Experiences of Gifted Mathematics Students in Mainstream Classrooms

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62695/RNUL7154

Keywords:

Inclusion, Gifted, Mathematics, Student-centred, Active learning, Differentiation

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the daily educational experiences of gifted mathematics students in mainstream classrooms in Malta. Gifted students have their own special educational needs, mostly the need to be provided with an intellectually challenging environment commensurate with their abilities. However, little is known about whether the intellectual needs of gifted students are met in Maltese mainstream classrooms. Online interviews were conducted with 9 gifted mathematics students in Year 8 and Year 9 attending various schools in Malta. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings of this study indicate that the experiences of gifted mathematics students are enhanced when they are actively involved in learning. Secondly, it appears that participants lack relevant and meaningful experiences, and a challenging learning environment. Finally, evidence suggests that differentiated teaching strategies are underutilised or not appropriately implemented, resulting in participants having excessive extra time at hand. This study highlights the need for the teaching of mathematics to move away from a whole-class approach. Thus, it is suggested that both on a national level and at a school level there is commitment to provide training for educators on student-centred approaches that include active learning and differentiation.

Author Biography

Maria Galea, St Albert the Great College

Maria Galea is a mathematics teacher. She graduated from the University of Malta in 2001 with a Bachelor’s degree in Education and has since taught in a church school. She obtained her Master’s degree in Inclusive Education from the University of the West of Scotland in 2021. Through the years she has experimented with different teaching strategies to cater for the different needs and abilities of all her students. She is a strong believer in a student-centred approach to teaching and learning.

References

Akar, I. (2020). An overview of the phenomenon of waiting in the class from the perspective of the classroom teacher: A phenomenology study. Participatory Educational Research, 7(2), 60–79. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.20.20.7.2

Basister, M. P., & Kawai, N. (2018). Japan’s educational practices for mathematically gifted students. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 22(11), 1213–1241. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2017.1420252

Borg Marks, J. (2018). Striving for excellence: The challenge of educating highly able/gifted students. Symposia Melitensia, 14, 105–118. https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar//handle/123456789/30004

Borovay, L. A., Shore, B. M., Caccese, C., Yang, E., & Hua, O. (2019). Flow, achievement level, and inquiry-based learning. Journal of Advanced Academics, 30(1), 74–106. https://doi.org/10.1177/1932202X18809659

Boudah, D. J. (2011). Conducting educational research: Guide to completing a major project. SAGE Publications Ltd.

Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research methods in education (8th ed.). Routledge.

Cowley, S. (2018). The ultimate guide to differentiation: Achieving excellence for all. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Ernst, D. C., Hodge, A., & Yoshinobu, S. (2017). What is Inquiry-Based Learning? Notices of the American Mathematical Society, 64(6), 570–574. https://www.ams.org/journals/notices/201706/rnoti-p570.pdf

European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education. (2014). Education for all: Special needs and inclusive education in Malta Annex 3: Critical reflection document. https://education.gov.mt/en/Documents/Annex%203%20-%20Critical%20Reflection%20Document.pdf

Gagné, F. (2004). Transforming gifts into talents: the DMGT as a developmental theory. High Ability Studies, 15(2), 119–147. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359813042000314682

Gomez-Arizaga, M. P., Valdivia-Lefort, M., Castillo-Hermosilla, H., Hébert, T. P., & Conejeros-Solar, M. L. (2020). Tales from within: Gifted students’ lived experiences with teaching practices in regular classrooms. Education Sciences, 10(5), 137–158. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10050137

Graham, A., Powell, M., Taylor, N., Anderson, D., & Fitzgerald, R. (2013). Ethical Research Involving Children. UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti. https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/eric-compendium-approved-digital-web.pdf

Handa, M. C. (2020). Examining students’ and teachers’ perceptions of differentiated practices, student engagement, and teacher qualities. Journal of Advanced Academics, 31(4), 530–568. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1932202X20931457

Johnsen, S. K., Fearon-Drake, D., & Wisely, L. W. (2020). A formative evaluation of differentiation practices in elementary cluster classrooms. Roeper Review, 42(3), 206–218. https://doi.org/10.1080/02783193.2020.1765921

Kaufman, S. B. (2013). Ungifted: Intelligence redefined. Basic Books.

