Exploring the Perceptions of Teachers, School Principals, and Parents about the Importance of Classifying Students with Learning Difficulties

Background/purpose. The study examines the perceptions of teachers, school principals, and parents regarding the implementation of a tiered classification for students with learning difficulties (LD), categorizing them into mild, moderate, and severe levels.

Materials/methods. Mixed-methods, quantitative, descriptive, and qualitative methodologies were employed in this study.

Results. Findings revealed nuanced differences in stakeholder priorities across educational and socio-cultural dimensions. Teachers and principals universally emphasize the importance of classification for LD students, but diverge in their prioritization of moderate and mild cases, reflecting role-based differences: teachers focus on classroom feasibility, while principals prioritize systemic resource distribution. Socio-culturally, teachers highlight stigma mitigation for severe LD, whereas principals emphasize equitable integration of moderate LD students. Parental interviews revealed divergent viewpoints between supporters and opponents, with supporters valuing classification for tailored interventions for classroom education, and critics warning of stigmatization and lowered expectations.

Conclusion. These results underscore the complexity of balancing academic benefits with socio-cultural risks, highlighting the need for context-sensitive strategies to align classification systems with stakeholder roles and mitigate unintended consequences.

Keywords: Classification, learning difficulties, parental perceptions, principals, teachers

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