Australian Educators' Perspectives of Gifted Education

Abstract

<p>This study has aimed to develop an understanding of Australian educators’ perspectives of gifted education in light of emergent changes in the field. The purpose of the study was to identify recommendations specific to Australian educational policy and professional learning, with the assumption being made that educators’ perspectives of gifted education influence their teaching practice. Emergent changes in gifted education were identified as emanating from theoretical perspectives and from Australian gifted education policy perspectives. This study developed a framework made up of four elements: definitional constructs/definitions (conceptions); rationales (belief of purpose); identification; and provisions, by which to investigate educators’ conceptions of giftedness and their support of gifted education. To gain breadth and depth of data from Australian educators a mixed methods approach was adopted for this study. This involved an Australia-wide on-line survey (<i>n</i>=102), and semi-structured interviews (<i>n</i>=13) with Australian registered teachers. Key findings from the study revealed that Australian educators generally: (i) have wide-ranging conceptions of giftedness; (ii) are open to a change in terminology; (iii) consider equity as the basis for gifted education; (iv) believe that identification of students should be multi-disciplinary; and (v) support a range of gifted education provisions. Considering the findings within the context of Australian policies, barriers were identified in the Modern perspectives emphasis on gifted and talented education, including: (i) absence of shared understanding of terminology; (ii) ‘tall poppy’ syndrome; (iii) limited knowledge of how best to support students with high ability; and (vi) lack of and limited access to specific professional learning. Implications for Australian gifted education policy include: the embedding of gifted education within the equity-based framework of inclusive education; the use of operational definitions and language that more closely reflect Australian educators’ professional usage; and more positive support for the evidence-based gifted education practices of in-class and administrative differentiation (acceleration).</p> <p>Implications for professional learning for educators include a focus on equity, inclusion and teacher responsiveness through knowing their students well and developing expertise in differentiation.</p>