Research Article
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Professional Competences of Preschool Teachers for Working with Gifted Young Children in Slovenia

Year 2015, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 65 - 78, 06.12.2015

Abstract

Recognizing giftedness in young preschool children presents an important challenge to all educators. Because giftedness needs nurturing, the aim of the research was to emphasize the importance of gifted children’s right to adequate educational opportunities, which will stimulate the optimal development of their potentials. In order to achieve the latter, appropriately qualified preschool teachers are needed, in both diagnostic (the identification of the preschool gifted children) and educational field. The main purpose of the study (N=180) was to analyse professional qualifications and attitudes of preschool teachers in the area of identifying and working with gifted children from age 2 to age 6. The non–experimental causal method was used. The results of the research in Slovenia show the following problems: preschool teachers are inadequately informed about the issues concerning working with gifted children; they tend to have low self-competence in identifying personal characteristics of gifted children and in the appropriate use of teaching strategies when working with them; they stress the necessity for further education and professional training in the field of gifted children education.

References

  • Bela knjiga o vzgoji in izobraževanju v Republiki Sloveniji (2011) [The white paper on education in the Republic of Slovenia, 2011]. Ljubljana: Ministrstvo za šolstvo in šport.
  • Bezić, T., Deutsch, T. (2011). Poročilo o raziskavi: Analiza uresničevanja Koncepta - Odkrivanje in delo z nadarjenimi učenci v devetletni OŠ, ob koncu šol. leta 2009/2010. [Research Report: Analysis of the implementation of the concept - Discovering and working with gifted pupils in the nine-year elementary school, 2009/2010]. Resource document. Accessible at: http://www.zrss.si/pdf/241111145902_bezic_2011_porocilo_o_raziskavi__analiza_uresnicevanja_koncepta_nad_o%C5%A1_9_10splet.pdf (Accessed: 05 May 2014).
  • Child, D. (2004). Psychology and the Teacher. London, New York: Continuum.
  • Clark, B. (2002). Growing up gifted: Developing the potential of children at home and at school. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
  • Colangelo, N., S. N. Assouline, Gross, M. U. M. (2004). A nation deceived: How schools hold back America’s brightest students. Iowa City: The Connie Belin and Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development.
  • Cosar, G., Cetinkaya, C., Cetinkaya, C. (2015). Investigating the Preschool Training for Gifted and Talented Students on Gifted School Teachers’ View. Journal for the Education of Gifted Young Scientists, 3,1, pp. 13–21.
  • Čotar Konrad, S., Kukanja Gabrijelčič, M. (2013). Motivacijska prepričanja, metakognitivne učne strategije in učni dosežek študentov pedagoških smeri. [Motivational beliefs, metacognitive learning strategies and learning achievement of students of pedagogical studies]. Antrophos, 45, 3/4, 109–128.
  • Croft, L. J. (2003). Teachers of the Gifted: Gifted teachers. In N. Colangelo & G. Davis (Ed.), Handbook of gifted education (3rd ed., pp. 558-571). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
  • Day, C. (1999). Developing Teachers, The Challenges of Lifelong Learning. London: Falmer Press.
  • Ferbežer, I. (2005). Celovitost nadarjenosti. [The integrity of the gifted]. Nova Gorica: Educa.
  • Gagne, F. (2011). Academic talent development and the equity issue in gifted education. Talent Development & Excellence 3, 1, pp. 3–22.
  • Geake, J. G., Gross, M. U. M. (2008). Teachers’ negative affect toward academically gifted students: An evolutionary psychological study. Gifted Child Quarterly, 52(3), 217–231.
  • Gross, M. (1999). Small poppies: Highly gifted children in the early years. Roeper Review, 21, 3, 207–214
  • Hansen, B., Feldhusen, J. F. (1994). Comparison of Trained and Untrained Teachers of Gifted Students. GIfted child Quarterly, 38 (3), 115–121.
  • Hodge, K. A., Kemp, C. R. (2006). Recognition of giftedness in the early years of school: Perspectives of teachers, parents, and children. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 30(2), 164–204.
