Examining the relationship between educators’ knowledge levels and training preferences for enhancing support of neurodivergent learners

Possibilities offered by educational neuroscience in the context of educator training and continuous professional development have been widely discussed. However, the application of this knowledge is largely absent. While South African policies promote the educator professional development initiatives to achieve inclusive education goals, significant gaps exist in examining the relationship between educator knowledge levels and training preferences when supporting neurodivergent learners. This study examined the relationship between educators’ knowledge, professional challenges, and training preferences to enhance support for neurodivergent learners. Respondents were recruited from eight schools through the Centre for Neurodiversity database at the University of Johannesburg. It adopted a quantitative research paradigm and employed a descriptive design. A closed-end questionnaire with predefined answer choices was distributed using Google Forms to thirty-six (N=36) educators, conveniently selected, (n=26) from special, and (n=10) from mainstream schools. Data analysis was conducted through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The results revealed a relationship between educators’ knowledge levels and training preferences. Managing challenging behaviours emerges as the most significant challenge, with 63.9% of educators identifying it as their most crucial professional difficulty. Training needs are directly aligned with knowledge gaps, with 75% prioritising evidence-based behavioural interventions and % understanding neurodevelopmental conditions with 72.2%. Educators preferred hands-on training (55.6%) over theoretical approaches (19.4%), reflecting their need for practical skills to address immediate classroom challenges. The findings reveal an alignment between knowledge levels, professional challenges, and training preferences. A paradigm shift towards needs-based professional development initiatives is recommended.