Index

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.

Keywords: Barriers to inclusion, Jordan, Principals of inclusive schools, Ten-year strategy for inclusive education.

Received: 10 October 2022 / Revised: 17 January 2023 / Accepted: 27 January 2023 / Published: 9 February 2023

Contribution/ Originality

This study addressed the obstacles to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in general education in the light of the ten-year strategy for inclusive education (2019-2029). This study would be a good contributory and informative guide for inclusive school principals to address these obstacles.

1. INTRODUCTION

The field of inclusive education has received great attention in human societies, as a complex national project that requires school management, teachers, and a multidisciplinary team and other professional staff to break down previous regulations, beliefs, and conventions that justify isolation and segregation and support it by developing school societies that enjoy human diversity with humanistic practices based on science with an appropriate knowledge base, providing them with research and practices that contribute to development in all fields that seek to bring persons with disabilities to an environment closer to their daily environment and less constrained by the implications of full community integration, which has a clear impact on their lives (Konza, 2008).Trends are growing towards the inclusion of people with disabilities in school education which prepares them to integrate into society educationally, socially, and professionally to participate in public life. Securing the access of people with disabilities to the education system in Jordan still faces many challenges and obstacles, therefore, scientific research is considered a lever strategy for education reform, a challenge to the realization of human rights, and one of the human development goals that aim to promote the effective participation of persons with disabilities.

One of the most important obstacles and challenges facing educational leaders in the Ministry of Education is the lack of effective leadership in all aspects of the educational system and the absence of any system of licensing educational leaders. The current system of recruitment to managerial positions depends heavily on the length of service rather than personal performance and capabilities. The poor activation of participatory educational administrative leaders in public education schools and the marginalization of the development team, subject coordinators, teachers, and the multidisciplinary team are other challenges facing the school integration project in Jordan (The Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Education, 2022).

1.1. Theoretical Background

The 10-year strategic plan for inclusive education aims to assign all educational policies and legislation to values and practices supportive of inclusive learning and create positive attitudes towards the inclusion of people with disabilities in education and awareness of the importance of learning about students with disabilities through a holistic diagnosis of various learning requirements, developing learning curricula and strategies to comply with integration requirements and upgrading the professional capabilities of teaching staff to meet the requirements of integrated learning. Developing inclusive programs for pre-school children, conducting scientific research in the area of inclusive learning, and developing databases (10-year Inclusive education strategy, (2019-2029)).

Statistics from the Ministry of Education for the academic year (2018-2019) indicate that the number of students enrolled in government schools for people with disabilities who are served in the Ministry of Education is (21,859) students for different groups of people with disabilities. According to Ministry of Social Development statistics for 2018, the number of students with disabilities provided with special education services in the Ministry's centers and institutions and the private sector is (5,859), and the total number of students with educational or semi-educational services provided to them with disabilities who receive educational services out of the total number of students is (1.9%). According to global and local studies, the proportion of students with disabilities is supposed to be (10-15 %) of the total number of students. This result indicates that there are real obstacles and challenges in the area of the right to education for people with disabilities, especially taking into account official figures from the Department of Statistics indicating that almost (79%) of the total number of people with disabilities in school age do not receive any form of education (The Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Education, 2022).

Jordan's Ministry of Education has attached great importance to human resources through successive plans and strategies. Investment in human resources is one of the best types of investment. Human resources development is the title of its strategic plan for the year (2018-2022) as part of the reform of public education toward the knowledge economy through a lifelong system, which is closely related to its current and future needs, with lifelong learning expertise relevant to its current and future needs, in response to and stimulation of sustainable development through the preparation of managerial, supervisory, technical, educational and support leadership in public education schools, especially for inclusive education.

Leadership is at the core of the administrative process and is a key to effective management, and the Department's place is due to its playing a central role in encompassing all aspects of the administrative process and being an important focus of various activities of integrated schools for persons with disabilities. As a result of the shift to technologies and information technology, creative administrative leadership has become the basis for rationalizing workers' behavior and enabling them to keep up with technologies and achieve the desired goals (Al-Khatib, 2008; Ayasrah, 2022).

The organizational structure is the formal model for the organization of government and private institutions providing programs and services to people with disabilities and it takes the form of a pyramid that represents the trained management leadership at its top and represents the institution's teaching staff at all levels of its body and base, This is the building that determines the locations for making and implementing creative and educational administrative decisions and determining the integration needs. It adopts a clear policy of integration specialized for all employees of the educational institution and active partners of the community, civil society institutions, associations, and international institutions operating in Jordan (ALkhateeb, 2011; Shaimaa' et al, 2021).

