Teaching Students with Special Educational Needs in Inclusive Settings: Are Malaysian Teachers Ready?

Mohd Syaubari Othman, Mohd Ridhuan Mohd Jamil, Nik Muhammad Hanis Nek Rakemi, Mohd Muslim Md Zalli

Abstract


The Malaysian Inclusive Education Program is an initiative that provides students with special educational needs the access and opportunity to learn alongside their peers in mainstream classrooms. However, successful implementation of inclusive education requires a high level of cooperation and commitment, especially from classroom teachers. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of readiness in terms of teaching skills, available resources, and action plans necessary for implementing teaching for students with special needs in inclusive settings. A survey method was employed using a questionnaire to gather data on teaching skills, resources, and action plans. The study involved a sample of 310 teachers from the Malaysian states of Kedah, Perak, and Pahang. The instrument used was a questionnaire comprising 39 items, targeted at principals, senior assistants (curriculum), special education teachers, and class/mainstream teachers who met specific criteria. The findings revealed a high level of readiness in action plan aspects (mean = 4.06, SD = 1.15), resource aspects (mean = 4.04, SD = 1.21), and teaching skills aspect (mean = 3.74, SD = 1.33) These results indicate that teachers are generally well-prepared to teach students with learning disabilities in inclusive settings, particularly in terms of teaching skills, access to resources, and structured action plans.

https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.24.4.31


Keywords


action plans; inclusive education; learning resources; special needs students; teaching skills

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References


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