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Professional Learning with associated research was developed to examine knowledge and understandings of teachers of gifted students in secondary and primary schools from varied teaching contexts across Victoria, Australia. Research studies were created to gain knowledge and understandings from three cohorts of teachers who taught gifted/high potential students as they attended Professional Learning which focused on developing gifted potential of gifted/high potential students.
Teachers who attended the Professional Learning which focused on Developing Gifted Potential were mainly from government high schools with designated select entry accelerated learning (SEAL) programs for gifted/high potential students in Years 7-10. These educational environments engage gifted/high potential students in subjects providing differentiated curriculum for their advanced academic and socio-emotional needs; and aimed to create learning environments where students transform their gifts into talents. Additionally, SEAL program teachers in these high schools often teach gifted students in mixed-ability classes. However, teachers of the gifted who participated in the studies, also taught in other contexts.
The teachers of gifted students self-nominated to participate in the funded Professional Learning (PL) unit with required assessment commitments. The PL was provided at an equivalent Master’s level by a local leading university, by local and international academic experts. The aims of the professional learning (Kronborg, 2018) were to familiarise teachers with key research theories and conceptual frameworks in gifted education, creativity, and talent development (Gagne, 2018; Runco, 2014; Subotnik, Olszewski-Kubilius, & Worrell, 2011) for developing gifted students’ cognitive, social and emotional abilities in varied learning contexts. Additionally, it was to challenge teacher participants’ beliefs, perceptions, motivations, and pedagogy for teaching gifted and high ability learners for talent development; and to have participants discuss their teaching experiences with professional colleagues in relation to the research evidence.
The aim of the research was to explore teacher perceptions and understandings in relation to teaching gifted students, and to examine teacher responses to the evidence-based PL experience. Teacher participants’ experiences for teaching gifted students across subject disciplines and year levels, who participated in the research, were found to vary. Teacher participants from each cohort were asked to respond to a survey that consisted of open-ended questions based on research literature and validated instruments that provided qualitative and descriptive data.
Findings from these experienced teachers revealed teacher beliefs of competencies and characteristics required for teaching gifted and high potential students, key pedagogical approaches believed to challenge and transform gifted students’ talents; and teacher motivations for teaching gifted students.