1 .2. Advantages and Disadvantages of Inclusive Education

There are many advantages and disadvantages of inclusive education for children with disabilities, their families, teachers, and society in all fields, whether social, educational, personal, psychological, or economic.

1 .2.1. Advantages of Inclusive Education

1.2.2. Disadvantages of Inclusive Education

2. LITERATURE REVIEW

The study of Abu Al Rub,et al (2021) aimed to identify the role of public school principals in facing the difficulties of integrating students with special needs, according to the 2018 Special Education Law within the Green Line from the point of view of principals and teachers, as well as revealing the statistical differences in the role of public school principals in facing the difficulties of integrating students with disabilities, due to the effect of variables (gender, educational qualification, years of experience, educational stage, occupation), and to achieve the objectives of the study. In order to answer its questions, the descriptive approach was used to describe the results of the responses of the study sample members about the study tool, its analysis, and interpretation. The study sample was chosen in a simple random way, representing the study population, during the academic year (2019-2020), with a rate of (10%) of the study population and the study sample consisted of (510) respondents. The results showed that the role of public school principals in facing the difficulties of integrating students with disabilities, according to the Special Education Law 2018 within the Green Line, from the point of view of principals and teachers was (great). The results also showed the absence of a statistically significant difference at the level of statistical significance (α = 0.05) in the role of government school principals in facing the difficulties of integrating students with special needs, according to the variable: gender, experience variable, and the variable of the educational stage, while the results showed a difference on the job variable, and the differences were in favor of the manager category.

Mubarak (2021) aimed to identify the obstacles facing children with disabilities in integrated general education schools in the State of Kuwait from the viewpoint of special education teachers; And the differences between them according to the variables of the teacher's gender and teaching experience. The study used the descriptive approach. The study sample consisted of (180) male and female teachers. A questionnaire of (18) items was used. The results indicated that the general percentage amounted to (68.6%), with a mean of (3.34). One of the most prominent obstacles was the absence of legislation and the amendment of laws and regulations that oblige public schools to implement integration. The results also showed that there are statistically significant differences for the obstacles attributed to the teacher's gender variable, and the differences were in favor of females, and there were statistically significant differences in favor of those with experience of more than (15) year.

The study of Alnahdi, Saloviita, and Elhadi (2019) in Saudi Arabia and Finland aimed to identify the attitudes of principals and teachers towards inclusion. The study sample consisted of (306) teachers in Saudi Arabia and (186) teachers in Finland and to achieve the objective of the study, a scale of attitudes towards blended education was used. The results of the study indicated that the level of attitudes of administrators and teachers towards inclusive education was relatively low in Saudi Arabia, while it was moderate among teachers in Finland. The results revealed that there are differences due to the gender variable, and in favor of females which is attributed to the academic level variable, and in favor of graduate degree holders, in the level of teachers' attitudes in Saudi Arabia towards inclusion, and the absence of statistically significant differences among teachers in Finland.

Mezyan, Nabil, and Fateh (2019) conducted a study aimed to identify the difficulties facing the academic integration of people with disabilities, and the groups of disabilities most vulnerable to them, using a descriptive and analytical approach on a sample consisting of (80) administrators and teachers for people with disabilities in the state of Bouira, Algeria. The results indicated that there are difficulties related to the school administration, the educational environment, the inappropriateness of the teaching curricula and their application, and the material means available to students with disabilities, in addition to the lack of evaluation tools for people with disabilities that impede the process of providing achievement tests for them. Accordingly, the researchers recommended the importance of enacting laws and legislation supporting integration and working to prepare both workers with disabilities and children without disabilities, and the researchers noted the need to gradually implement educational integration, starting from the kindergarten stage up to the higher educational stages.

Indriani and Satrianawati (2019) conducted a study in Indonesia that aimed to develop a tool to assess the quality of inclusion programs offered in public schools. The sample of the study consisted of (67) primary school teachers and (13) principals from the principals of inclusive schools, who were chosen randomly. An interview and a questionnaire containing a number of indicators used in program evaluation were used. The results of the study showed that the criteria for evaluating integration programs are based on three variables, which are inputs (vision, goal, administrators, teachers, learning environment, students, employee attitudes), processes (curriculum implementation, study plan, program evaluation), and outputs (academic and non-academic outputs) for students.

