Teaching Mathematically Gifted Students in Israel: The State of the Art

Abstract

This paper summarizing the situation of teaching mathematics to the gifted elementary- and high school student in Israel. It surveys the various frames of learning: formal learning in the regular and in the gifted class, and the learning of math in the enrichment programs for the gifted – both in the Hebrew an in the Arab sectors. The second part of this paper summarizes all the existing non-formal programs – acceleration as well as enrichment – for the mathematically gifted child and adolescent. It includes descriptions of these programs, their target audience, the subject learnt in them and the level of studying, the prerequisites – if any, and the contribution to the students In terms of contents as well as certificates or diplomas. The third part of the paper deals with the contradiction between the well-developed are of learning high level mathematics for gifted students on one side and the comparatively low achievements of Israeli best students in the International examinations- TIMSS and PISA – on the other.

Keywords

• mathematically gifted,teaching math,Israeli education system

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