The impact of gender differences in teachers' teaching practices and attitudes on students' math and science achievement in Saudi Arabia: Evidence from TIMSS 2019 data.

Previous results from large-scale studies often identified a gender gap in achievement outcomes between girls and boys. This study aims to investigate the existence of a relationship between students' grades and gender differences in practices and attitudes among teachers. Data from the Saudi Arabian TIMSS 2019 were analyzed for this study. The dataset contains data from 10,817 4th grade students (5,447 girls and 5,370 boys) who took math and science as well as data from their 437 teachers (around 50% were female teachers). The results showed that teachers' teaching practices were positively associated with students' scores in math and science. In addition, teachers' attitudes toward teaching were positively associated with students' scores. Female teachers held more positive attitudes toward teaching and were rated more positively in terms of practices by their students. Highlights: - Teacher practices were positively associated with students' achievement.- Teachers' attitudes were positively associated with students' achievement.- Female teachers hold more positive attitudes toward teaching.- There are differences in teaching style and practices based on gender.

Pandemic Education-Insights into Teachers' Perceptions of Hygiene Measures in Schools Due to COVID-19.

To prevent the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and protect the health of school staff and students, Austrian education policymakers introduced several hygiene measures that posed new challenges for teachers. The current paper focuses on teachers' perceptions of hygiene measures in schools during the 2021-2022 school year. In Study 1, 1372 Austrian teachers participated in an online survey at the end of 2021. In Study 2, five teachers participated in an in-depth qualitative interview study. The quantitative results show that half the teachers felt a strong burden from the COVID-19 tests, but that the tests worked better when teachers had more teaching experience. Elementary and secondary school teachers, unlike special education teachers, had fewer problems implementing COVID-19 testing. The qualitative results suggest that teachers needed an acclimatization period for previously unfamiliar tasks, such as COVID-19 testing, to become accustomed to this newly implemented measure. Additionally, wearing facemasks was only evaluated positively in the context of self-serving strategies, while the protection of student health was not considered. In summary, the current study calls attention to the particular vulnerability of teachers and provides insights into the reality of schools in times of crisis that could be particularly helpful to education policymakers.

Measuring Family Quality of Life: Scoping Review of the Available Scales and Future Directions.

The lack of quality of life is a key issue for families with children with an intellectual disability. While the quality of life for people with disabilities has previously been researched as an individual variable, this has now shifted to include family members. The purpose of this study was to conduct a review of the studies measuring the quality of life of families with an intellectually disabled member, in order to identify the most commonly used scales and their psychometric properties. METHOD: Data were collected from six databases (ERIC, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, MedLine, and Google Scholar), and this search yielded 3948 studies. One hundred and twenty studies that met the inclusion criteria were included in this study. RESULTS: Nine scales were used in the last years to measure the quality of life for families with individuals with an intellectual disability. The Beach Center scale was the most common scale, followed by the Family Quality of Life Survey and the World Health Organization's quality of life assessment (WHOQoL-BREF). The results showed that the included studies in the review lack the consideration of a broader population representing the different types of cultures with different socioeconomic backgrounds. Key aspects used to assess the FQoL are environmental factors (proximal and distal factors), as well as economic factors. CONCLUSION: Although the operationalization of the FQoL often incudes several subthemes, a general agreement regarding which domains of the FQoL need to be included in the measurements, and these do not exist right now. Moreover, multidimensional scales are still rare.

Teachers' Implementation of Inclusive Teaching Practices as a Potential Predictor for Students' Perception of Academic, Social and Emotional Inclusion.

The aim of the study was to illustrate the impact of teachers' implementation of differentiation and individualization (perceived by students) on students' perception of their inclusion regarding their social inclusion, emotional wellbeing and academic self-concept. The study sample comprised 824 third-to-eighth-grade students [255 males (31%) and 569 females (69%)]. Around 10% of the sample (82) had special educational needs (SEN). Students' perceived inclusion levels and academic self-concept were examined with the Arabic version of the Perceptions of Inclusion Questionnaire (PIQ-S-AR). Students' ratings of inclusive practices in their classroom were examined using the Arabic version of the Inclusive Teaching Practices Scale (ITPS). SEN students expressed lower perceived social inclusion, emotional inclusion, and academic self-concept in comparison with non-SEN students. Moreover, high levels of inclusive teaching practices strongly predicted students' perceived emotional inclusion, social inclusion, and academic self-concept. The results of the study supported the importance of school-level inclusive teaching practices and their relation to students' school experiences. It also highlighted the need for schools and teachers to work towards improved school-level inclusion experiences for SEN students.

