key issues in gifted and talented education omagh / belfast february 2008 dr carrie winstanley...
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Key Issues in
Gifted and Talented
Education
Omagh / Belfast
February2008
Dr Carrie Winstanley [email protected]
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Session Outline • Who are we talking
about?
• Key issues and questions
• Arguments for and against provision
• Implications for teachers and learners
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Key Questions
Questions raised by school managers and teachers:
1. Is it ethical to focus on more able pupils, or will this create an elite group?
2. Aren’t schools doing a good enough job already?
3. Able pupils will do well whatever the circumstances so schools should put their resources intolearners with difficulties.
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Who are we talking about?
‘Children and young people with one or more abilities developed to a level significantly ahead of their year group (or with the potential to develop those abilities).’
DfES:2005; DCSF:2008
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Key Questions 1- Psychological
The nature of high ability:Does high ability exist at all?
Can it be measured? What is dyssynchronous
development?
The behaviour of the able:Are they happy / unhappy?
Are there specific behaviour patterns to discern? What is the cause of
disaffection among the able and what might be the
outcome?
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Key Questions 2 - Policy
Should society invest in able children since they are the experts and high achievers of the future?
Is high ability merely
a product of privilege?
Should we fund any and
all enrichment activities?
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Key Questions 3 - PedagogicalDoes high ability equate with high
achievement?
Which teaching methods and schooling structures are most appropriate for more able children? Is this just good practice?
How should we group children of different abilities?
How can we train and develop teachers to best meet the needs of the able?
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Missing Questions - Philosophy• What do we mean by
‘intelligence’, ‘potential’, ‘achievement’?
• What are we aiming for with education policy?
• What do we mean by ‘social justice’ or ‘equality’?
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Arguments against provision for the able (1)
• Elitism;
• Provision for the able will increase the gap between rich and poor;
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Arguments against provision for the able (2)
• Provision for the able offends against equality.
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Arguments for provision for the able (1)
• Academic excellence is both extrinsically and intrinsically valuable;
• Economic and social benefits accrue from ensuring the gifted achieve highly;
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Arguments for provision for the able (2)
• Special provision for the able is valuable because it leads to a rise in general standards for all;
• All pupils are entitled to an education based on their needs.
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Equality of Challenge
Meeting children’s needs requires some equality, in terms of the quality of their experience in school.
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Implications for Teaching and
Learning
More than the usual
good practice?
What constitutes good practice?
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What is Challenge?
demandingstimulating difficulty
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Commonlyused
term…
…rarely defined
David Shrigley
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Challenge is personal
Challenge depends on:
• personal characteristics (strengths, fears and interests)
• field of endeavour of knowledge
• required skills
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What are the ingredients of challenge [1]?
1. Vygotsky: Zone of Proximal Development / Piaget: cognitive dissonance;
2. Novelty and variety;
3. Independence and self-direction;
4. Risk of failure and chances to succeed;
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What are the ingredients of challenge [2]?
5. Building on existing motivation / igniting passions;
6. Metacognition, reflection and review;
7. