Collaboration Between General and Special Education Teachers in Malaysia

Abstract

Collaboration between general and special education teachers is a necessary component for the successful inclusion of students with a disability in regular schools, but little is known about how well this is working in countries where inclusive education is a recent initiative. This paper reports on the perceptions of special education teachers in Malaysia about their interactions with general education teachers. As part of a larger study, a survey was completed by 48 special education teachers and eight teachers were interviewed. The findings revealed that there appeared to be good relations between special education teachers and their mainstream counterparts, but only limited collaboration with regard to planning for the inclusion of students with a disability. Concerns are raised about the content and approach of teacher training programs in Malaysia and the adequacy of current policy and legislation governing the provision of education for students with disability in inclusive educational settings.

Lesson Study

“…Results showed that although special education and general education teachers report maintaining respectful relationships with one another, they report a general disconnect (Khairuddin et al, 2016). For example, special educators reported that they made limited contact with their general education teacher counterparts (Khairuddin et al, 2016).…”

“…This study's focus was to combat the current conditions that prevent collaboration for special educators (Khairuddin, Dally, & Foggett, 2016). Many conversations between special educators and general educators stem from the desire to "fix" a special education student, because of his or her deficits (Candela et al, 2018).…”

“…In addition, collaboration is linked to improved teacher and student outcomes (Khairuddin et al, 2016). Collaboration has also been linked to giving teachers more influence and independence, as they do not need to rely on administration for guidance (Nasser & Romanowski, 2011).…”

“…Extensive research has been done on the collaboration between special and general education teachers, looking into the benefits, drawbacks, and challenges of collaboration (Khairuddin et al, 2016;Legutko, 2015;Mavropalias & Anastasiou, 2016). Most research focuses on how the collaboration between general educators and special educators improves the social and academic achievement outcomes for students with special needs (Candela et al, 2018;Mavropalias & Anastasiou, 2016).…”

“…Detailed research has been conducted to look at the effectiveness, benefits, and drawbacks of this type of collaboration (Khairuddin et al, 2016), which was illustrated in a recent study conducted in Malaysia, including 48 teachers, across 26 schools, which described collaborative experiences in detail (Khairuddin et al, 2016). Results showed that although special education and general education teachers report maintaining respectful relationships with one another, they report a general disconnect (Khairuddin et al, 2016). For example, special educators reported that they made limited contact with their general education teacher counterparts (Khairuddin et al, 2016).…”