Social Competence of Omani Students with Learning Disabilities from their Teachers’ Perspectives

Abstract

This research aims to identify the level of social competence among students with learning disabilities (LDs) from their teachers’ perspectives. The research sample consisted of 840 students with LDs enrolled in the resource room program (RRP) and general education classrooms (GECs) in Oman. Their RRP and general education teachers responded to the social competence scale. This scale consisted of 43 items distributed on three subscales related to teacher-preferred social behavior, peer-preferred social behavior, and school adjustment. The results indicated that the level of social competence was generally moderate among the students, but that this level was influenced by the educational alternative. The students enrolled in GECs had a higher level of social competence than their peers who had been referred to the RRP. The results also showed that there were statistical differences on the school adjustment subscale in favor of male students enrolled in GECs, and differences in favor of female students referred to the RRP on all social competence subscales. Keywords: Social competence; students with LDs; teachers of students with LDs; social behavior; social adjustment.