Kholoud Adeeb Al-Dababneh

Substance abuse at Jordanian universities: Perspectives of pre-service special education teachers

ABSTRACT The aim of this large-scale in-depth interview study was to investigate special education student-teachers’ perspectives on substance abuse and measures for combating it in Jordanian universities. Participants were 202 special education pre-service teachers who were purposively selected from three universities for open-ended interviews following a broadly structured guide. Content analysis was used to examine responses which were summarized into five major themes: (1) prevalence of substance abuse among students, (2) reasons for substance abuse, (3) the university experience as a risk for substance abuse, (4) adequacy of substance abuse services, and (5) possible solutions for addressing substance abuse. Informants perceived substance abuse among their student peers as pervasive, with the leading substances being tobacco and water-pipe smoking, followed by marijuana, synthetic marijuana (“joker”) and alcohol for men. For women, water-pipe smoking was perceived as the most common with tobacco notable. Students expressed that the university experience was a risk for substance abuse, that substance abuse education at their university was inadequate, and that a desire for more services to combat substance abuse existed. Recommendations are provided concerning the role of universities in substance abuse education and programs to combat substance abuse.

Prevalence and types of childhood abuse among special education students attending Jordanian Universities

Abstract This survey study was conducted to determine childhood abuse experiences among pre-service special education teachers at five Jordanian universities. The sample consisted of (384) students. A survey was constructed, validated and administrated on the students. Results revealed that 6.1% of all participants were exposed to a high level of abuse during childhood. Participants rated verbal abuse domain as the highest domain of CA, followed by neglect, emotional abuse and physical abuse. Meanwhile, students rated sexual abuse domain as the lowest domain. Results also revealed statistically significant mean differences in the level of abuse due to gender, maternal employment, marital status, cumulative average, monthly income, parent’s education level and residence location. The implications for planning programmes are described.

Understanding Impulsivity Among Children With Specific Learning Disabilities in Inclusion Schools

Impulsive behavior is a characteristic of children with specific learning disabilities (SLD), and is related to learning ability. The present study aims to identify impulsivity behavior in children with SLD who attend inclusion schools, from their resource room teachers’ perspectives. A 31-item questionnaire that addressed four subscales was designed, and the study sample consisted of 103 resource room teachers of children with SLD from various inclusion schools in Al-Zarqa city in Jordan. The results revealed that the main problem was related to lack of premeditation, followed by lack of perseverance and urgency. The results also indicated that there were statistically significant differences only for the Lack of Perseverance subscale, with regard to level of disability, whereas there were no differences attributed to teacher gender, child gender, and age. Based on these findings, implications and recommendations are discussed.

Parents’ attitudes towards their children with cerebral palsy

ABSTRACT A negative attitude towards disability from family not only impacts upon a child directly, but also adds to the existing stress levels of a family. It can be concluded the parental attitudes are assumed to be associated with the psychosocial development of children. The aim of this study was to assess parents’ attitudes towards their children with cerebral palsy (CP), and to examine the relationship between parental attitudes, emotional and behavioural problems, and other factors related to a child with CP and their parents. Parents of 70 children with CP (aged 6–13 years) completed questionnaires assessing parental attitudes and the Social and Emotional Behavioural Problematic scale. The results indicated that most parents had moderate attitudes towards their children with CP, although 40.7% of parents held negative attitudes. The results also revealed that there were statistically significant moderate negative correlations between parental attitudes, internalising behavioural problems and child order, and significant moderate positive correlations between parental attitudes, level of education, and type of school. Regression analysis revealed that internalising behaviour problems, aggression, child order, level of disability, parental income, and type of school contributed significantly to the variation in the prediction of parental attitudes towards their children with CP. Based on the findings, appropriate recommendations are suggested.

Barriers preventing parental involvement in mainstream education of children with specific learning disabilities: parent perspectives

Abstract This study aims to investigate the barriers to parental involvement in Jordanian mainstream schools from the parents’ perspective. A 36-item questionnaire that addressed five domains was designed specifically for this study and distributed to 206 parents of children with specific learning disabilities. The results reveal that the main barrier to parental involvement relates to parents’ beliefs, followed by barriers related to mainstream schools’ teachers and team work, while ‘available facilities’ was viewed as the least significant barrier. The results indicate that there were statistically significant differences regarding parental income level for each of the five domains and the overall scale, but there were no differences attributable to parents’ educational levels and gender. Based on these findings, a number of suggestions and recommendations are made.

