TITLE:
Characteristics of Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders: Perspectives of General Education Teachers in Saudi Arabia
AUTHORS:
Abdulrahman A. Abaoud, Nabil S. Almalki
KEYWORDS:
Emotional/Behavioral Disorders, General Education Teachers, Characteristics, Saudi Arabia
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.6 No.5,
April
8,
2015
ABSTRACT: Students with
emotional/behavioral disorders (EBDs) have a number of characteristics that distinguish
them from other students with special needs. Some teachers may be aware of these
problems through their teaching level, level of education, and/or experience in
education but others are not. This study was conducted through a survey to determine
teachers’ perspectives of students with EBDs because an important relationship exists
between what is believed by teachers about such students and what is practiced concerning
them. Participants in this study included 296 general education teachers from Saudi
Arabia. The results showed that the participants who responded to the survey have
neutral perspectives on the characteristics of students with EBDs. The study has
found additional significant differences between male and female teachers regarding
their perceptions of characteristics of students with EBDs. No significant differences
were discovered in the level of education, the number of years of teaching experience,
or the school level taught. Implications and conclusions are discussed.