شبكة المعلومات العربية التربوية

Students with learning disabilities have been recognized in Saudi Arabian education policy since 1999. Supporting strategies and resources have been provided for students with learning disabilities in resource rooms with support teachers since 2005. Although these students are well supported academically in many schools in Saudi Arabia, there is scope for further support, particularly related to socioemotional issues such as improving social interaction with peers, building a sense of acceptance, and encouraging engagement in class activities. Schools tend to be places of anxiety and stress for these students, due to the academic difficulties that are associated with learning disabilities. The aim of the current study was to investigate the school-related stress experienced by girls with learning disabilities in Saudi Arabian schools. Also, the study investigated how these girls responded to their school stressors. Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) theory of coping were used as the framework for the study. The study involved five girls aged between 8 and 11 in four schools. Data were collected through interviews with the girls, their parents, and their teachers. Classroom and schoolyard observations supplemented the interview data. Findings indicated that teachers’ mistreatment behaviours towards these girls were the most common areas of stress participants experienced and had the most negative impact on participants. Poor relationships with other students were also identified as an important source of stress. In addition, the Lazarus and Folkman coping model were useful to explain how primary school girls with learning disabilities in Saudi Arabia respond to school-related stress. This study presents the implications of applying the model of Lazarus and Folkman (1984) in interventions to support students to be more resilient in coping with school stress. In addition, the model can be used to help evaluate their coping and problem-solving skills. Consequently, there is a need to extend the role of the resources room program beyond academic support for students with learning disabilities through resilience intervention. Another implication is to raise teachers’ awareness of all forms of teacher behaviours that impact on students’ well-being by establishing positive student-teacher relationships and training of pre-service teacher education courses for all teachers. (Author’s abstract)