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3.5.1 Social Construction of Gifted Students in Federal Policies
A social constructivist approach to public policy recognizes the role public perception and stories play in the public policy process. As gifted students remain a socially misunderstood group, the social constructivist perspective illustrates how these attitudes influence the gifted education policies for better or worse. Utilizing the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) of 1958 as a case study, the presentation highlights how public perceptions, academic reports, and the sociopolitical environment influenced the NDEA’s gifted education policies. The presentation will thereby provide practitioners and researchers with strategies to leverage their knowledge in the public policy process.