Teachers' knowledge and skills to identifylearning disabilities in Morocco

Abstract

Despite the adoption of an inclusive approach ensuring equal and fair opportunities for the schooling of students with SLDWL by the Moroccan Ministry of Education; it is clear that the data on teaching practices in schools is not well known. Based upon this reality, and using a mixed sequential explanatory methodology, the present study aims to assess teachers' knowledge and representations of SLDWL in general and identifying the methods and tools employed in particular. One hundred and twenty-six teachers in 12 administrative subdivisions of the Moroccan kingdom responded to the questionnaires distributed online. For the collection of qualitative data, targeted semi-structured interviews were conducted with four participants working in professions related to the supervision of teachers. The present study revealed a lack of training, both initial and in-service, on the SLDWL. The conclusion that may be drawn is that awareness-raising activities on these disorders seem to be insufficient to enable teachers to acquire the necessary skills to identify, accompany students with SLDWL, and equip them with sufficient knowledge to intervene effectively with these students.