barriers towards inclusion in Kuwait as well as the SEN categories that participants believed would be most or least possible to include in mainstream classes. It was found that there are five different dimensions of possible barriers to inclusion: barriers from teachers, social barriers, academic barriers, physical barriers, and psychological barriers. It also found that the SEN categories seen as most possible to include were: moderate intellectual disability, specific learning disabilities, and giftedness, respectively. On the other hand, the SEN categories seen as least possible to include were: severe needs, severe intellectual disability, and autism. The study suggested that the government should institute new courses to prepare pre-service teachers for the challenges, revealed by this research, which prospective teachers expect to face when teaching in inclusive schools. This could help teachers build up more positive attitudes towards inclusion. Therefore, colleges of education should develop their academic courses so that they take into account the findings of this study and work accordingly Keywords: Inclusion, students with SEN, barriers, Kuwait

The Reality of Using Modern Technology in Teaching Plastic Arts as Perceived by Female Art Teachers in Oman

The purpose of this study was to explore the actual usage of modern technology in teaching plastic arts as perceived by school art teachers in Oman. The sample consisted of 108 Omani female teachers. In order to answer the study questions, the researchers used the descriptive approach. A questionnaire was developed consisting of 26 items divided into three subscales. The results of the study showed a moderate usage of modern technology by art teachers. The results also revealed some main obstacles related to the use of modern technology including the overloaded teaching tasks handled by these teachers and the lack of classrooms equipped to use modern technology in school. The results also showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the teachers’ usage of modern technology due to their academic qualification, years of experience, and the location of the school. Keywords: Usage of modern technology, plastic arts, Oman