Teaching to the teachers: the effect of a workshop related to twice-exceptionality on pre-service teachers’ knowledge and self-efficacy

Questions arise whether pre-service teachers have knowledge and experience to serve gifted and high-ability students with coexisting disabilities (twice-exceptional students). The research on pre-service teachers has been scarce about how future teachers can be prepared to work with twice-exceptionality. In response to the research, an intervention was designed to teach pre-service teachers about working with this student population. The treatment group of undergraduate education majors was given a one-hour webinar about teaching twice-exceptional students. The treatment group completed pre-workshop and post-workshop surveys with results compared to a group of peers who did not attend the workshop. The treatment group showed individual improvement in knowledge and self-efficacy in the post-workshop survey compared to their matched pre-workshop surveys and the comparison group s surveys. Further considerations are discussed to replicate with further improvements. Through future trials, pre-service educators may develop appropriate knowledge and self-efficacy to meet the needs of twice-exceptional students.