Employing assistive technologies in teaching children with disabilities in early childhood settings: teachers’ perceptions

ABSTRACT

This study aimed at investigating the teachers’ perceptions in Qatar regarding employing assistive technologies in teaching children with disabilities in early intervention programmes. A descriptive method (survey) was used to answer the research questions. The study sample consisted of 183 female teachers from Qatar. These participants all worked in early intervention programmes in both public kindergartens and public schools. The stratified random sampling method was selected to determine the study sample during the 2018/2019 academic year. A questionnaire was developed to collect the data. The validity and reliability of the study instrument were assured. Results revealed that the employment of assistive technology by teachers in teaching children with disabilities in early intervention programmes was high. Further, the results showed that there are no statistically significant differences attributed to the variables of experience, specialisation, and students’ disability level. In light of the study findings, researchers addressed several recommendations and future implications.

KEYWORDS:

• Assistive technology employment
• early intervention programmes
• female teachers
• teaching children with disabilities
• Qatar

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).