Authors: Ananya Bhatnagar, Dr. Ram Shanker Saxena
Abstract: Relational capacity is a significant aspect of the social and emotional development of adolescents with intellectual disabilities, as it enables them to form, maintain, and understand meaningful interpersonal relationships. In educational settings, in-service teachers play a crucial role in strengthening this capacity through their classroom practices, emotional support, communication strategies, and facilitation of peer interaction. The present paper focuses on the perceptions of in-service teachers towards the challenges involved in developing relational capacity among adolescents with intellectual disabilities. The study aims to examine the mean perception of in-service teachers and to compare their perceptions with reference to selected demographic variables. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and data were collected from 60 in-service teachers working with children with intellectual disabilities in inclusive and special school settings in Delhi NCR. A self-developed structured questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale was used to assess teachers’ perceptions. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including mean, standard deviation, t-test, and ANOVA. The findings revealed that in-service teachers obtained a mean perception score of 62.43 out of 100, indicating a moderate to fairly high level of awareness regarding the challenges in developing relational capacity. Further analysis showed no statistically significant differences in perception scores with reference to demographic variables such as gender, age, type of school, educational qualification, professional qualification, nature of school, locality, teaching experience, and level of teaching. The study concludes that in-service teachers generally recognize the challenges associated with relational development among adolescents with intellectual disabilities, and that these perceptions remain largely consistent across demographic backgrounds. The findings highlight the need for continued professional development, institutional support, and classroom-based strategies to promote relational inclusion and meaningful participation of adolescents with intellectual disabilities.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19864432