Al-Bairat (2018) conducted a study in Jordan that aimed to identify the degree of readiness of regular public schools to successfully integrate students with disabilities in Jordan. The study sample consisted of (112) schools in which integration is applied, they were chosen at random, and to achieve the objectives of the study, the school readiness scale was used in public schools. The results indicated that the degree of readiness of regular public schools to successfully integrate students with disabilities was low and showed that there were differences in the readiness of regular government schools according to the gender variable, in favor of female schools, and according to the variable number of ordinary students, in favor of the smaller number (20 students or less). The results also showed that there were no differences in the readiness of regular public schools according to the effect of the type of disability variable.

Bishtawi's (2018) study aimed to identify the degree of application of school principals to the requirements of the academic integration of students with disabilities in Jordan. The descriptive survey method was used through the development of a questionnaire consisting of (6) areas, namely (legislation, administration and staff, curricula and programs offered, student transportation facilities, partnership with the family, and the teaching environment). The results showed that the degree of application of school principals to the requirements of the academic integration of students with disabilities in the education of the northern valleys in Jordan came with a weak degree on all areas of the study tool.

Alhurub (2017) conducted a study in Jordan aimed at identifying the attitudes of public school principals in Ma'an Governorate regarding the inclusion of students with disabilities in schools. The study sample consisted of (73) male and female managers. To achieve the aim of the study, a questionnaire was used that included a measure of teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education. The results of the study showed that the attitudes of school principals towards integrating students with disabilities in schools were positive, especially towards integrating students with visual disabilities, then hearing disabilities, then motor disabilities, and finally intellectual disabilities. The results revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in the attitudes of public school principals towards integrating students with disabilities due to the variables of experience, gender, specialization, and school level.

A study conducted by Wapling (2016) aimed to assess the quality of inclusive inclusion of students with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries. The results showed that students with disabilities are less likely to continue in the school system and that females are more likely to face pressures than males. The strategies adopted in the policy of inclusion were evaluated (teacher qualification, classroom practices, methods of evaluating children, and community culture). The study emphasized the provision of the necessary resources to support children with disabilities in regular schools and it indicated that teachers are more open to integrating students into the classroom and providing support to them. The teachers emphasized the achievement of a higher quality of education for people with disabilities, that classroom practices must be scrutinized to suit people with disabilities, and the need to provide support services to them.

Vlachou and Fyssa (2016) conducted a study in Greece aimed at identifying the quality of integration services for children with disabilities in integration schools. The study sample consisted of (52) schools randomly selected from northern and western Greece to achieve the study's objective, the pre-school program quality scale was used, and a questionnaire was used that included the organizational profiles of classes, the demographic characteristics of administrators, formal education teachers, and special education teachers. The results of the study showed that the integration programs' quality was moderate to poor. The results revealed that there was no statistically significant impact on the quality of integration programs due to the special education model, the size of the group, the number of students with disabilities, and the experience of special education teachers.

Lynn (2015) aimed to identify the discrepancy between school principals and teachers of special education programs on the concept of effective leadership, in order to reach a description of the nature of effective leadership practices in the field of school leadership for the programs offered, based on the nature of the research questions. The theoretical framework was reviewed and the qualitative research method was used, and the rooted theory, and the study showed that there are four basic contents that represent the involvement of principals in special education programs. They are (the support provided in the classroom, the remarkable interaction, the relations between management and employees, and the current professional development). However, one additional axis emerged among the sample of teachers, which is (the relationship with families), along with another content that appeared among the principals, which is (the goal of student success).

Carrington et al. (2015) conducted a study in Australia and China aimed at identifying the way Inclusion in the educational policies of the two countries. To achieve the aim of the study, the descriptive approach based on the meta-analytical method was used. The results of the study revealed that the level of application of standards related to the inclusion of students with disabilities in education was low in the two countries.

Hasanain (2015) in the Bethlehem Governorate conducted a study aimed to detect obstacles to achieving the goals of integrating students with intellectual disabilities in regular schools from the point of view of their teachers, according to the variables (the gender of the teacher, the teaching stage), using a questionnaire prepared by the researcher to achieve this end and applied to (110) teachers by (70 teachers, and 40 teachers), so the results show the obstacles associated with school administration in the first place, followed by the obstacles associated with the individual with mental disabilities and his family, to come in last place societal obstacles, and the results showed that there are statistically significant differences between the average scores of "obstacles associated with school administration" and obstacles associated with society" attributed to the sex of the teacher and in favor of teachers, and the results indicated that there were no statistically significant differences between the averages of teachers' scores on the questionnaire due to the variable of the teacher's teaching stage.

