Teachers’ Knowledge and Perceptions of Twice-Exceptional Students in Inclusive Lebanese Schools: Identification, Challenges, and Support Strategies

Abstract

Gifted learners with specific learning disabilities are an underrecognized group in Lebanese schools. They are known as twice-exceptional learners and considered to have high potential, but their educational needs are complex. These learners are also affected by masking effects, a lack of teacher knowledge, and a lack of guidelines at the school and national levels. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore how Lebanese teachers understand, perceive, identify, and support gifted students with specific learning disabilities in an inclusive school. A mixed-methods design was used. Quantitative data were collected from 173 teachers across 10 private inclusive schools in Beirut and Mount Lebanon using the revised Teachers’ Perspectives Questionnaire. Then, a semi-structured interview was used with 10 purposively selected teachers from the larger sample. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data, while thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. From the results, the teachers generally acknowledged the existence of twice-exceptional learners and realized the tendency to overlook them in regular classes. The salient features, especially the gap between cognitive and academic achievement and the "masking effect" in which giftedness and disabilities can coexist, were identified. The findings also revealed that the teachers had difficulty identifying twice-exceptional students and lacked confidence in their preparation and training. The results also revealed that the teachers used flexible, differentiated teaching methods, although these methods remain informal and lack sufficient resources and institutional support.