The Perceptions of Special Education Teachers in the Sultanate of Oman Regarding the Challenges they Face in Enhancing the Cultural Identity of Their Students in the First Cycle of Basic Education.

The current study aimed to reveal the challenges faced by first-year special education teachers in the Sultanate of Oman towards enhancing cultural identity among deaf students. To achieve the goal of the study, an open interview was used, which in its final form consisted of ten main questions on a sample of 15 teachers, in various specializations. The results of the study indicated that the challenges lie in the lack of appropriateness of the curriculum for the hearing disabled, the lack of linguistic stock among the hearing disabled, the difficulty and scarcity of educational resources and means, the difficulty of deaf students integrating with society due to their disability and being influenced by social networking sites and imitating others, in the era of globalization and openness. In light of the results of the study, the researchers recommend the importance of adapting the curricula to suit the nature of deaf students, enhancing them with activities and topics related to cultural identity, training teachers in various specializations on the means and strategies through which they can enhance the cultural identity of their students, and educating parents and members of the local community about the importance of educating students. Deaf people with elements that enhance cultural identity