Kindergarten teachers' views of assistive technology use in the education of children with disabilities in Qatar

Abstract

This study aimed at revealing the opinions of kindergarten teachers in Qatar regarding the use of assistive technology (AT) in educating children with disabilities. In this study, the researchers used the descriptive method (survey) in order to collect, classify, analyze, and interpret the collected data. The sample of the study consisted of (83) female teachers from public kindergartens in Qatar. This sample was selected using the stratified random sampling method during the academic year of 2018/2019. The researchers developed a study instrument (questionnaire) to measure the opinions of kindergarten teachers in Qatar regarding using AT in teaching children with disabilities. The validity and reliability of the research instrument were checked. The study showed that the use of AT by public kindergarten teachers in teaching children with disabilities was high. In addition, the results revealed that there are no statistically significant differences attributed to the variables of experience and specialization. In light of the results of the study, researchers recommend that kindergarten teachers should sustain the use of AT in teaching children with disabilities. Furthermore, choosing a variety of AT tools that suit the varied needs of children with disabilities is recommended.