Carrington et al. (2015) conducted a study in Australia and China aimed at identifying the way inclusion in the educational policies of the two countries. To achieve the objectives of the study, the descriptive approach based on the meta-analytical method was used. The results of the study revealed that the level of application of standards related to the inclusion of students with disabilities in education was low in the two countries.

3. PROBLEM STATEMENT

3.1. Study Problem

School administration in itself is a difficult issue, as it has many details regarding the clerical, coordinating, and organizational aspects of workers within the educational institution and the work needs. This is further compounded by the difficulties and problems of reconciling two different categories of educational and personal needs. Educational integration deepens the understanding of individual differences between children. As it appears to specialists and non-specialists alike, the similarities between ordinary students and their extraordinary peers are greater than the differences (Al-Mousa, 2012). There is a need to help solve the social, behavioral, educational, and psychological problems of students in public education schools. The educational process needs to build a bridge of trust between the integrated school administration, teachers, the multidisciplinary team, and parents, as partners in the school inclusive process, by involving them in the school's decisions, activities and solving the problems of students through cooperation and understanding between them. In response to the sustainable development goals (SDGs, 2015- 2030), Jordan included education for persons with disabilities in the fourth goal on quality education. It eliminated gender disparities in education, and ensured equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for cadres working with persons with disabilities by 2030. Building inclusive educational facilities that take into account the needs of all children, especially those with disabilities, upgrading existing educational facilities, and creating an effective, safe and non-violent learning environment for all to improve the lives of persons with disabilities and achieve sustainable development.

3.2 Study Questions

The study attempted to answer the following two questions :

  1. What are inclusion barriers in light of the ten-year (2019 - 2029) Inclusion Strategy for the students with disabilities?
  2. Are there statistically significant differences at the significance level (α = 0.05) in the inclusion barriers of the students with disabilities in the light of the ten-year (2019 - 2029) Inclusion Strategy due to variables (gender, educational qualification, years of experience)?

4. METHODS

To achieve the study's objectives and to answer its questions, the analytical descriptive method was used to describe, analyze and explain the results of the responses of study sample members to the study tool. A tool was built to measure the obstacles to the integration of people with disabilities into general education from the point of view of Jordan's inclusive school administrators in the light of the The Ten-Year Strategy for Inclusive Education (2019) which consists of (39) paragraphs divided into (6 )dimensions: first (7) paragraphs, second (6) paragraphs, third (7 ) paragraphs, fourth, (6) paragraphs, fifth (7) paragraphs, sixth (6) paragraphs.

4.1. Research Design

The study adopted the descriptive survey design. This was chosen because the researchers collected data from a number of respondents to determine the Jordanian school principals’ perception towards inclusion barriers for the students with disabilities in light of the ten-year (2019 - 2029).

4.2. Study Community

The school community consisted of all (38) inclusive school principals in the General Bani Kinanah in Irbid governorate in Jordan during the second semester of the school year (2021-2022). The number of Principals of integrated schools in the General Bani Kinanah was 38, according to the statistics of the Jordanian Ministry of Education for the academic year 2021/2022.

4. 3 . Study Sample

The study sample consisted of all of its population, 38 Principals, out of which (21) were male and (17) were female. All questionnaires distributed to the study sample were received.

4.4. Validity of Construction

To extract the indicators of genuine construction of the scale, the correlation coefficients of each paragraph and the total score between each paragraph and its correlation with the dimension to which it belongs, between the dimensions, and the total score were extracted in an exploratory sample from outside the study sample consisting of (48) male and female principals, and the correlation coefficients of the paragraphs with the tool as a whole ranged from (0.48-0.91) to the area (0.45-0.91). Table 1 presents Correlation coefficients between the paragraph, the total score, and the field to which it belongs.