  • Karnes, A. et al. (2005). Appropriate Practices for Screening, Identifying and Serving Potentially Gifted Preschoolers. The Frances A. Karnes Center for Gifted Studies. The University of Southern Mississippi.
  • Kukanja Gabrijelčič, M. (2014). Država, učitelj in delo z nadarjenimi učenci: med poslanstvom in odgovornostjo. [State, teacher and working with gifted students: the mission and responsibility]. Revija za elementarno izobraževanje, 7 (1), 83–97.
  • Kukanja Gabrijelčič, M., Čotar Konrad, S. (2013). Učno uspešen, nadarjen ali talentiran: terminološke vrzeli s področja nadarjenosti. [Successful, gifted or talented: terminological gaps in gifted and talented education]. Pedagoška obzorja, 28 (3/4), 129–143.
  • Kukanja Gabrijelčič, M., Čotar Konrad, S. (2015). Odkrivanje nadarjenih učencev: ali imamo v Sloveniji res četrtino nadarjenih učencev? [Discovering talented pupils: are in Slovenia really a quarter of gifted students?] V: Grušovnik, Tomaž (ed.). Obzorja učenja: vzgojno-izobraževalne perspektive. Koper: Univerzitetna založba Annales, 2015, pp. 147–161, 479–481.
  • Kukanja, M. (2006). Delo z nadarjenimi učenci na osnovnih šolah mestne občine Koper. [Working with gifted pupils at primary schools of the Municipality of Koper]. Šolsko svetovalno delo, XI (3-4), 50–60. NAGC – National Association for gifted children. Supporting the needs of high potential learners. Accessible at: http://www.nagc.org/ (Accessed 12 August 2014).
  • Parker, J., Karnes, F. (1991). Graduate degree programs and resource centers in gifted education: An update and analysis. Gifted Child Quarterly, 35, 43–48.
  • Pfeiffer, S. I., Jarosewich, T. (2003). Gifted Rating Scales. The Psychological Corporation: San Antonio, Texas.
  • Pfeiffer, S., Petscher, Y. (2008). Identifying young gifted children using the Gifted Rating Scales – preschool/kindergarten form. Gifted Child Quarterly, 52(1), 19–29.
  • Reis, S. M., Westberg, K. L., Kulikowich, J. M., Purcell, J. H. (1998). Curriculum compacting and achievement test scores: What does the research say? Gifted Child Quarterly, 42, 123–129.
  • Renzulli, J. S., Siegle, D., Reis, S. M., Gavin, M. K., Reed, R E. S. (2009). An investigation of the reliability and factor structure of four new Scales for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students. Journal of Advanced Academics 22(1), 84–108.
  • Rizza, M. G., in Morrison, W. F. (2003). Uncovering stereotypes and identifying characteristics of gifted students and students with emotional/behavioral disabilities. Roeper Review, 25(2), 73–77.
  • Silverman, S. (2013). How are Gifted teachers different than Other Teachers? Denver: Gifted Development Center. Accessible at: http:/www.gifteddevelopment.com. (Accessed 30 April 2014).
  • Smutny J. F. (1998). The young gifted child: Potential and promise, an anthology. Creskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
  • Strmčnik, F. (1995). Skrb za razvoj nadarjenih učencev. [Concern for the development of gifted students]. Vzgoja in izobraževanje, 33, št. 2, 13–17.
  • Szymanski, T., Shaff, T. (2013). Teacher Perspectives Regarding Gifted Diverse Students. Gifted Children, 6, 1. Accessible at: http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/giftedchildren/vol6/iss1/1 (Accessed 03 May 2014).
  • Westberg, K. L., Archambault, F. X., Jr., Dobyns, S. M., Salvin, T. J. (1993). An observational study of instructional and curricular practices used with gifted and talented students in regular classrooms. Storrs: University of Connecticut, the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented.
  • Wright, S., Horn, S. P., Sanders, W. L. (1997). Teachers and classroom context effects on student achievement: Implications for teacher evaluation. Journal of Personnel Evaluation in education, 11, 57–67.
  • Zelena knjiga o izobraževanju učiteljev v Evropi. [Green paper on Teacher Education in Europe. High Quality Teacher Education for High Quality Education and Training]. Kakovostno izobraževanje učiteljev za kakovost v vzgoji, izobraževanju in usposabljanju (2001). Ljubljana: Ministrstvo za šolstvo in šport.
Year 2015, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 65 - 78, 06.12.2015

