First Advisor

Ritchotte, Jennifer

Second Advisor

Graefe, Amy

Document Type

Dissertation

Date Created

8-2021

Department

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, Special Education, Special Education Student Work

Abstract

The importance of developing the cognitive and affective needs of gifted students to help meet their academic needs as well as support them in achieving to their full potential has been well-established by past research. It is also confirmed by the literature that gifted and talented students have unique social-emotional needs and that the school environment plays an essential role in meeting gifted students’ needs. To better serve gifted students, schools must ensure that general education teachers are knowledgeable and supportive of the distinct cognitive and affective development of these students in conjunction with their academic needs. Different factors influence the way teachers interact with gifted students, which include their attitudes and perceptions of giftedness and gifted education. It is necessary for researchers and other stakeholders to acquire a deep understanding of the attitudes and perceptions of general education teachers toward giftedness and gifted education as such an understating can aid policymakers, administrators, and education professionals in helping these teachers to create the appropriate learning environment to support these children While these concepts have been examined in the Western context, their exploration has been limited in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the attitudes of Saudi elementary school general education teachers toward gifted students and gifted education, as well as their perceptions of giftedness. The study sample comprised 141 teachers who completed a cross-sectional online questionnaire that also included four open-ended questions to assess their attitudes and perceptions. The results of this study found that the participants indicated positive attitudes toward supporting the needs of gifted students and toward providing special services to gifted students. However, the participants were found to be uncertain about some of the special services (e.g., acceleration) that the literature states can be useful in supporting gifted students and about challenges gifted students might face (e.g., rejection by others). While most of the participants exhibited some lack of awareness regarding the unique affective needs of the gifted, they did indicate some understanding of giftedness as a multifaceted construct and of certain positive social and emotional characteristics of gifted students. The study’s results suggest that more training in gifted education is required for general education teachers in Saudi Arabia, not only regarding basic information about gifted education and curricula, but also on how to meet both the academic and affective needs of these students.

Abstract Format

html

Keywords

gifted education; giftedness; gifted students; attitudes; perceptions; general education teachers; elementary schools; social and emotional needs

Extent

181 pages

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by the author.

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