Attitudes toward co-teaching: Perspectives on general and special education teachers in Makkah

Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify general and special education teachers’ attitudes toward co-teaching in the city of Makkah and the differences in these attitudes according to some demographic variables, such as gender, academic qualifications, years of experience, specialization, and co-teaching training. Quantitative methods were employed. A 20-item questionnaire was used as the data collection tool. The study sample consisted of 404 male and female teachers chosen randomly (301 general education teachers and 103 special education teachers). The study findings revealed high scores (M = 4.2693) for the attitudes of general and special education teachers. However, there were statistical differences in the teachers’ attitudes based on specialization in favor of special education teachers specialized in learning disabilities. Statistical differences were also found regarding training, to the benefit of those who did not receive any training courses on co-teaching. However, no significant differences could be attributed to teachers’ gender, academic qualifications, or years of experience. The findings highlight an urgent need to focus on the professional development of general and special education teachers. The Ministry of Education is urged to design comprehensive training programs to support these teachers on strategies for implementing co-teaching within their regular classes.