The Role of Principals in Integrating Students with Special Needs in Arab School within the Green Line: Challenges and Ways to Overcome Them

Wafa D. Murqus

The aim of this study was to identify the role of principals in integrating students with special needs in Arab School within the green line from the perspective of teachers and principals, and examine the impact of variables (gender, job title, educational qualification, and seniority) in that role. The study aimed at examining principals׳ role in the integration of students with special needs in Arab schools within the green line as attributed to gender, job title, educational qualification, and seniority from the perspective of teachers and principals. It also aimed at pinpointing the challenges principals face in such an integration and the ways used to overcome them. The study drew upon a mixed-method approach where an interview with 20 participants (10 principals and 10 teachers) and a survey filled by 385 teachers and 175 principals were used to collect data. A descriptive survey approach was used. The results of the study showed that the role of school principals in integrating students with special needs was moderate. The results further showed significant statistical differences at (α=0.05) for the role of principals in integrating students with special needs attributed to job title in favor of principals, and for seniority in favor of those with less than 10 years of work experience. However, the findings showed no significant statistical differences at (α=0.05) for the role of principals in integrating students with special needs as a function of gender or academic qualification.

In addition, the results showed that principals face different challenges in integrating students with special needs. Teacher-related difficulties were found to be the most challenging ones, followed by difficulties related to the educational environment, school-parents׳ relationship, school principal respectively. Difficulties related to students were found to be the least challenging.      

Keywords: Integration, Green Line, the role, Difficulties, Ways to overcome, Students with special needs, the green line.