Relationship between student's self-determination, parental involvement, special education teachers' support, and college and career readiness among secondary students with learning disabilities in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Students’ self-determination (SD), parental involvement (PI), special education teachers’ support (SETS) in non-academic skills, and college and career readiness (CCR) among secondary students with learning disabilities (SLDs) have been assessed from various perspectives. This study focuses on understanding the levels and relationship between students’ SD, PI, and SETS in non-academic skills, and CCR among SLDs in secondary schools from the point of view of SLDs, SLDs’ parents, and special education teachers. In addition, this study aimed to verify the gender of SLD as a moderator in the relationship between students’ SD and their CCR. Thus, this study designed and developed three sets of questionnaires to investigate the relationship between students’ SD, PI, SETS, and CCR among secondary SLDs. The three questionnaires were designed separately to address the SLDs, SLDs’ parents, and special education teachers. The questionnaires were answered by 263 SLDs, 264 SLDs’ parents, and 63 special education teachers in secondary schools in Riyadh who were selected by using stratified sampling technique and consideration of the sample size to represent the target population of the study. The results revealed that SLDs and special education teachers have a higher level of SD and a higher level of special education teachers’ support than parents. The results also indicated that PI is not positively or significantly related to CCR. However, the results indicated that SETS is positively and significantly associated with the student’s CCR. Furthermore, the results showed the path coefficient between Students’ SD and SETS were not statistically significant (β = 0.171; t < 1.96; p > 0.05) but were significantly different between PI and SETS (β = 0.749; t > 1.96; p < 0.05). Moreover, the results indicated a significant mediating effect of SETS in the relationship between PI and the endogenous variable, CCR, for SLDs in Riyadh. Additionally, students’ gender moderated the relationship between students’ SD and their CCR. The findings of this study suggest that improving students’ SD and PI, and SETS, may help in fostering CCR among secondary SLDs, and it has a significant implication for parents and special education teachers to be aware of and a greater focus on the importance of developing these aspects.