Teachers’ perspectives of the identification and support of Saudi primary students with giftedness and learning disabilities (SGLD)

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Copyright: Alsamiri, Yasir
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Abstract
Although there have been some studies on students with giftedness and learning disabilities (SGLD) conducted in primary schools in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), according to the research, no studies have been carried out on teachers’ perspectives regarding the identification of students with both giftedness and learning disabilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The present study investigated Saudi primary teachers’ perspectives of identifying students with dual exceptionalities, specifically students with giftedness and learning disabilities. The study investigated the relationships between teachers’ perspectives and background variables that might influence these and additionally explored the impact of primary teachers’ perspectives regarding the support provided to students with giftedness and learning disabilities (SGLD). The method included an explanatory, sequential mixed-method design. The concurrent mixed-methods research process used a self-reporting survey questionnaire phase to inform a follow-up qualitative phase. Teachers from three regions, Al-Madinah, Jeddah, and Hail in the KSA, were invited to complete the self-reporting questionnaires. In this phase, questionnaire data were collected from 410 teachers, and 217 (52%) teachers rated their perspectives about identifying and supporting SGLD and responded to an open-ended questions component of the questionnaire. The questionnaires were followed by semi-structured interviews with a sample of 29 teachers from across six schools in the same three regions. These interviews were analysed following an inductive content analysis to elaborate on the results from the initial self-reporting questionnaires’ analyses and to provide deeper understandings of the answers to the interview provided. The questionnaire data were examined at an inferential level (e.g., through factor analysis, descriptive statistics, and multi-group structural equation modelling [SEM]). Inductive content analysis was used to explore responses to the open-ended questionnaire items and the semi-structured interviews. Results from analysis of both datasets demonstrated that, although attitudes towards these students were positive, teachers lacked sufficient knowledge of SGLD to identify such students. There was insufficient funding for relevant support programmes for SGLD and an absence of SGLD-specific professional development for teachers. There was a negative correlation between standard teaching qualifications (i.e., no training in either giftedness or special education) and teachers’ ability to identify and support SGLD. The results of the study offer previously unavailable insights into primary teachers’ understandings of the identification and support of SGLD at a time when increasing attention is being paid to SGLD in Saudi Arabia. The study shows that teachers’ perspectives reflect the beliefs that overcrowded classrooms prevent teachers from identifying SGLD and that the identification should be undertaken by specialist teachers. Teachers cited collaboration funding, and responsibilities as important factors in addressing the issues relevant to SGLD. Also, the findings indicate that SGLD is not an acknowledged student category and that no formal processes exist to identify and support SGLD in the KSA. The findings have implications for the KSA Ministry of Education, which needs to develop policies and fund projects aimed specifically at this cohort of students. The results also highlight the need for schools and assessment systems to provide identification processes and supportive learning environments to enhance primary teachers’ ability to meet the needs of SGLD. Finally, the findings have important implications for teacher training, as they indicate the need for teachers to be systematically trained in the specific requirements for identifying and supporting SGLD, particularly in Saudi Arabia.
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Author(s)
Alsamiri, Yasir
Supervisor(s)
Smith, Susen
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Publication Year
2016
Resource Type
Thesis
Degree Type
PhD Doctorate
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