Teachers' Awareness of the Needs of Twice-Exceptional Students and Its Predictive Relationship to Their Academic and Emotional Adaptation

Abstract

This study examined the level of teachers' awareness of the needs of twice-exceptional students and its relationship to their academic and emotional adaptation in inclusive primary schools in the Southern Region of Saudi Arabia. It also investigated differences in awareness levels according to selected professional variables and explored the extent to which teacher awareness predicted student adaptation outcomes. A descriptive-correlational design was employed with a purposive sample of 316 general education and special education teachers working in primary schools in the Southern Region, all of whom had prior direct experience with twice-exceptional students. A researcher-developed 30-item questionnaire across three dimensions was used for data collection, demonstrating strong reliability.

Results revealed that the overall level of teacher awareness was high (M = 3.58). Statistically significant differences in awareness were found by teaching specialization, favoring special education and gifted education teachers; by educational qualification, favoring postgraduate degree holders; and by years of experience, favoring more experienced teachers. Academic adaptation was rated at a moderately high level, while emotional adaptation was rated at a moderate level. Pearson correlation analysis revealed significant positive associations between teacher awareness and academic adaptation (r = .46, p < .001) and between teacher awareness and emotional adaptation (r = .39, p < .001). Simple linear regression indicated that teacher awareness significantly predicted academic adaptation (R² = .21) and emotional adaptation (R² = .15).

Grounded in Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, these findings underscore the importance of teacher awareness as a school-based resource associated with the adaptation of twice-exceptional students, highlighting the need for targeted professional development programs that equip teachers with the competencies required to identify and support this population within inclusive educational settings.