Teaching Multilingual Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Austria: Teachers' Perceptions of Barriers to Distance Learning.

Providing high-quality education for students with emergent proficiency in the language of instruction (referred to here as multilingual students) presents a challenge to inclusion for educational systems the world over. In Austria, a new German language support model was implemented in the school year 2018/19 which provides language support in separate classrooms up to 20 h a week. Since its implementation, the model has been strongly criticized for excluding multilingual students from the mainstream classroom, which is argued to reinforce the educational disadvantages that they face. The study presented here provides unprecedented qualitative insight into how schooling for students within the so-called German language support classes (GLSC) was organized during the COVID-19 pandemic. It builds on results of a previous large-scale quantitative study (n = 3,400 teachers), which was conducted during the first lockdown (spring 2020) and indicated a high risk of exclusion for marginalized students, especially for multilingual students in GLSC. To gain deeper insights into the situation of these students during school closures, 37 teachers who work in these classes at both primary and lower-secondary schools in Vienna were interviewed, of which 18 interviews were considered for analysis. The interviews focus on the situation during the first and second school closures in the city of Vienna. A thematic analysis of the interview data reveals teachers' perceptions of aspects which harmed or promoted inclusion for students in GLSC during these periods of school closure. Teachers' perceptions of the most harming factors for students included strong language barriers between teachers and students, restricted access to technical equipment and supportive learning spaces, and low parental engagement. A development that promoted inclusion of these students was the option to allow them to come to school during the second school closure. Since existing studies on the schooling of students during school closures have hardly addressed the situation of students in GLSC, this study contributes to closing this research gap.

Development of Teachers' Emotional Adjustment Performance Regarding Their Perception of Emotional Experience and Job Satisfaction During Regular School Operations, the First and the Second School Lockdown in Austria.

Starting with the COVID-19 pandemic, research intensively investigated the effects of school lockdowns on involved stakeholders, such as teachers, students and parents. However, as research projects had to be hurriedly conducted, in-depth and longitudinal studies are lacking. Therefore, the current study uses data from a longitudinal study to investigate the well-being of Austrian in-service teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In total 256 teachers took part at both measurement waves and participated in an online survey. Standardized questionnaires were used to assess teachers' perception of emotional experiences and job satisfaction before COVID-19 (retrospective, t1), during the first (in situ, t2) and during the second school lockdown (in situ, t3). The results indicated that the vast majority of teachers generally felt a high level of job satisfaction. However, teachers' satisfaction decreased between regular teaching and school lockdowns. Similarly, positive emotional activation was reduced and negative activation increased. Further, results from a positive activation cross-lagged path model indicated that the lack of positive activation led to lower job satisfaction. For negative emotional activation, job satisfaction during the first school lockdown predicted negative activation at the second lockdown.

Differentiation and Grouping Practices as a Response to Heterogeneity - Teachers' Implementation of Inclusive Teaching Approaches in Regular, Inclusive and Special Classrooms.

Addressing students' individual needs is a crucial component of inclusive teaching. However, empirical evidence comparing practices such as differentiation and grouping strategies within inclusive, regular and special classes is still lacking. The present study contrasts these settings using data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS). Data from 1034 teachers (755 regular, 89 inclusive, 190 special teachers) teaching the subject German in secondary school (grade 5 to grade 8) were used. Results show the highest use of differentiation in special school classes. Teachers' use the majority of grouping practices to a similar extent when comparing the three educational settings. Class size and the number of students with migration background were predictors for teachers' use of differentiation, whereas patterns of grouping strategies were predicted by students' gender and teachers' experience.

The Positive Impact of Joint Activities on Students Attitudes Toward Peers With Disabilities.

