Shifting Inclusive Education Practices and Structures: Critical Disability Studies in the Saudi Arabia Education System
摘要
The majority of Middle Eastern nations signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD, United Nations convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. https://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/convention/convention_accessible_pdf.pdf , 2006). However, students with disabilities still face exclusion and segregation in this region. In this chapter, we broadly examine inclusive education in Middle Eastern countries, with a focus on Saudi Arabia, where we gain insights from research into the potential for inclusive education to thrive in the region. We aim to fill a gap in the literature by utilizing a unique and innovative collective case study approach that combines document analysis and semi-structured interview data analysis to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of inclusive education in Saudi Arabia. Using the innovative collective case study approach allowed us to capture teachers’ persistent traditionalist views about disability and their impact on student learning outcomes. This method allowed us to uncover deep-seated beliefs that may be hindering progress toward inclusive education practices and represent a larger picture of inclusive education inside Riyadh’s public schools. In this chapter, we further employ Disability Studies in Education (DSE) and Critical Disability Studies (CDS) orientation into inclusive education in the region for the first time. By delving into specific challenges faced by Saudi Arabia in implementing inclusive education and its strategies to mitigate these challenges, we might understand the broader implications for similar policies and initiatives across the region.