Teacher's Knowledge on Learning Disabilities in Primary Schools

This study examines regular education teachers’ knowledge on learning disabilities (LD) in regular primary schools.

Thirty-five multiple choice item questionnaire about knowledge on learning disabilities was designed, with adequate psychometric properties. The final sample consisted of 409 (245 women and 164 men) general classroom teachers teaching 1st to 5th grade students in Tehran province districts. The main statistical methods for data analysis were Factor Analysis, Mean Confidence Interval Estimation, Independent Samples t-test and Analysis of Variance.

The analysis revealed that teachers with higher education qualifications (BA and higher) had more knowledge about identification and general knowledge on LD. Furthermore, teachers with lower teaching experience (less than 10 years) were more knowledgeable concerning identification of LD than teachers with more teaching experience. There was no meaningful difference between the rural and urban education teachers’ knowledge on LD.

These findings address the importance of providing information on LD in service training for regular education teachers in elementary level.