Social Deprivation and Its Relationship to Academic Achievement among Students with Special Needs from the Perspectives of Teachers, Parents, and Specialists: A Sociological Field Study in the City of Tobruk.

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the level of social deprivation and its relationship with academic achievement among students with special needs in the city of Tobruk, as perceived by teachers, parents, and specialists. It also sought to examine differences in the levels of social deprivation and academic achievement according to gender, type of disability, educational stage, and family economic status. The study adopted a descriptive correlational research design. A questionnaire developed by the researcher was used to measure the level of social deprivation across its various dimensions. The study sample consisted of 80 teachers, parents, and specialists who work with or are involved in the education and care of students with special needs in Tobruk. The findings revealed that the level of social deprivation among students with special needs was moderate. The results also indicated a statistically significant negative correlation between social deprivation and academic achievement, suggesting that higher levels of social deprivation were associated with lower levels of academic achievement. Furthermore, no statistically significant differences were found in social deprivation with respect to gender or type of disability. However, statistically significant differences were observed according to family economic status, with higher levels of social deprivation reported among students from low-income families. In addition, the findings showed statistically significant differences in academic achievement based on family economic status in favor of students from high-income families, whereas no significant differences were found with respect to gender, type of disability, or educational stage.