Teacher Perceptions of Giftedness

By Monica Dyess

A Note on the Label “Gifted”

The state of Georgia identifies gifted students as “a student who demonstrates a high degree of intellectual and/or creative ability(ies), exhibits an exceptionally high degree of motivation, and/or excels in specific academic fields, and who needs special instruction and/or special ancillary services to achieve at levels commensurate with his or her abilities” (“Gifted Education”, 2010).

Introduction

Many schools are doing away with non-required testingGifted nomination relies upon teachersMany teachers nominate on stereotypical gifted characteristics but miss many othersPrior research suggests teacher preparation plays a role in knowledge of gifted characteristics

Goals

To determine what teacher perceptions of gifted students are

To determine how likely a teacher is to identify non-stereotypical gifted characteristics

To determine what role teacher education plays in knowledge of gifted characteristics

Conceptual Framework

Teacher preparation and student nomination findings

Starko (2008) reports that in many teacher preparation courses of study, pre-service teachers receive minimal information on teaching TAG students or the characteristics and needs of TAG students. Miller (2009) found that in-service teachers with a moderate to proficient level of training in gifted education have a higher identification of stereotypical gifted characteristics but a low level of identification of non-standard gifted behaviors. Miller (2009) also found that teacher’s own cultural and ethnic biases and beliefs about gifted education greatly influenced their perceptions of giftedness despite the level of training they had received, which ultimately affects the number of culturally diverse students who are nominated for gifted services. Often times students who exhibit teacher-pleasing traits are nominated more often than truly gifted students (Schroth and Helfer, 2008).

Conceptual Framework Cont.

The Autonomous Learner ModelThe Autonomous Learner Model not only provides a model of teaching that meets the diversified needs of all students, it provides a comprehensive checklist and six profiles of gifted behavior which serves to encompass all facets of giftedness (Betts, 1999).

Conceptual Framework Cont.

Implications for a lack of teacher knowledge of gifted characteristics

Gifted students are not being identified and are not receiving the services they need.

Conceptual Framework Cont.

Conceptual Framework Cont.

Conceptual Framework for my study:

Lack of teacher training in gifted characteristics leads to teachers being unable to identify gifted behaviors on the Betts’ (1999) Autonomous Learner Model Checklist which correlates to not being able to identify gifted behaviors in their students.

Research Questions

The research questions I will explore are as follows:

1. What are teachers’ perceptions of giftedness?2. What experiences have shaped these

perceptions?

Methodology

Data will be collected through 2 interviews, fieldwork observations, and the Autonomous Learner Checklist

Site- A middle school in South Georgia

Access- I teach in the school

Participants- 10 teachers from my school with varying education backgrounds

Methodology Cont.

Procedures- InterviewFieldworkChecklistSecond Interview

Time Frame- 6 - month time period during one school year

Methodology Cont.

Data Analysis-Constant-comparative analysisTriangulation Extreme cases

Methods MatrixResearch Questions Selection Decisions Data collection Methods Kinds of Analyses

What are teachers’perceptions of giftedness?

Middle school teachers in my school who have varying backgrounds such as: Different college Gifted certification Were labeled gifted as

children Have gifted children Have no relationship to the

label “gifted”

Data will be collected through formal and informal interviews of the participants as well as classroom observations, and using the Autonomous Learner Model checklist

Constant Comparative Analysis of Interviewso Memoso Coding o Themes

Respondent Validation Triangulation Rich Data Discrepant Evidence

What experiences have shaped these perceptions?

Varying backgrounds and preparation will help to explain the teachers’ perceptions of giftedness

Data will be collected through formal and informal interviews of the participants

Constant Comparative Analysis of Interviewso Memoso Coding o Themes

Respondent Validation Triangulation Rich Data Discrepant Evidence

Validity

Researcher biasThe variety of methods

Rich dataTriangulation of dataTriangulation of the backgrounds of the participantsDiscrepant casesParticipant validation

Preliminary Results

Interview of one veteran middle school teacherLabeled gifted as a studentReceived no formal training on gifted studentsPositive perceptions of giftedness based on being gifted herself and having gifted students

Conclusion

As the process of identifying gifted students grows ever more dependent upon teacher recommendation, it is very important to understand what perceptions teachers hold of gifted students and what experiences have shaped those perceptions. This study hopes to discover what, if any, misperceptions are common in order to determine if professional development on gifted characteristics is needed. This study is necessary so that this special population of students receive the services they need.

References

Baska, J. V., Feng, A. X., & Evans, B. L. (2007). Patterns of identification and performance among gifted students identified through performance tasks: A three-year analysis. Gifted Child Quarterly, 51(218), doi: 10.1177/0016986207302717

Betts, G. T., & Kercher, J. K. (1999). Autonomous learner model: Optimizing ability. Greeley, CO: ALPS Publishing.

Brown, S. W., Renzulli, J. S., Gubbins, E. J., Siegle, D., Zhang, W., & Chen, C. H. (2005). Assumptions underlying the identification of gifted and talented students. Gifted Child Qarterly, 49(68), doi: 10.1177/001698620504900107

Georgia Department of Education, Curriculm, Instruction, and Assessment. (2010). Gifted education. Retrieved from website:

http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ci_iap_gifted.aspx

Miller, E. M. (2009, The effect of training in gifted education on elementary classroom teachers theory-based reasoning about the concept of giftedness. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 33(1), 65-105,145. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/222274339?accountid=14800

Siegle, D., Moore, M., Mann, R. L., & Wilson, H. E. (2010, Factors that influence in-service and preservice teachers nominations of students for gifted and talented programs. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 33(3), 337-360,438-440. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/222271222?accountid=14800

Schroth, S. T., & Helfer, J. A. (2008, Identifying gifted students: Educator beliefs regarding various policies, processes, and procedures. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 32(2), 155-179,275-277. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/222340831?accountid=14800

Starko, A. J. (2008). Teacher preparation. In J. Plucker & C. Callahan (Eds.), Critical issues and practices in gifted education: What the research says (pp. 681-694). Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.

Why I believe I deserve an “A”

Assigned readingsArticles for my conceptual frameworkCollect and analyze qualitative dataAssignmentsParticipation