Abstract:

This study aimed to identify kindergarten teachers’ levels of knowledge about early signs of learning disabilities and the differences in knowledge levels according to demographic backgrounds (teaching experience, academic specialization, and number of training courses attended in the learning disabilities field). Data were collected through an online questionnaire from a random sample of 168 kindergarten teachers in the Al-Jouf region. The results showed that among four categories of early signs of learning disabilities (1. cognitive, 2. linguistic, 3. social, and emotional, and 4. motor skills), kindergarten teachers ranked their knowledge of the signs in the first category as the highest, while the fourth category was ranked the lowest. Further, the results indicated statistically significant differences at the 0.05 or less level for the knowledge level about signs of learning disabilities for teachers who had more than 10 years’ of experience, specialized in science and math, and who had attended training courses (1–3 courses on learning disabilities) in the learning disabilities field. Accordingly, training courses should be provided to develop teachers’ knowledge of the signs of learning disabilities. These findings contribute to the global literature about teachers’ knowledge of LD from the perspective of the population of kindergarten teachers in Saudi Arabia.

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