Abstract

References

  • Bela knjiga o vzgoji in izobraževanju v Republiki Sloveniji (2011) [The white paper on education in the Republic of Slovenia, 2011]. Ljubljana: Ministrstvo za šolstvo in šport.
  • Bezić, T., Deutsch, T. (2011). Poročilo o raziskavi: Analiza uresničevanja Koncepta - Odkrivanje in delo z nadarjenimi učenci v devetletni OŠ, ob koncu šol. leta 2009/2010. [Research Report: Analysis of the implementation of the concept - Discovering and working with gifted pupils in the nine-year elementary school, 2009/2010]. Resource document. Accessible at: http://www.zrss.si/pdf/241111145902_bezic_2011_porocilo_o_raziskavi__analiza_uresnicevanja_koncepta_nad_o%C5%A1_9_10splet.pdf (Accessed: 05 May 2014).
  • Child, D. (2004). Psychology and the Teacher. London, New York: Continuum.
  • Clark, B. (2002). Growing up gifted: Developing the potential of children at home and at school. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
  • Colangelo, N., S. N. Assouline, Gross, M. U. M. (2004). A nation deceived: How schools hold back America’s brightest students. Iowa City: The Connie Belin and Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development.
  • Cosar, G., Cetinkaya, C., Cetinkaya, C. (2015). Investigating the Preschool Training for Gifted and Talented Students on Gifted School Teachers’ View. Journal for the Education of Gifted Young Scientists, 3,1, pp. 13–21.
  • Čotar Konrad, S., Kukanja Gabrijelčič, M. (2013). Motivacijska prepričanja, metakognitivne učne strategije in učni dosežek študentov pedagoških smeri. [Motivational beliefs, metacognitive learning strategies and learning achievement of students of pedagogical studies]. Antrophos, 45, 3/4, 109–128.
  • Croft, L. J. (2003). Teachers of the Gifted: Gifted teachers. In N. Colangelo & G. Davis (Ed.), Handbook of gifted education (3rd ed., pp. 558-571). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
  • Day, C. (1999). Developing Teachers, The Challenges of Lifelong Learning. London: Falmer Press.
  • Ferbežer, I. (2005). Celovitost nadarjenosti. [The integrity of the gifted]. Nova Gorica: Educa.
  • Gagne, F. (2011). Academic talent development and the equity issue in gifted education. Talent Development & Excellence 3, 1, pp. 3–22.
  • Geake, J. G., Gross, M. U. M. (2008). Teachers’ negative affect toward academically gifted students: An evolutionary psychological study. Gifted Child Quarterly, 52(3), 217–231.
  • Gross, M. (1999). Small poppies: Highly gifted children in the early years. Roeper Review, 21, 3, 207–214
  • Hansen, B., Feldhusen, J. F. (1994). Comparison of Trained and Untrained Teachers of Gifted Students. GIfted child Quarterly, 38 (3), 115–121.
  • Hodge, K. A., Kemp, C. R. (2006). Recognition of giftedness in the early years of school: Perspectives of teachers, parents, and children. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 30(2), 164–204.
  • Karnes, A. et al. (2005). Appropriate Practices for Screening, Identifying and Serving Potentially Gifted Preschoolers. The Frances A. Karnes Center for Gifted Studies. The University of Southern Mississippi.
  • Kukanja Gabrijelčič, M. (2014). Država, učitelj in delo z nadarjenimi učenci: med poslanstvom in odgovornostjo. [State, teacher and working with gifted students: the mission and responsibility]. Revija za elementarno izobraževanje, 7 (1), 83–97.
  • Kukanja Gabrijelčič, M., Čotar Konrad, S. (2013). Učno uspešen, nadarjen ali talentiran: terminološke vrzeli s področja nadarjenosti. [Successful, gifted or talented: terminological gaps in gifted and talented education]. Pedagoška obzorja, 28 (3/4), 129–143.
  • Kukanja Gabrijelčič, M., Čotar Konrad, S. (2015). Odkrivanje nadarjenih učencev: ali imamo v Sloveniji res četrtino nadarjenih učencev? [Discovering talented pupils: are in Slovenia really a quarter of gifted students?] V: Grušovnik, Tomaž (ed.). Obzorja učenja: vzgojno-izobraževalne perspektive. Koper: Univerzitetna založba Annales, 2015, pp. 147–161, 479–481.
  • Kukanja, M. (2006). Delo z nadarjenimi učenci na osnovnih šolah mestne občine Koper. [Working with gifted pupils at primary schools of the Municipality of Koper]. Šolsko svetovalno delo, XI (3-4), 50–60. NAGC – National Association for gifted children. Supporting the needs of high potential learners. Accessible at: http://www.nagc.org/ (Accessed 12 August 2014).
  • Parker, J., Karnes, F. (1991). Graduate degree programs and resource centers in gifted education: An update and analysis. Gifted Child Quarterly, 35, 43–48.
  • Pfeiffer, S. I., Jarosewich, T. (2003). Gifted Rating Scales. The Psychological Corporation: San Antonio, Texas.
  • Pfeiffer, S., Petscher, Y. (2008). Identifying young gifted children using the Gifted Rating Scales – preschool/kindergarten form. Gifted Child Quarterly, 52(1), 19–29.
  • Reis, S. M., Westberg, K. L., Kulikowich, J. M., Purcell, J. H. (1998). Curriculum compacting and achievement test scores: What does the research say? Gifted Child Quarterly, 42, 123–129.
  • Renzulli, J. S., Siegle, D., Reis, S. M., Gavin, M. K., Reed, R E. S. (2009). An investigation of the reliability and factor structure of four new Scales for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students. Journal of Advanced Academics 22(1), 84–108.
  • Rizza, M. G., in Morrison, W. F. (2003). Uncovering stereotypes and identifying characteristics of gifted students and students with emotional/behavioral disabilities. Roeper Review, 25(2), 73–77.
  • Silverman, S. (2013). How are Gifted teachers different than Other Teachers? Denver: Gifted Development Center. Accessible at: http:/www.gifteddevelopment.com. (Accessed 30 April 2014).
  • Smutny J. F. (1998). The young gifted child: Potential and promise, an anthology. Creskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
  • Strmčnik, F. (1995). Skrb za razvoj nadarjenih učencev. [Concern for the development of gifted students]. Vzgoja in izobraževanje, 33, št. 2, 13–17.
  • Szymanski, T., Shaff, T. (2013). Teacher Perspectives Regarding Gifted Diverse Students. Gifted Children, 6, 1. Accessible at: http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/giftedchildren/vol6/iss1/1 (Accessed 03 May 2014).
  • Westberg, K. L., Archambault, F. X., Jr., Dobyns, S. M., Salvin, T. J. (1993). An observational study of instructional and curricular practices used with gifted and talented students in regular classrooms. Storrs: University of Connecticut, the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented.
  • Wright, S., Horn, S. P., Sanders, W. L. (1997). Teachers and classroom context effects on student achievement: Implications for teacher evaluation. Journal of Personnel Evaluation in education, 11, 57–67.
  • Zelena knjiga o izobraževanju učiteljev v Evropi. [Green paper on Teacher Education in Europe. High Quality Teacher Education for High Quality Education and Training]. Kakovostno izobraževanje učiteljev za kakovost v vzgoji, izobraževanju in usposabljanju (2001). Ljubljana: Ministrstvo za šolstvo in šport.
There are 33 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Gifted Education
Authors

