The Degree to which Special Education Teachers Possess the Common Professional Competencies in Light of the Professional Standards Approved by the Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETECSA) from Their Point of View

The study used a descriptive approach to identify special education teachers’ common professional competencies based on approved professional standards by the Education and Training Evaluation Commission in Saudi Arabia (ETECSA) from their point of view and investigate whether there are statistically significant differences in their responses based on gender, qualification, experience, and specialization. A scale of (10) dimensions was designed for common professional competencies based on ETECSA’s standards and applied to a sample of (235) special education teachers in schools affiliated with the Tabuk District Education. The study showed that the total degree of special education teachers possessing common professional competencies was low (M=2.57). Seven dimensions had a low degree of possession, with low mains between (2.18 and 2.32); three dimensions had average mains between (3.08 and 3.40). The study also showed no statistically significant differences in the degree of special education teachers’ possession of common professional competencies attributed to gender, years of experience, and specialization in α ≥ 0.05. Also, the study showed differences linked to the educational qualification variable, which favored a postgraduate qualification. The study recommended designing training programs for in-service special education teachers, focusing on their possession of common professional competencies, considering the ETECSA’s professional standards.