A Study Examining the Extent of Including Competencies of Inclusive Education in the Preparation of Special Education Teachers in Saudi Universities

Educators all over the world are trying to revise and/or build their teacher education programmes to ensure pre-service teachers working on their teaching credentials are competent and ready to manage classrooms from day one. This study surveyed 179 faculty from 30 colleges and universities in Saudi Arabia to find out the extent to which they agreed that their coursework included various skills and knowledge sets leading to competent teachers. Teacher education programmes offering special education teacher preparation programmes at undergraduate level strive to base their curriculum on standards recommended by Council for Exceptional Children. The results showed a moderately strong agreement on most items under the various competency areas. Academic ranks of faculty did not have any significant effect on the extent of agreement. However, faculty from newer programmes, and those with degrees obtained in Saudi Arabia showed a better agreement. This article discusses findings, implications for the special education teacher preparation programmes in Saudi universities, and recommendations for future research.