Evaluation of Right to Education Capacity Building Project
Ola M Khalili
Summary of the study
The resource rooms project had been carried out by the ministry of education and higher education at 2005. It is
directed to students with mental disability and learning difficulties. The number of the resource rooms was 3 on
2005 while its about 87 room for the school year 2013-2014. During 2012 - 2014, the ministry, through the
general directorate of counseling and special education (GDCSE), offered several training programs that were
directed to special education supervisors (SESs) and inclusive education counselors (IECs) and resource room
teachers (RRTs). The purpose of the evaluation is to determine the quality assurance mechanism of teaching
methods in the resource rooms and integrated classes; to determine established procedures for training of newly
appointed teachers for resource rooms and integrated classes; and to determine the sustainability regarding
capacity development in special education issues. To achieve the study objectives, the qualitative paradigm was
used where field observation was carried out and eight RRTs were interviewed. In addition, three SESs were
interviewed separately, and 16 ICSs were interviewed through two focus groups, two policy and decision makers
in the MOEHE were interviewed, and three of the staff in DSSE who are responsible of planning, implementing
and following-up the training programs. The data was collected during the second semester of the 2013-2014
academic years. The results showed that teaching in RRs follow similar pattern and that there is no diagnosis for
students' learning difficulties in the RRs. The results indicated that RRT received limited support from parents and
school Mathematics and Arabic language teachers. RRTc. IESs, SESs asked GDCSE to study the training
programs carefully so that to avoid offering similar training programs and make sure that the training programs
include practical training experiences. The recommendations include the necessity to provide students with
supportive teaching in their regular classrooms and when they become fifth graders, and the necessity to modify
the structure of RR program so that the number of needed classes for the students are determined based on
students' needs and learning difficulties, and to make sure that the training programs include practical training
experiences.
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