Leedy, P. D., & Ormrod, J. E. (2015). Practical research. Planning and design (11th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson

Leikin, R., Leikin, M., Paz-Baruch, N., Waisman, I., & Lev, M. (2017). On the four types of characteristics of super mathematically gifted students. High Ability Studies, 28(1), 107–125. https://doi.org/10.1080/13598139.2017.1305330

Mammadov, S. (2019). Being gifted in Turkey: Educational and social experiences of high-ability students. Gifted Education International, 5(3), 216–236. https://doi.org/10.1177/0261429419839397

Matthews, M. S., Ritchotte, J. A. & Jolly, J. L. (2014). What’s wrong with giftedness? Parents’ perceptions of the gifted label. International Studies in Sociology of Education, 24(4), 372–393. https://doi.org/10.1080/09620214.2014.990225

Menter, I., Elliot, D., Hulme, M., Lewin, J., & Lowden, K. (2011). A guide to practitioner research in education. SAGE Publications Ltd.

Ministry for Education and Employment [MEDE]. (2019). A Policy on Inclusive Education in Schools: Route to quality Education. https://meae.gov.mt/en/Public_Consultations/MEDE/Documents/A%20Policy%20on%20Inclusive%20Education%20in%20Schools%20-%20Route%20to%20Quality%20Inclusion%E2%80%8B.pdf

Oswald, M., & Rabie, E. (2017). Rethinking gifted education in South Africa: The voices of gifted grade 11 students. Gifted Education International, 33(3), 273–285. https://doi.org/10.1177/0261429416642285

Özdemir, D. A., & Bostan, M. I. (2021). Mathematically gifted students’ differentiated needs: What kind of support do they need? International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 52(1), 65–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/0020739X.2019.1658817

Pfeiffer, S. I., & Prado, R. M. (2018). Counseling the gifted: Current status and future prospects. In S. I. Pfeiffer (Ed.), Handbook of Giftedness in Children: Psychoeducational Theory, Research, and Best Practices. (2nd ed., pp. 299–313). Springer.

Siegle, D. (2018). Understanding underachievement. In S. I. Pfeiffer, (Ed.), Handbook of Giftedness in Children: Psychoeducational Theory, Research, and Best Practices (2nd ed., pp. 285–297). Springer.

Stigler, J. W., & Hiebert, J. (2016). Lesson study, improvement, and the importing of cultural routines. ZDM Mathematics Education, 48, 581–587. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-016-0787-7

Tereshchenko, A., Francis, B., Archer, L., Hodgen, J., Mazenod, A., Taylor, B., Pepper, D., & Travers, M. (2019). Learners’ attitudes to mixed-attainment grouping: Examining the views of students of high, middle and low attainment. Research Papers in Education, 34(4), 425–444. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2018.1452962

VanTassel-Baska, J., Fischer Hubbard, G., & Robbins, J. I. (2021). Differentiation of instruction for gifted learners: Collated evaluative studies of teacher classroom practices. In S. R. Smith (Ed.), Handbook of Giftedness and Talent Development in the Asia-Pacific. (pp. 945–979). Springer.

Watts, J. (2020). “Ask me and I will tell you”: Gifted boys’ perceptions of self and school. Gifted Child Today, 43(1), 46–54. https://doi.org/10.1177/1076217519880579

Yuen, M., Chan, S., Chan, C., Fung, D. C. L., Cheung, W. M., Kwan, T., & Leung, F. K. S. (2018). Differentiation in key learning areas for gifted students in regular classes: A project for primary school teachers in Hong Kong. Gifted Education International, 34(1), 36–46. https://doi.org/10.1177/0261429416649047

Downloads

Published

05-05-2024

How to Cite

Galea, M. (2024). Experiences of Gifted Mathematics Students in Mainstream Classrooms. Malta Journal of Education, 4(1), 45–65. https://doi.org/10.62695/RNUL7154

Similar Articles

<< < 1 2 3 4 5 6 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.