Sonja čotar Konrad This is me

Mojca Kukanja Gabrıjelčıč This is me

Publication Date December 6, 2015
Published in Issue Year 2015 Volume: 3 Issue: 2

Cite

APA čotar Konrad, S., & Kukanja Gabrıjelčıč, M. (2015). Professional Competences of Preschool Teachers for Working with Gifted Young Children in Slovenia. Journal for the Education of Gifted Young Scientists, 3(2), 65-78.
AMA čotar Konrad S, Kukanja Gabrıjelčıč M. Professional Competences of Preschool Teachers for Working with Gifted Young Children in Slovenia. JEGYS. December 2015;3(2):65-78.
Chicago čotar Konrad, Sonja, and Mojca Kukanja Gabrıjelčıč. “Professional Competences of Preschool Teachers for Working With Gifted Young Children in Slovenia”. Journal for the Education of Gifted Young Scientists 3, no. 2 (December 2015): 65-78.
EndNote čotar Konrad S, Kukanja Gabrıjelčıč M (December 1, 2015) Professional Competences of Preschool Teachers for Working with Gifted Young Children in Slovenia. Journal for the Education of Gifted Young Scientists 3 2 65–78.
IEEE S. čotar Konrad and M. Kukanja Gabrıjelčıč, “Professional Competences of Preschool Teachers for Working with Gifted Young Children in Slovenia”, JEGYS, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 65–78, 2015.
ISNAD čotar Konrad, Sonja - Kukanja Gabrıjelčıč, Mojca. “Professional Competences of Preschool Teachers for Working With Gifted Young Children in Slovenia”. Journal for the Education of Gifted Young Scientists 3/2 (December 2015), 65-78.
JAMA čotar Konrad S, Kukanja Gabrıjelčıč M. Professional Competences of Preschool Teachers for Working with Gifted Young Children in Slovenia. JEGYS. 2015;3:65–78.
MLA čotar Konrad, Sonja and Mojca Kukanja Gabrıjelčıč. “Professional Competences of Preschool Teachers for Working With Gifted Young Children in Slovenia”. Journal for the Education of Gifted Young Scientists, vol. 3, no. 2, 2015, pp. 65-78.
Vancouver čotar Konrad S, Kukanja Gabrıjelčıč M. Professional Competences of Preschool Teachers for Working with Gifted Young Children in Slovenia. JEGYS. 2015;3(2):65-78.