Table 1. Correlation coefficients between the paragraph, the total score, and the field to which it belongs.
Paragraph number
Correlation coefficient with field
Correlation coefficient with the tool
Paragraph number
Correlation coefficient with field
Correlation coefficient with the tool
Paragraph number
Correlation coefficient with field
Correlation coefficient with the tool
1
0.72**
0.70**
14
0.59**
0.83**
27
0.63**
0.80**
2
0.45*
0.82**
15
0.47*
0.89**
28
0.62**
0.85**
3
0.64**
0.88**
16
0.61**
0.48*
29
0.65**
0.80**
4
0.77**
0.69**
17
0.87**
0.82**
30
0.54*
0.85**
5
0.60**
0.76**
18
0.47*
0.89**
31
0.80**
0.77**
6
0.67**
0.60**
19
0.46*
0.74**
32
0.89**
0.83**
7
0.53*
0.56**
20
0.90**
0.88**
33
0.53*
0.85**
8
0.61**
0.75**
21
0.53*
0.57**
34
0.74**
0.88**
9
0.74**
0.67**
22
0.75**
0.66**
35
0.73**
0.74**
10
0.54*
0.52*
23
0.91**
0.86**
36
0.74**
0.90**
11
0 .46*
0.74**
24
0.53*
0.87**
37
0.80**
0.77**
12
0.60**
0.66**
25
0.64**
0.77**
38
0.77**
0.72**
13
0.63**
0.91**
26
0.60**
0.77**
39
0.85**
0.83**

Note:

* Statistically significant at the significance level (0.05).
** Statistically significant at the significance level (0.01).

It should be noted that all correlation coefficients were of acceptable and statistically significant degrees, and therefore none of these paragraphs were deleted. The field correlation coefficient with the total score, the correlation coefficients between the domains with each other are seen in Table 2.

Table 2. Correlation coefficients between the fields with each other and with the total score.
Dimensions
Policies and legislation
Awareness, information and lobbying
Identification, diagnosis, support and referral programs
Accessibility and accommodation
Learning and teaching educational programs for students with disabilities
Human resources and capacity-building
Total score
Policies and legislation
1
 
Awareness, information and lobbying
0.873**
1
Identification, diagnosis, support and referral programs
0.784**
0.876**
1
Accessibility and accommodation
0.754**
0.825**
0.900**
1
Learning and teaching educational programs for students with disabilities
0.750**
0.835**
0.491**
0.701**
1
Human resources and capacity-building
0.727**
0.483**
0.583**
0.428*
0.601**
1
Total score
0.891**
0.919**
0.946**
0.879**
0.623**
0.786**
1

Note:

* Statistically significant at the significance level (0.05).
** Statistically significant at the significance level (0.01).

Table 2 shows that all correlation coefficients were of acceptable and statistically significant degrees, which indicates an appropriate degree of construct validity.

4.5. Stability of Study Tool

To ensure the stability of the study tool, the test-retest method was verified by applying the scale and reapplied after two weeks on a set of out-of-sample studies consisting of (20), hence Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated between their estimates both times.

The stability factor has also been calculated in an internal consistency manner according to the Cronbach's alpha equation, and Table 3 shows the internal consistency factor according to the Cronbach's alpha equation and the return constant of the fields, and the overall score and these values were deemed appropriate for the study's objectives.

Table 3. Cronbach's internal consistency coefficient alpha and the repeatability of the fields and the total score.
Field
Replay stability
Internal consistency
Policies and legislation
0.86
0.80
Awareness, information and lobbying
0.89
0.76
Identification, diagnosis, support and referral programs
0.88
0.77
Accessibility and accommodation
0.90
0.74
Learning and teaching educational programs for students with disabilities
0.90
0.78
Human resources and capacity-building
0.85
0.76
Total score
0.87
0.84

Source:

Study sample.

4.6. Statistical Standard

The Triangular Likert scale was adopted to correct the study tool, by giving each of its paragraphs one degree out of its three degrees (high, medium, low) level which is digitally represented (3, 2, and 1) respectively, and the following scale has been adopted for results analysis.
Table 4 shows classification of the responses of the sample members on the scale of the study.

Table 4. Classification of the responses of the sample members on the scale of the study.
Level of the scale
Weight
Arithmetic mean
Low
1
1.00 - 1.66
Medium
2
1.67- 2.33
High
3
2.34-3.00

The scale was calculated using the following equation:

Then add the (0.66) to the end of each category.

5. RESULTS

First Question: What are inclusion barriers in light of the ten-year (2019 - 2029) Inclusion Strategy for the students with disabilities? 

To answer this question, the arithmetic means and standard deviations of the students with inclusion barriers in light of the ten-year (2019 - 2029) Inclusion Strategy were calculated. Table 5 illustrates this.

