The Translation of Teachers’ Understanding of Gifted Students Into Instructional Strategies for Teaching Science

Source: Journal of Science Teacher Education, Volume 20, Number 4 / August 2009,
p. 333-351.

This study investigated how instructional challenges presented by gifted students shaped teachers’ instructional strategies. This study is a qualitative research grounded in a social constructivist framework.
The participants were three high school science teachers who were teaching identified gifted students in both heterogeneously- and homogeneously-grouped classrooms. Major data sources are classroom observations and interviews.
Data analysis indicated that these science teachers developed content-specific teaching strategies based on their understanding of gifted students. These teaching strategies included:
(a) instructional differentiation, e.g., thematic units,
(b) variety in instructional mode and/or students’ products,
(c) student grouping strategies and peer tutoring,
(d) individualized support,
(e) strategies to manage challenging questions,
(f) strategies to deal with the perfectionism, and
(g) psychologically safe classroom environments.