Background: Attitudes toward peers with disabilities play a crucial role in implementing inclusive education. This study examines how students' attitudes are associated with gender; having relatives with disabilities and the frequency of contact with them; attending a class that includes students with special educational needs (SEN); and having previous contact with SEN students through joint activities. Methods and Procedures: The participants included 652 elementary school students (grades 4-6) who completed a short version of the Chedoke-McMaster Attitudes Toward Children with Handicaps (CATCH) questionnaire in Arabic. Outcomes and Results: Students in inclusive classes express more positive attitudes in comparison with students in regular classes. However, previous contact through joint activities was associated with more positive attitudes. Females were more likely to hold positive views than males. Having relatives with disabilities had no effect; however, a high frequency of contact with them was associated with more positive perspectives. Conclusions and Implications: The findings on students' attitudes indicate that joint activities between students with and without disabilities are important to promote positive attitudes. Planned opportunities to increase frequent contact, and to promote joint activities between students with and without SEN are recommended.

Special Education Major or Attitudes to Predict Teachers' Self-Efficacy for Teaching in Inclusive Education.

This study aimed to determine the predictors for Saudi Arabian teachers' self-efficacy to work in inclusive education. Five independent variables were tested in this study: attitudes toward inclusive education, participants' educational major, having relative with disability, working with students with disability and gender. Further, predictors of teachers' attitudes toward inclusive education were examined. The sample was 185 elementary-school teachers in Saudi Arabia. The Arabic version of the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices scale was used to measure self-efficacy. To assess attitudes toward inclusion an Arabic version of the Sentiments, Attitudes, and Concerns about Inclusive Education Revised subscale was used. Results showed teacher attitude toward inclusion are strongly linked with teachers' self-efficacy to work in inclusive classrooms. Further, participants with a relative with a disability showed more positive attitudes for inclusive education. Levels of self-efficacy were unaffected by gender, having a special education degree, or having a relative with a disability. In sum, this study highlighted the importance of teachers' attitudes toward inclusive education as a main predictor of teachers' self-efficacy.

Psychometric Properties and Rasch Validation of the Teachers' Version of the Perception of Resources Questionnaire.

Research indicates that the perception of available resources is a key factor for the implementation of inclusive education. Regarding the teachers, a relatively high level of perceived personnel and physical resources is associated with more positive attitudes toward inclusive education and experiencing a higher level of self-efficacy. Thus, this study aims to examine the psychometric properties of the teacher version of the Perceptions of Resources Questionnaire (PRQ-T). Data were collected from a sample of 1,078 in-service teachers in Austria. Different statistical analyses were used, including Rasch analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. The results indicated good psychometric properties of the PRQ-T regarding internal consistency measured by person separation index (PSI) and construct validity by both confirmatory factor analysis and the Rasch analysis. Moreover, the findings supported that the PRQ-T is a two-factor scale to measure teachers' perceptions of personnel and physical resources in inclusive education. Further studies with different samples are necessary to confirm the findings.

Agreement among student, parent and teacher ratings of school inclusion: A multitrait-multimethod analysis.

One of the central objectives of inclusive education, and education in general, is not only to support every students' academic learning, but also their social and emotional development. It therefore is important to identify difficulties in a child's socio-emotional development at school. The current study investigates students' emotional inclusion and social inclusion, as well as students' academic self-concept from four different perspectives using the Perceptions of Inclusion Questionnaire (PIQ). In particular, we analyzed the degree of agreement between teacher, mother, and father ratings with students' self-reports. Moreover, we tested if students' gender and special educational needs (SEN) are predictors for possible bias in parent and teacher reports. Survey participants included 721 Austrian, Grade 4 students from 48 classes. In addition, data from 46 teachers, 466 mother reports, and 375 father reports were included. We assessed the consistency (i.e., agreement) between the different raters by means of multitrait-multimethod analyses, or more precisely, a correlated trait-correlated method minus one (CT-C[M-1]) model. Results of the CT-C(M-1) analyses indicated a rather strong rater bias (i.e., method effects) for all three dimensions of inclusion. However, the consistency for academic self-concept was higher than for emotional and social inclusion. Furthermore, gender and SEN status affected rater bias, particularly for teacher reports. Results suggested that it matters who reports students' emotional inclusion, social inclusion, and academic self-concept, which has methodological and practical implications.