Table 5.  Arithmetic average of the students with inclusion barriers in light of the ten-year (2019 - 2029) arranged in descending order according to the arithmetic averages.
Rank
Number
Field
Arithmetic average
Standard deviation
Level
1
2
 Awareness, information and lobbying
1.30
0.239
Low
2
5
 Learning and teaching educational programs for students with disabilities
1.29
0.241
Low
3
3
 Identification, diagnosis, support and referral programs
1.23
0.214
Low
4
1
 Policies and legislation
1.21
0.300
Low
5
4
 Accessibility and accommodation
1.15
0.183
Low
6
6
 Human resources and capacity-building
1.14
0.216
Low
Total average score
1.22
0.107
Low

Table 5 shows that the arithmetic averages ranged between (1.14-1.30), where awareness, information, and lobbying occupied the first place with the highest arithmetic average of (1.30), while human resources and capacity building came in the last rank with an arithmetic average of (1.14). The total arithmetic average of the students with inclusion barriers in light of the ten-year (2019 - 2029) Inclusion Strategy was (1.22), with a standard deviation of (0.107) and a low level for all fields of the tool.

Second question: Are there statistically significant differences at the significance level (α = 0.05) in the inclusion barriers of the students with disabilities in the light of the ten-year (2019 - 2029) Inclusion Strategy due to variables (gender, educational qualification, years of experience)?

To answer this question, the arithmetic averages and standard deviations of the barriers to the inclusion of people with disabilities in general education schools were extracted from the viewpoint of the principals of inclusive schools according to the variables of gender, educational qualification, experience.

Table 6 shows the frequencies and percentages with regard to variables gender, educational qualification, years of experience of the sample under study.

Table 6. Frequencies and percentages by study variables.
Variants Category
Frequencies
Percentage
Gender Male
21
55.3
Female
17
44.7
Academic qualification Master's
27
71.1
PhD
11
28.9
Experience Less than 10 years
14
36.8
10 Years and over
24
63.2

Table 7 shows an apparent variance in the arithmetic averages and standard deviations in the inclusion barriers of the students with disabilities in the light of the ten-year (2019 - 2029) Inclusion Strategy due to variables gender, educational qualification, years of experience.

Table 7. Arithmetic averages and standard deviations in the inclusion barriers of the students with disabilities due to variables gender, educational qualification, years of experience
Variance source Category
Arithmetic average
Standard deviation
Number
Gender Male
1.24
0.109
21
Female
1.21
0.104
17
Academic qualification Master's
1.23
0.108
27
PhD
1.22
0.108
11
Experience Less than 10 years
1.24
0.101
14
10 years and over
1.22
0.111
24

To clarify the significance of the statistical differences between the arithmetic averages, a Triple Variance Analysis was used in Table 8.

Table 8. Triple variance analysis of the effect of gender, educational qualification, and experience on Inclusion barriers for students with disabilities

Variance source
Sum of squares
Degrees of freedom
Mean squares
P-value
Statistical significance
Gender
0.007
1
0.007
0.542
0.467
Academic qualification
0.002
1
0.002
0.179
0.675
Experience
0.000
1
0.000
0.019
0.891
Error
0.410
34
0.012
Total
0.422
37

It is evident from Table 8 that:

6. DISCUSSION

6.1. Discussion of the Results of the First Question

The results of the first question showed that the principals of inclusive education schools face obstacles and difficulties that prevent them from carrying out their administrative work in all fields of the study tool, which are (6) fields and at a low level, as follows, arranged in descending order: (Awareness, information, and lobbying field, Learning and teaching educational programs for students with disabilities, identification, diagnosis, support and referral programs, policies and legislation, accessibility, and accommodations, human resources, and capacity building). Table 9 shows these results.

Table 9. Arithmetic means and standard deviations of the students with inclusion barriers in light of the ten-year (2019 - 2029) arranged in descending order according to the arithmetic averages.
Rank
No.
Field
Arithmetic average
Standard deviation
Level
1
2
 Awareness, information and lobbying
1.30
0.239
Low
2
5
 Learning and teaching educational programs for students with disabilities
1.29
0.241
Low
3
3
 Identification, diagnosis, support and referral programs
1.23
0.214
Low
4
1
 Policies and legislation.
1.21
0.300
Low
5
4
 Accessibility and accommodation
1.15
0.183
Low
6
6
 Human resources and capacity-building
1.14
0.216
Low
Total score
1.22
0.107
Low

6.1.1. Awareness, Information, and Lobbying Field

The results related to the field of awareness, information and Lobbying showed that the principals of inclusive educational schools face obstacles and difficulties that prevent them from practicing their administrative work, at a low level, with a mean (1.30) and a standard deviation (0.239). The researcher explains this result to the low volume and quality of programs directed to people with disabilities in the Jordanian media. From awareness-raising, educational and human rights roles, in various fields, and emphasizing that the media about persons with disabilities should be part of the public media policy. Encouraging the issuance of specialized magazines on these groups, and allocating governmental and private media as a continuous and periodic temporal and spatial arena for the issues of persons with disabilities. Because this space will inevitably lead to the public’s interest in them, help and motivate them, and the media can qualify this category of people interested in the field of media and participate in the formulation of media messages broadcast by the media, as the role of people with disabilities changes from the role of the future to the role of the media sender where they are most qualified to express the difficulties and suffering that they face. encountered in their daily lives, and highlighted their experiences and success stories to the community. The results of the study agree with the results of the study Mubarak (2021).

