Preservice teachers' perceptions and experiences in a gifted education training model
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of two intervention strategies in increasing the participants' understanding of the characteristics and needs of gifted students. With the prevalence of gifted students in the regular classroom, all teachers will be responsible for providing adequate and appropriate programming for them. This results in a need for gifted education to be introduced at the preservice level. When questioned concerning training in gifted education during their teacher training, preservice teachers consistently indicate the perception that training in gifted education is not adequate in the existing teacher training system. This study examined one model for providing exposure to gifted education at the preservice level. A constructivist theoretical framework was chosen to examine how the participants took their experiences in an online course and teaching practicum and constructed their perceptions and beliefs about gifted students (Denzin & Lincoln, 1994; Patton, 2002). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individual participants post-intervention to determine the participants' perceptions of the effect the interventions had on their understanding of gifted students' characteristics and needs. The findings from the interviews were triangulated with (a) two observations of each participant in their enrichment classroom, (b) lesson plans created by each participant for her enrichment class, and (c) survey responses from each participant from Part III and IV of the Survey of Practices with Students of Varying Needs (Moon et al., 1999). Case and cross-case analysis yielded several assertions concerning the impact this training model had on the participants' professional development, both in gifted education and in teaching in general. Participants reported an increase in their understanding of the needs and characteristics of gifted students. Similarly, they indicated an increase in their overall professional development through having had the experience of teaching their own class in what they perceived to be a more realistic classroom setting than their previous field experiences. Additional assertions emerged from the analysis of the data indicating that (a) the participants relied on a wide variety of sources to determine appropriate curriculum for gifted students, (b) participation in this program of study increased their confidence in their teaching abilities, (c) the participants were able to transfer the knowledge gained through this experience into their enrichment classes and felt they would be able to do the same in their standard classrooms, and (d) the participants believed this was a worthwhile experience that should become part of their training program.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Moon, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Teacher education
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