Academic and social attributions as predictors of emotional and behavioural difficulties in students referred for learning disabilities and typically achieving students: the female profile in Oman

Identification of children who exhibit emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBDs) has been prioritized in several countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region including Oman. Research showed that cognitive attribution processes are biased and defective in atypical populations such as students with learning disabilities (LD). The current study examined the relationship between school-based attributions including academic and social attributions and the display of EBDs in students referred for having LD and typically achieving students. The Student Academic Attribution Scale (SAAS), Student Social Attribution Scale (SSAS), and the Arabic version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (A-SDQ) were administered to 135 typically achieving students and 89 students referred for LD. The participants were all females from middle school. Stepwise regression analyses showed that academic and social attributions were more predictive of EBDs in students referred for LD compared to typically achieving students. The attribution profile of students with LD reflected negative symptoms that lead to the display of internalizing and externalizing EBDs. The study findings are discussed in relation to how schools can utilize the cognitive process of attribution to support students with EBDs.     

Tensions experienced by teachers and their views of support for pupils with autism spectrum disorders in mainstream schools

The number of pupils with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who receive their education in mainstream schools in the UK has increased considerably over the last 10 years. Despite this increase, teachers and other support staff face a number of challenges in order to ensure that these inclusive arrangements bring maximum benefits to the children themselves, their parents and the school community as a whole. In this study we explore some of the tensions that teachers in mainstream schools may experience, many of which reflect the unique problems that the inclusion of pupils with ASD can present. In addition, we explore how these tensions may shape their views of support arrangements for those pupils. We observed 17 pupils with ASD ranging from 7 to 16 years, all of whom were placed in a regular class in one of eight mainstream schools on a full‐time basis, and carried out interviews with their teachers, teaching assistants (TAs) and special educational needs coordinator. Findings suggest that tensions reported by school staff are inherently shaped by the ASD‐related manifestations, particularly those pertaining to their difficulties in social and emotional understanding. These tensions determine the quality of the transactions and interactions between the teachers and the pupils with ASD. Based on these tensions, teachers form their views of the type of support that is needed for those pupils. Evidence from the data suggests that, in order for these tensions to be kept at manageable proportions, teachers rely heavily on the TA, whose role in working closely with the pupil is perceived as being indispensable. Building on the study’s findings, we suggest a generic conceptualization for the successful inclusion of pupils with ASD, which is grounded in the systems theory perspective of the relationship between the teachers and these children.     

Religious coping,meaning‐making and stress: perspective of support staff of children with disabilities in residential disability centres in Oman

Staff providing support to children with disabilities in residential disability centres in Oman are exposed to stressful work environments which may put them at an increased risk of burnout. Previous research has examined predictors of stress in disability support staff, but there is little consensus as the findings are inconclusive. Using a cross‐sectional design, a short survey examined religious coping styles, meaning and inner sense of peace, attitude to meaning in life, organisational religiousness practices and stress of 142 female disability support staff from community disability centres in Oman. Multiple regression analyses indicated that positive religious coping was more predictive of stress than negative religious coping. There was an association between meaning‐making and stress in disability support staff. Religious organisation explained most of the variance in stress scores and was the best predictor of stress in disability support staff. Implications of the study are discussed in relation to the role of both culture and religion.     

School Leaders’ and Teachers’ Perceptions of Learning Disabilities: Implications for Support in Inclusive Schools in the Sultanate of Oman

The study examined school leaders’ and teachers’ perceptions of Learning Disabilities (LDs) in Key Stage1 Schools in a sample drawn from schools in Muscat, the capital city of Oman. A sample of 175 school leaders and 175 teachers completed The Survey on Learning Disabilities (SLD), an instrument developed to explore beliefs and perceptions of the causes of LDs. A principal component analysis indicated that six factors underlie perceptions of LDs: The governmental formal educational system, repertoire of teachers’ skills and school support, familial and cultural background, students, academic curriculum, and social change. Multivariate analyses showed that school leaders perceive more strongly than teachers that the governmental formal educational system and academic curriculum as main causal factors for LDs. Implications for support of students with LDs in inclusive settings in Oman are discussed.     

