Jordanian school principals’ perception towards inclusion barriers for students with disabilities in the light of ten-year (2019 - 2029) inclusion strategy

Abstract

The current study aimed to identify barriers to the integration of people with disabilities into general education in the light of Jordan's 10-year integrated education strategy (2019-2029) from the viewpoint of inclusive schools in Jordan and based on variables such as gender, educational qualification, and years of experience. The study used the descriptive approach, and the sample consisted of (21) male and (17) female directors in the General Bani Kinanah in Irbid Governorate. A questionnaire was used (prepared by the researcher) and it consisted of (6) fields and (39) indicators that were verified as being valid and reliable. The results indicated that the overall level of the tool's fields as a whole was low, with arithmetic average of (1.22) and a standard deviation of (0.107), and that the averages of arithmetic ranged from (1. 14-1.30), where the fields of awareness, information, and lobbying ranked first, with average arithmetic of (1.30) and at a low level, while the field of human resources and capacity-building was last, with average arithmetic of (1.14) and at a low level. The results also showed no statistically significant differences at the level (α = 0.05) attributable to variables (gender, educational qualification, years of experience) from the point of view of the principals of inclusive schools in Jordan. Awareness of these barriers has implications for raising the professional capabilities of the cadres working in education, developing public education curricula and strategies to comply with integration requirements, and developing inclusive education programs in universities to support educational practices in public schools.