6.1.2. Learning and teaching educational programs for students with disabilities

The results in the field of teaching and learning showed that school principals face obstacles and difficulties that prevent them from performing their administrative work, at a low level, with a mean (1.29) and a standard deviation (0.241). The researcher attributes this result to the lack of knowledge of the principals of the inclusive regular schools about the education programs and services provided to persons with disabilities, the inability to implement, apply and evaluate these programs correctly, and their lack of knowledge of the skills that must be developed by these groups in the various fields (cognitive, emotional, social, and kinesthetic... etc.). This is a result of the lack of experience and knowledge of academic integration and integration procedures by the principals of inclusive schools, the inflexibility of these programs to match the developmental disparity among persons with disabilities, and the teachers’ lack of appropriate training and qualification to deal with these different groups and the disparity of abilities among educated students.  The large teaching burden of special education teachers also prevents them from accepting integration and the inability to perform their duties due to the lack of possibilities provided by the Jordanian Ministry of Education for school integration. The results of this study agree with studies by Bishtawi (2018); Wapling (2016); Vlachou and Fyssa (2016).

6.1.3. Identification, Diagnostics, Support, and Referral Programs

The results showed in the field of identification, diagnosis, support, and referral programs, that school principals face obstacles and difficulties that prevent them from performing their administrative work, at a low level, with an arithmetic mean (1.23) and a standard deviation (0.214). The researcher explains this result to the scarcity of diagnostic tools and standardized and standardized psychological and educational tests in the Jordanian environment for persons with disabilities according to the approved criteria for diagnosis, evaluation, and referral, and the absence of a multidisciplinary team in accredited diagnostic centers in Jordan, and this requires preparing diagnostic criteria for the Jordanian environment, and developing a protocol It clarifies the procedures to be followed in the diagnosis, and to ensure that the children of nurseries, maternity and childhood centers, and kindergartens are periodically examined to follow their growth and development to identify children at risk and refer those who are identified through the detection procedures to the approved bodies for diagnosis and refer them to receive early intervention services, and then determining the requirements for the educational inclusion of persons with disabilities in light of the results of the psychological and educational assessment by a multidisciplinary team, and determining the effective educational programs and plans and the appropriate inclusion requirements for students with disabilities. The results of this study agree with studies like Sarah (2021); Al-Bairat (2018); Bishtawi (2018); Mezyan et al. (2019); Alnahdi et al. (2019).

6.1.4. Policies and Legislation

The results related to the level of application of the principals of inclusive education schools in the field of policies and legislation showed that there are obstacles that prevent them from practicing their administrative work from their point of view. They came at a low level, with a mean of (1.21) and a standard deviation of (0.300). The researcher can explain this result because many principals of inclusive schools are not familiar with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Law No. (20) of (2017), the absence of activating legislation, amending regulations and laws that oblige regular schools to implement inclusion, and not seeing the bulletins and circulars issued by the Ministry of Education with regard to academic integration and its application mechanisms, the lack of clarity in the concept of academic integration for many administrators related to the rights and requirements of persons with disabilities, and the lack of cooperation with specialists from workshops, seminars or explanatory publications related to integration laws and legislation, this requires a review of the legislation and policies in force, to be compatible with inclusive learning and education, its philosophy and how to implement it, and the development of regulations and instructions that include the basis for accepting persons with disabilities in inclusive education. This requires the formation of a steering committee to develop a national vision for inclusive education, develop criteria for accrediting inclusive programs, and establish a follow-up and evaluation system for inclusive education. This result agrees with the study Sarah (2021). Alnahdi et al. (2019); Bishtawi (2018); Carrington et al. (2015); Vlachou and Fyssa (2016); Sarah (2021) and the study of Mezyan et al. (2019); Abu Al Rub et al. (2021) and the study of Basuki (2022).