The positive impact of knowledge and quality of contact on university students' attitudes towards people with intellectual disability in the Arab world.

BACKGROUND: This study examines undergraduate students' attitudes towards people with intellectual disability (PWID) in relation to their frequency of contact with people with intellectual disability, the quality of this contact, and their knowledge of intellectual disability (ID). METHOD: The study sample comprised 1001 undergraduate students (458 male students [46 %]; 543 female students [54 %]; mean age = 20.6 years) from Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The Arabic version of the Mental Retardation Attitude Inventory-Revised (MRAI-R) was used to examine attitudes towards PWID. RESULTS: Knowledge about ID, quality of contact with PWID, and gender were significant predictors of attitudes. Frequency of contact, as well as having relatives with a disability, were not significant predictors of attitudes. No differences were found between participants from the two countries. CONCLUSION: The results of the study indicate that high-quality contact is a major predictor of students' attitudes. Therefore, society needs to ensure more than just simple forms of contact between people with and without disabilities.

Teachers' Judgments of Students' School-Wellbeing, Social Inclusion, and Academic Self-Concept: A Multi-Trait-Multimethod Analysis Using the Perception of Inclusion Questionnaire.

Students' school well-being, social inclusion, and academic self-concept are considered important outcome variables of schools. In the present study, these three variables were examined from teachers' and students' perspective (grades 5-9). The aim of the study was to investigate the construct validity (convergent and discriminant validity) of the teacher's version of the Perception of Inclusion Questionnaire (PIQ). Further, we investigated whether or not it is meaningful to include the perspective of a second teacher. The dataset consists of PIQ ratings of 151 students as well as ratings from two main subject teachers. The results for psychometric properties show that the students' as well as the teachers' version of the PIQ is suitable for secondary school students. The confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated good model fit for the three-dimensional factorial structure. By excluding one teacher's rating from the model, the multitrait-multimethod analysis provided indicators for the PIQ's construct validity (convergent and discriminant validity) of the traits and discriminant validity of the methods.

Psychometric Properties of the Arabic Version of the Behavioral Intention to Interact With Peers With Intellectual Disability Scale.

According to literature, students' attitudes toward peers with disabilities are crucial for the social inclusion of students with disabilities. Therefore, knowledge about students' behavioral intention to interact with peers with intellectual disability (ID) can help improve the social inclusion of students with ID. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Behavioral Intention to Interact with Peers with Intellectual Disability Scale (BIS). Data were collected from 887 elementary school students (591 girls and 296 boys) from third to sixth grades in Saudi Arabia. Psychometric properties of the BIS were examined with a confirmatory factor analysis, measurement invariance analysis (across gender), and reliability scales (internal consistency). Good indicators were obtained for the construct and the convergent validity of the BIS. The results supported the two-dimensional structure of the BIS. The internal consistency of the BIS and each of its subscales was good. Furthermore, no measurement variance was found for boys and girls students. The Arabic version of the scale showed good psychometric properties and therefore can be recommended to measure students' behavioral intention to interact with peers with intellectual disability.

What Do Teachers Think About Their Students' Inclusion? Consistency of Students' Self-Reports and Teacher Ratings.

The aim of this study was to investigate the consistency between the self-reports and teacher ratings of students' emotional and social inclusion at school as well as for their academic self-concept. The German version of the Perceptions of Inclusion Questionnaire (PIQ) was administered to 329 grade 8 students (50.8% female, M age = 14.5 years, SD age = 0.5 years) and their teachers. First, the three-dimensional structure of both PIQ versions was confirmed by confirmatory item factor analysis. The α and ω coefficients demonstrated good reliability for all scales. Second, a correlated trait-correlated method minus one model provided evidence that the method-specificity of teacher ratings was larger than the consistency between the self-reports and teacher ratings. Third, the results of a latent difference model indicated that general method effects can partly be explained by a student's gender or special educational needs. Finally, the low consistency between self-reports and teacher rating is discussed.

The impact of contact on students' attitudes towards peers with disabilities.