Jordanian parents’ beliefs about the causes of disability and the progress of their children with disabilities: insights on mainstream schools and segregated centres

Abstract This study aims to identify the beliefs of Jordanian parents of children with disabilities (CWD), including intellectual disabilities, specific learning disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorder: both in terms of the causes of these disabilities, and the ability of their children to make progress. A qualitative interpretive methodology was employed. Interviews were used to collect data from 63 parents of CWD. Two major themes emerged concerning beliefs about the causes of disability and children’s progress. Results showed generally that disabilities were attributed to supernatural and biomedical causes; also, most parents had positive expectations about their children’s progress, especially in education skills, and had hopes for their children’s futures. Conclusions and implications are presented in the light of the study findings.

The creative environment: teachers’ perceptions, self-efficacy, and teaching experience for fostering children’s creativity

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to compare the availability of a creative environment within regular schools between the academic year 2009/2010 and 2015/2016 by measuring teachers’ perceptions concerning creativity, their self-efficacy, teaching creativity, and barriers to creativity. A questionnaire was developed and distributed among 297 teachers teaching the basic primary stage (grades 1–3). The findings indicated high averages for teaching creativity in the classroom, and teachers’ self-efficacy to foster childrens creativity in the classroom ranked the highest, while barriers to creativity ranked the lowest. The results showed significant differences due to teacher gender, in favour of female teachers, and teaching experience only regarding perceptions of the creativity domain. There were statistically significant differences between the academic years for the overall scale and the four domains in favour of the 2015/2016 academic year. Directions for further research and practical implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Fear in children with visual impairments from the perspective of their parents

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate fear in children with visual impairments (VI) from the perspective of their parents. The study was conducted in Jordan. One hundred and eight parents were surveyed. Results revealed that the main fear contents in children with VI are fear of voices and social communication fears. There were no statistically significant differences between male and female children. Fear content differed as a function of age: six-year-olds feared certain factors more than five-year-olds; seven-year-olds feared the same factors more than six-year-olds. Furthermore, first-born children fear social communication significantly more than later-born children. Finally, various domains differed significantly according to disability severity.

Competencies That Teachers Need for Teaching Children Who Are Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) in Jordan.

Abstract This study investigates what competencies are needed by teachers of children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH), in the changing circumstances of their profession in Jordan. One hundred and five teachers of children who are DHH from kindergarten up to primary grade took part in this study. A scale was developed in order to achieve the goals of the study. The results revealed that the teachers’ competencies on the development of Instructional Planning Strategies subscale ranked first as the most important teaching competency that teachers need to develop. Competencies in definitions and communication skills, assessment, managing the classroom environment, and team working ranked lower, with developing positive attitude ranked the last. Moreover, the results showed that there were significant differences at (α = 0.05) according to school type in favour of private schools, according to educational settings in favour of local public schools (inclusion settings), and according to teachers’ background in favour of ordinary teachers with general teaching qualifications. Based on the findings, appropriate recommendations for the educational system of the DHH in Jordan were outlined.

The effect of a training programme in creativity on developing the creative abilities among children with visual impairment

This study aims to investigate the effects of a training programme in creativity on developing creative abilities among 9–10-year-old children with visual impairment in Jordan. The study sample consisted of 41 students from fourth and fifth grades, who were randomly selected and divided into two experimental groups and two control groups. To achieve the study objectives, a 50-item inventory was developed by the researchers and used as pre- and post-tests. The result of multivariate analysis of variance showed statistical differences at the level of p = .01 in the study inventory between the performance of both the experimental groups and the control ones in favour of the experimental group at the overall dimensions and sub-dimensions. Furthermore, there are no significant differences at p = .01 due to gender at the overall dimensions and sub-dimensions. In the light of these results, the researcher addressed a number of suggestions and recommendations.