Digital Educational Stories by Learning Disabilities Teachers in the Southern Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Employment, Obstacles, and Proposed Solutions

Abstract This study examined the level of digital educational story use among teachers of students with learning disabilities in the southern region of Saudi Arabia, as well as associated predictors, barriers, and proposed solutions. A mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 112 teachers (response rate = 74.7 %) using a validated questionnaire, and qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with 20 experienced teachers. Overall use was moderate ( M = 2.93, SD = 0.81). Four-way ANOVA revealed significant effects for gender ( F (1,106) = 7.95, p = 0.006, η 2 = 0.07), years of experience ( F (1,106) = 15.48, p < 0.001, η 2 = 0.13), and academic qualification ( F (1,106) = 23.99, p < 0.001, η 2 = 0.18), while no regional differences were found. Qualitative findings identified barriers related to limited digital design competence, time constraints, insufficient formative assessment strategies, and lack of institutional support. Integration of findings suggests that effective digital storytelling implementation depends on structured professional development and systemic capacity building rather than technological availability alone. The study provides policy-relevant recommendations, including accredited training modules, mentoring structures, and workload adjustments to enhance sustainable digital instructional integration in special education contexts.