Behavioral Problems among Adolescents with Intellectual Disability: Teachers’ Experiences in Intellectual Education Programs

The study aimed to explore the experiences of intellectual education teachers with behavioural problems among adolescent students with intellectual disabilities within intellectual education programmes. The study adopted a qualitative methodology by conducting interviews with a sample of intellectual education teachers in Riyadh city, analysing the data using thematic analysis following the framework proposed by Braun and Clarke. The results revealed that the most common behavioural problems were aggression, hyperactivity, lethargy, and bullying, with an observed increase in their occurrence in the middle of the school day. The findings also indicated that the teacher plays a pivotal role in the early detection of behavioural problems within the classroom, alongside varying opinions among teachers regarding the impact of inclusion programmes on behaviours. Furthermore, the results highlighted the influence of the teacher’s personality and pedagogical approaches on students’ behaviour, in addition to a shortage of specialised training programmes in behaviour modification, despite the high motivation of teachers for training and professional development. In light of these findings, the study emphasised the importance of enhancing the structured classroom environment, considering the timing within the school day, periodically evaluating inclusion programmes, and providing evidence-based training programmes to support teachers in behavioural management.