Emotional and behavioural difficulties among middle school students in Oman: an examination of prevalence rate and gender differences

Children with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBDs) began to receive considerable attention in several countries in the Middle East and North Africa region including Oman. In the Omani context, there is lack of valid assessment instruments which can be used to obtain information on EBDs in schools. The current study used the Arabic self-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (A-SDQ) to examine EBDs in a sample of middle school students. 816 middle school students from both genders, who were randomly selected from different schools in two big cities in Oman, filled out the A-SDQ. Results provided initial evidence of good psychometric properties of the A-SDQ reflecting that it can be a valid tool for use in schools in Oman. Further, the participants reported moderate to high rates of EBDs as measured by the different subscales of the A-SDQ. Significant gender differences were found in students self-report of EBDs. Compared to boys, girls reported more emotional symptoms, less conduct and peer problems. Implications of the study findings for the identification of students with EBDs in schools in Oman are presented.     

The influence of narrative text characteristics on thematic inference during reading

Past studies of narrative text characteristics mainly focused on comprehension and memory of the contents stated explicitly, but not thematic inference. Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of the characteristics of narrative text on generation of thematic inference. In Experiment 1, a self‐paced reading method demonstrated that an appropriate title facilitated comprehension of the theme of a text. In Experiment 2, the same titles for the texts were used, together with variation in the goal of the protagonist and outcome of the story. Results indicated that generation of thematic inference depended on the interaction between the goal of the protagonist and the final outcome of a text. These findings are consistent with the global coherence assumption of contemporary text‐processing models in which the overarching theme is constructed during reading by integrating the title, the statements about the goal of the protagonist and the final outcome of a text.     

Teaching areas of polygons： An alternative approach

Measurement is an integral component of the PK-12 mathematics curriculum. At various grade levels, much attention is given to the areas of geometric shapes. However, there is research evidence that measurement is problematic for US students. In this paper, the merits and demerits of two possible sequences （conventional and alternative） in teaching areas of polygons are discussed in the context of current reforms in mathematics education. Although both sequences are viable, the alternative sequence is suggested because it seems to be more consistent with the process standards （problem solving, reasoning and proof, communication, connections, and representation） of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics （NCTM）.     

Teachers’ perceptions of the concomitance of emotional behavioural difficulties and learning disabilities in children referred for learning disabilities in Oman

Research has documented overlapping and coexisting characteristics of learning disabilities (LD) and emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD). Such concomitance may impact teacher referrals of children at risk for LD which in turn may influence service delivery. Using the Learning Disabilities Diagnostic Inventory (LDDI) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), we examined teachers’ ratings of EBD and LD symptoms in 439 students referred for LD in elementary schools in Oman. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed that there were no gender differences in LD symptoms, whereas there were significant gender differences in teachers’ ratings of hyperactivity and conduct problems in referred children. There was an association between teachers’ ratings on the LDDI and SDQ dimensions, reflecting children’s concurrent display of LD and EBD symptoms. Implications are discussed within an Omani context in which there is a need to increase teachers’ awareness of the behavioural and emotional profile of children at risk for LD.     

Management of inclusive education in Oman: A framework for Action

Inclusive education (IE) and the special education services related to it are relatively new in Oman. Efforts to manage special/inclusive education face many challenges due to a number of culturally rooted factors. Further, empirical research on IE in Oman is scarce and there is a need to advance IE discourse based on empirically validated perspectives. This article examines how IE is managed in schools from the perspective of school leaders in order to develop a framework for action. The author conducted a preliminary qualitative inquiry into how IE is understood and managed in Key stage 1 schools in Oman. The inquiry was based on a focus group interview with a cohort of 25 school leaders who were completing a two year bachelor in educational administration, an endorsement‐like programme at Sultan Qaboos University. Findings showed a number of challenges and tensions between theory and practice, highlighted by school leaders. These challenges and tensions were analysed in order to map out strengths and difficulties. A three level prism shaped framework for action was developed based on the analysis. The framework for action could potentially serve to guide policy‐ and decision‐makers, researchers, practitioners, and is advocated to develop a model of best practice for the successful implementation and management of IE in Oman.