Saeed Almalki1, Abdulaziz Alqabbani2, Ghaleb Alnahdi3. 1. Department of Special Education, King Saud University, College of Education, King Khalid Road, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: almalki@ksu.edu.sa. 2. Ministry of Education, King Fahad Road, Riyadh, 11444, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: amsq11311@hotmail.com. 3. Department of Special Education, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, College of Education, Alkharj Road, Alkharj, 11455, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: g.alnahdi@psau.edu.sa.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: A transition plan refers to post-high school goals identified and developed on the basis of the needs, strengths, skills, and interests of students. A significant factor for achieving successful transition planning is parental involvement. In this regard, many studies in Saudi have explored the barriers to effective collaboration between schools and parents. AIM: From the perspective of special education teachers, the study examined parental participation in transition planning for students with intellectual disability enrolled in schools in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, parental challenges were discussed. METHODS: A questionnaire was used to collect data from 91 special education teachers. The t-test, confirmatory factor analysis, and Cronbach's alpha were used for statistical analysis. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Results indicated that parents lacked participation in transition planning for several reasons, such as lack of time and lack of knowledge about transition. However, the study found that schools did not proactively seek parental participation nor provide substantial guidance about transition services to enable parents to provide a meaningful contribution to planning. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Limitations and implications for future research and practice are discussed.
BACKGROUND: A transition plan refers to post-high school goals identified and developed on the basis of the needs, strengths, skills, and interests of students. A significant factor for achieving successful transition planning is parental involvement. In this regard, many studies in Saudi have explored the barriers to effective collaboration between schools and parents. AIM: From the perspective of special education teachers, the study examined parental participation in transition planning for students with intellectual disability enrolled in schools in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, parental challenges were discussed. METHODS: A questionnaire was used to collect data from 91 special education teachers. The t-test, confirmatory factor analysis, and Cronbach's alpha were used for statistical analysis. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Results indicated that parents lacked participation in transition planning for several reasons, such as lack of time and lack of knowledge about transition. However, the study found that schools did not proactively seek parental participation nor provide substantial guidance about transition services to enable parents to provide a meaningful contribution to planning. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Limitations and implications for future research and practice are discussed.