COLLABORATION BETWEEN GENERAL AND SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

Collaboration between general and special education teachers is a necessary component for the successful inclusion of students with a disability in regular schools, but little is known about how well this is working in countries where inclusive education is a recent initiative. This paper reports on the perceptions of special education teachers in Malaysia about their interactions with general education teachers. As part of a larger study, a survey was completed by 48 special education teachers and eight teachers were interviewed. The findings revealed that there appeared to be good relations between special education teachers and their mainstream counterparts, but only limited collaboration with regard to planning for the inclusion of students with a disability. Concerns are raised about the content and approach of teacher training programs in Malaysia and the adequacy of current policy and legislation governing the provision of education for students with disability in inclusive educational settings.