The Reality of family engagement in distance education of female students with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the reality of family engagement in distance education of female students with intellectual disabilities. the descriptive analytical method was used. the study sample included 127 mothers of female students with intellectual disabilities. The questionnaire was used as a study tool. The results showed that there are four factors affecting family engagement in distance education of female students with intellectual disabilities, i.e., parents’ technological skills, the nature of educational activities, the cooperation between professionals and family members, and the number of participants in educational activities. It was also found that families use several communication methods to develop family engagement, namely telephone communication, audio conferencing, and video conferencing. family engagement contributed to achieving several benefits for female students with intellectual disabilities and their families, namely modifying students’ behavior, receiving informational support from professionals, exchanging experiences with families of other students with disabilities, improving student attendance, and increasing academic achievement. The results showed that family engagement in distance education of female students with intellectual disabilities faces several obstacles, namely the lack or absence of technological communication devices, educational services, network communication, support services, and school emotional support for the family.