▼ In 2005, Saudi Arabia amended legislation to allow students with learning disabilities (LD) to attend regular public schools. However, a variety of cultural considerations influences teachers’ responses to this legislation. This dissertation investigates via mix methodology teachers’ perspectives and attitudes regarding the integration of students with learning disabilities in regular Saudi public schools. Two-hundred fifty-one Saudi special and general education teachers completed a modified version of Opinions Relative to the Integration of Students with Disabilities (ORI) survey; 20 special and general education teachers were interviewed regarding the issue. The ANOVA test, an independent t test with equal variances not assumed and a Tukey HSD procedure were used in current study. Even though qualitative finding indicates some facts, such as general education teachers and specials education teachers believed their training was inadequate to manage the behaviors of students with disabilities due to many issues. Participants were also concerned about the perceived inability of regular education teachers and Saudi schools to meet the learning needs of students with learning disabilities. The tests find significant differences of Saudi special and general education teachers’ attitude toward the integration of students with LD in regular Saudi public schools. The statistical analysis of the average of total responses of teachers to the 27 items, with each of the eight independent variables (gender, type of degree held), emerged as significant factors determining Saudi teachers’ attitudes toward integrations of LD. Interestingly the significant factors in the study results demonstrated to have an effect only on general education teachers; the factors have effect only on general education teachers as a significant difference between groups across degree level with F [1, 94] = 9.547, p<0.01). Another interesting significant factor gender for the general education teachers is significant, F (1, 94) = 12.959, P=0.001. The results indicate that male teachers and female teachers are significantly different in attitudes toward integration of students with LD. Male teachers are more positive (M=101.125, SD=11.286) than female teachers (M=91.562, SD=14.537). This was justified by the qualitative finding that special education teachers have more of the realistic “point of view” of the kingdom recourses. Advisors/Committee Members: Gut, Dianne M.

▼ Students who exhibit disruptive and possibly aggressive behaviors pose a challenge for schools, as administrators and teachers are often held responsible for managing these behaviors. The goal of this study is to identify contributing factors to student involvement in School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS), evidence of overall improvements in discipline problems, and subsequent implications regarding the unique features of student involvement in SWPBS. A phenomenological approach was used to discover and explain the experiences and insights of study participants. Through the use of mixed methods, the effectiveness of student involvement in SWPBS was determined. This included examining office discipline referrals as well as conducting participant observation and semi-structured interviews with students and school personnel. Advisors/Committee Members: Gut, Dianne M.