Abstract

Administrators of special education identify and provide essential services for students with disabilities. No research has been conducted on the perceptions of Kuwait’s special education administrators regarding their knowledge in key special education standard areas. This study examined those perceptions and the extent to which they are influenced by administrators’ experience, qualification level, school district, or educational setting. Quantitative data were collected by surveying 62 special education administrators and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a one-way ANOVA, and Spearman’s rank-order correlations. The results indicated that the participants consider themselves most knowledgeable in two areas (1) collaboration and (2) leadership and policy—but less knowledgeable in the areas of research and inquiry, individual and program evaluation, and professional development and ethical practice. A significant relationship was found between self-assessment ratings and the educational setting where the administrator was working. Recommendations are made with the aim of enhancing the knowledge and development of special education administrators. The limitations of the study and further research possibilities are also discussed.

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