Gifted education teachers in Saudi Arabian intermediate school settings: self-efficacy and attitudes towards the education of gifted students, and perceptions of barriers to gifted education

Abstract

Understanding the factors that positively influence teachers’ self-efficacy and attitudes towards the education of gifted students, and removing barriers to gifted education, are essential to nurturing the unique abilities of gifted students to ensure they receive appropriate support so they can excel academically and contribute meaningfully to society. Teachers’ self-efficacy and attitudes towards the education of gifted students have been researched in Western countries due to the significance of these two factors in governing teachers’ behaviour in the classroom. This study will be the first to examine teachers’ self-efficacy and attitudes towards the education of gifted students, and the factors that may influence the self-efficacy and attitudes of gifted education teachers, as well as their perceptions of barriers to gifted education in Saudi Arabian intermediate school settings. Additionally, there are no mixed-methods studies in Saudi Arabia that have simultaneously examined teachers’ self-efficacy and their attitudes towards the education of gifted students in three settings including: (1) gifted schools, (2) regular schools featuring gifted classes; and (3) regular schools with mixed-ability classes including gifted students. Although some studies have been done on barriers to gifted education, no study has examined the barriers at the intermediate school level across these three settings (1) gifted schools, (2) regular schools featuring gifted classes, and (3) regular schools with mixed-ability classes including gifted students). To address the gaps in the research on gifted education, this study was guided by a single overarching goal: to examine the self-efficacy and attitudes of intermediate teachers in Saudi Arabia toward the education of gifted students. To operationalise this goal, four specific research aims were proposed, each designed to progressively contribute to the broader goal. The first aim was to determine the validity and reliability of two previously well-established measures, the Teachers’ Sense Efficacy Scale (TSES) and the Opinions about the Gifted and their Education Scale (OGES) for use in this study. These scales have not yet been assessed in the context of Saudi Arabian intermediate school settings. The second aim was to investigate the levels of self-efficacy and attitudes towards the education of gifted students among teachers of gifted students across the three intermediate school settings. The third aim was to examine factors that may influence these teachers’ self-efficacy and attitudes towards the education of gifted students. Finally, the fourth aim was to investigate teachers’ perceptions of barriers to gifted education in Saudi Arabian intermediate school settings.

Date of Thesis submission	2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Western Sydney University
Supervisor	Katrina Barker (Supervisor) & Jessy Abraham (Supervisor)