This study aimed to understand the relationship between contact with peers with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and students' attitudes towards their peers with SEN, by examining the inter-group contact theory in regular and inclusive classes. A total of 463 students in 8th grade, with a mean age of 14.42 years, from 25 secondary school classes in Styria (Austria) completed a self-report questionnaire regarding their contact with peers with SEN and their attitudes towards peers with disabilities. Contact was indicated by nominations for joint activities and examined in inclusive and regular classes. The German short version of the Chedoke-McMaster Attitudes towards Children with Handicaps scale (CATCH; Schwab, 2015b; Rosenbaum et al., 1986) was used to measure students' attitudes towards peers with learning disabilities and emotional disorders. Students with SEN are less frequently nominated by their peers for joint activities, such as working together on a school project. Students from inclusive and regular classes did not differ in their attitudes towards peers with SEN. However, those students who nominated at least one peer with SEN for a joint activity had more positive attitudes towards peers with disabilities. Freely choosing contact with a peer with SEN was associated with more positive attitudes towards disability while simply attending the same class may have no effect or even a negative impact on students' attitudes.

Predicting a high rate of self-assessed and parent-assessed peer problems--Is it typical for students with disabilities?

Peer problems are common in children with special educational needs (SEN), but the reasons are poorly understood. This study aims to identify risk factors of peer problems (e.g., SEN, school setting, pro-social behaviour) for their occurrence. A subsample of 3900 children from the National Educational Panel Study in Germany was analysed. Children and parents answered the items of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) subscales 'peer problems' and 'pro-social behaviour'. Students with SEN (attending special schools or inclusive classes) were more likely to score within the abnormal range of the SDQ subscale peer problems than students without SEN. The results further show a low level of parent-child agreement on the subscale 'peer problems'. Logistic regression analyses showed that having SEN is always an explaining variable for 'peer problems' and that group differences cannot be fully explained by gender, school setting or 'pro-social behaviour'.

Social dimensions of inclusion in education of 4th and 7th grade pupils in inclusive and regular classes: Outcomes from Austria.

Positive peer relationships play a significant role in the development of students. They are beneficial for learning and psychological outcomes. This article draws upon an important distinction between the four main themes of social participation (friendships, interactions, peer acceptance and self-perception of social participation) and examines these aspects in inclusive and regular classes. Especially, differences in social participation of students with and without special educational needs (SEN) in inclusive classes and between students without SEN in inclusive and regular classes are examined. In this study, data from 1115 pupils in primary and secondary schools in Austria were analysed, of which 129 were diagnosed as having SEN. The results showed that in inclusive classes, students with SEN had lower scores on all four subthemes of social participation (friendships, interactions, peer acceptance and self-perception of social integration) than students without SEN. Regarding students without SEN, friendships and peer acceptance were significantly higher in inclusive classes than in regular classes. Differences were neither found for gender, nor between primary and secondary school students.

[School well-being of students with and without special educational needs--a comparison of students in inclusive and regular classes]. / Schulisches Wohlbefinden von SchülerInnen mit und ohne sonderpädagogischen Förderbedarf--Integrations- und Regelklassen im Vergleich.

OBJECTIVE: The present study examines the academic well-being of students with and without special educational needs (SEN) in inclusive classes compared to students from regular classes in which no child with SEN is taught. In addition, the relationships between the school well-being and emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationship problems and prosocial behavior are analyzed. METHOD: A total of 1115 students from the 4th and 7th grade (37 % 4th graders, 63 % 7th graders) participated in the survey, 126 of whom had been diagnosed as having SEN. The subscale Well-Being at School taken from the FEESS 3­4 (Rauer & Schuck, 2004) and the SDQ (Goodman, 1997) were used for measurement. RESULTS: Results indicate high reliabilities for the subscale Well-Being in School for students both with and without SEN for both grades 4 and 7. Furthermore, it could be shown that the variance explained for school well-being can be connected to elements on the students' individual level as well as on the class-specific level. Significant predictors of school well-being were sex, behavioral difficulties and strengths as well as the school grade. The SEN status (no SEN vs. SEN) and the class setting (regular vs. inclusive class) did not influence the school well-being significantly.