The Effectiveness of Participatory Management in Improving the Interaction of People with Special Needs in Educational Situations

Thaer Ajouly

Faculty of Educational Sciences, Irbid National University, Irbid, Jordan

Hanan Alshorman

Faculty of Educational Sciences, Irbid National University, Irbid, Jordan

Ashraf Kanan

Faculty of Educational Sciences, Irbid National University, Irbid, Jordan

Reda Al-Mawadieh

Early Childhood Department, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Zarqa University, Zarqa, Jordan

Malek Jdaitawi

Early Childhood Department, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Zarqa University, Zarqa, Jordan

Ahlem Debbabi

Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia

Jasia Rafique

Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia

Anu Dhawan

Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia

Abdalmuttaleb Al-Sartawi

Ahlia University, Bahrain

Mohammed Aman

University of Business and Technology, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The present study investigates whether participative management can enhance interactions between persons with disabilities and their peers within educational settings in Jordan. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques. Quantitative information was obtained through a structured questionnaire, whereas qualitative evidence was gathered through semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data were processed using SPSS, while thematic analysis was applied to the qualitative responses. The study involved 150 professionals employed in inclusive education environments, comprising special education teachers, principals, specialists and school psychologists. Participative management was examined across five dimensions: involvement in decision making, collaborative relationships, communication, empowerment and participative problem solving. Interactions between persons with disabilities and their peers constituted the dependent variable. The measurement instrument demonstrated an acceptable level of internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.778. The quantitative results indicated moderate to high perceptions of participative management practices among the participants, with collaboration receiving the highest level of perceived implementation. Pearson product-moment correlation analysis demonstrated strong and statistically significant positive associations between interactions and each of the five participative management dimensions. Furthermore, the multiple regression results showed that the collective dimensions of participative management significantly predicted interactions, accounting for approximately 74% of the variance in the dependent variable (F (5,144) = 83.383, p < .001). Nevertheless, after the effects of the other dimensions were statistically controlled, only collaboration and empowerment retained significant predictive effects on interactions. The qualitative evidence was consistent with the quantitative results. All qualitative participants reported that participative leadership practices contributed to stronger interaction between persons with disabilities and their peers. These practices were perceived to facilitate interaction through collaborative engagement, social support and the empowerment of persons with disabilities, particularly within a school climate characterised by emotional support.

Participatory Management; Inclusive Education; Special Needs; Interaction; Collaboration; Empowerment