هدفت الدراسة إلى الكشف عن دقة المعلمين في التعرف على الطلبة مزدوجي الاستثنائية في المدارس السعودية، والمعلومات التي يعتمدون عليها عند ترشيح الطلبة لبرامج الموهوبين. واتبعت تصميماً مختلطاً متقارباً شمل 146 معلماً ومعلمة، وأظهرت النتائج انخفاض دقة التعرف على هذه الفئة مقارنة بالموهوبين دون إعاقة.
Purpose: To examine how accurately teachers in Saudi schools recognise twice-exceptional students, and which information they rely on when nominating students for gifted programmes.
Methods: A convergent mixed-methods design combined a vignette-based questionnaire completed by 146 teachers with follow-up interviews with twelve of them. Classification accuracy was modelled with logistic regression, and the interviews were analysed thematically.
Results: Teachers recognised the twice-exceptional profile in 38% of cases, against 81% for gifted students without a disability. Training in gifted education was the strongest predictor of accuracy, and teachers described relying on grades and classroom behaviour.
Conclusions: Twice-exceptional students risk being overlooked. Identification should use several sources of evidence, and teacher preparation should present mixed profiles explicitly.
Twice-exceptional learners combine high ability with a disability
or disorder, and their strengths and difficulties can mask one another
(Reis et al., 2014). In many school systems they are identified late,
if at all, because nomination procedures rely on achievement and
teacher judgement (Foley-Nicpon et al., 2011).
In Saudi Arabia, national programmes for gifted students have
expanded quickly, yet the twice-exceptional population has received
little attention in policy or research. This study asks how teachers
recognise these students and which information they use when deciding
whom to nominate.
Method
A convergent mixed-methods design was used. A questionnaire was
completed by 146 general and special education teachers in the Hail
region, and twelve of them took part in follow-up interviews. The
questionnaire combined vignettes describing students with different
profiles with items on teachers' training and experience.
Quantitative data were analysed with logistic regression;
interviews were coded thematically and the two strands were integrated
in a joint display.
Results
Teachers correctly identified the twice-exceptional profile in 38%
of cases, compared with 81% for the gifted profile without a
disability. Prior training in gifted education was the strongest
predictor of accurate classification (OR = 2.9, 95% CI [1.6,
5.2]).
Table 1 Correct classification by profile and prior training
Profile
Trained (%)
Not trained (%)
Gifted
88
76
Twice-exceptional
54
27
Disability only
79
72
Discussion
The findings echo international evidence that a visible difficulty
draws attention away from ability. Teachers described relying on
behaviour and grades, which are the very indicators that disability
depresses. Training that presents mixed profiles, and nomination forms
that ask about strengths separately from difficulties, may reduce this
bias.
Conclusion
Twice-exceptional students in Saudi schools are at real risk of
being overlooked. Identification procedures should draw on several
sources of information, and teacher preparation should include
explicit attention to this group.
Declarations
Data availability statement
The data are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Ethics statement
The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Hail.
Author contributions
Conceptualisation and analysis: first author. Data collection: second author. Both authors approved the final version.
Funding
This research received no external funding.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank the teachers who took part in the study.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the publisher, the editors or the reviewers.
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