Identifying Behavioral Problems among Students with Learning Disabilities and its Relationship with Their Social Competencies from Their Teachers' and Peers' Point View

Abstract

This study aimed at identifying behavioral problems among students with learning disabilities and its relationship with their social competencies from their teachers' and peers' point view.  The sample of the study consisted of (135) students with learning disabilities enrolled in resource rooms in public schools in south Jordan for the academic year 2013/2014. Two versions of behavioral problems instruments were constructed; one for teacher rating and the other for peers rating to evaluate behavior problems. Each version consisted of (34) measure items: Hyperactivity with attention deficit, aggression, dependency, social withdrawal, and stubbornness tests were then validated and administrated to the sample of the study.

The results of the study revealed that the most common behavioral problems among students with learning disabilities from teachers' point view are: Hyperactivity with attention deficit, social withdrawal, stubbornness, aggression and the least is dependency. The results also showed that the most common behavioral problems from peers point view were as follows: Hyperactivity with attention deficit, stubbornness, aggression. The results revealed also a high degree of social competencies among students with learning disabilities in the areas related to sharing their peers in laughing, playing, and talking and less social competencies when it comes to their leisure time. The results revealed also that there were no significant differences in behavioral problems among students with learning disabilities from teachers' point view with social competencies comparing to the rating of their peers. Finally, there are significant differences in behavioral problems among students with learning disabilities from teachers' point view with social competencies comparing to the rating of their peers