6.1.5. Accessibility and Reasonable Accommodation

The results showed the level of application of the principles of inclusive education schools in the field of accessibility and reasonable accommodation. The presence of obstacles that prevent them from practicing their administrative work, from their point of view, came at a low level, with an arithmetic mean (1.15), and a standard deviation of (0.183). The researcher attributes this result to the lack of provision of inclusive education requirements, especially those related to creating the infrastructure in schools and educational facilities by the codes of building requirements for persons with disabilities, to allow students with disabilities to access buildings in regular schools and their facilities, written down with physical obstacles, with engineering dimensions according to international building codes and providing Accommodation arrangements, devices, and tools needed by students with disabilities, including buildings and auxiliary equipment, and despite the limited capabilities available to the principals of inclusive educational schools, the administration is doing everything it can to provide educational aids and supporting devices for students with disabilities, and the researcher attributes this to the lack of financial resources, the lack of school transportation adapted to transport persons with disabilities, and the provision of support centers in the education and education directorates to design, maintain and modify various educational aids and devices used by persons with disabilities. The results of the study differ from the study Basuki (2022); Alhurub (2017) and agree with the study Bishtawi (2018) and a study Mezyan et al. (2019).

6.1.6. Human Resources and Capacity Building

The results related to the level of application of the principals of inclusive education schools in the field of human resources and capacity building showed: The presence of obstacles that prevent them from practicing their administrative work from their point of view came at a low level, with arithmetic mean (1.14) and a standard deviation of (0.216). The researchers attributes this result to the failure to raise the efficiency of school principals, teachers, support specialists, and administrators in the requirements, mechanisms, and procedures of inclusive education: Abu Al Rub et al. (2021); Habib (2018). This result agrees with the study Bishtawi (2018); Al-Bairat (2018) and study of Carrington et al. (2015).

6.2. Discussion of the Results of the Second Question

First: The gender variable: The researcher attributes this result to the fact that school principals do not have a clear vision of inclusion and procedures for inclusion of persons with disabilities in general education schools, irrespective of gender. Consequently, there are no gender differences between the principals of inclusive schools in Jordan in providing the requirements for academic inclusion and the lack of adequate special education programs applied in schools. The results of the study agree the study Vlachou and Fyssa (2016) and it differs from the study Hasanain (2015).

Second: The educational qualification variable: This result is due to the similarity of the cognitive aspect of the principals of integrating schools during their university studies at the bachelor’s stage or the postgraduate stages of master’s and doctorate. This explains the absence of an effect of the educational qualification, and this result may be, according to the researchers’ opinion, due to the obstacles and difficulties faced in teaching the persons with disabilities in education schools. These results are in agreement with the study: Hasanain (2015); Al-Bairat (2018); Alnahdi et al. (2019) and the study Vlachou and Fyssa (2016).

Third: years of experience variable: The researcher attributes the absence of differences according to the years of experience variable due to which the Ministry of Education provided written materials to experienced principals and teachers, to play their role in giving training to less experienced teachers. it also emphasized on focusing on preparing pre-service workers on developing positive attitudes toward persons with disabilities through training programs for new teachers. The researcher may attribute this to the weak participation of some of the principals of regular educational schools in the activities and everything related to the integration programs, and the lack of activation of the programs within their schools. This study agrees with the study of Abu Al Rub et al. (2021); Habib (2018).

7. STUDY LIMITATIONS

8. RECOMMENDATIONS

The study extends the following recommendations:

9. CONCLUSION

The results of the current study showed that the overall level of the domains of the obstacles to integrating people with disabilities in the inclusive education schools was at a low level, and the results also showed that there were no statistically significant differences due to the variables of the study in these obstacles from the point of view of the principals of the inclusive schools. This indicates that integration in Jordan is not based on scientific foundations that depend on providing special strategies, through which study plans can be developed through educational institutions. The idea of ​​integrating persons with disabilities in basic education is developed through the Ministry of Education. The most important of these obstacles can be referred to, including:

The lack of clear instructions for applying the integration policy in general education schools, the inadequacy of the skills of special education teachers to deal with persons with disabilities, the inappropriate methods of follow-up and educational supervision of special education programs, the inadequacy of infrastructure and capabilities, the lack of equipment and the lack of a clear educational vision regarding integration as well. The teachers of ordinary students are not trained to deal with people with disabilities and they have a negative impact on the success of integration.

Funding: This study received no specific financial support.  

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical Statement: Studies that included human participants were reviewed and approved orally by school principals in the Ministry of Education in Bani Kinanah. Participants provided their oral informed consent to participate in this study.

Authors’ Contributions: All authors contributed equally to the conception and design of the study.

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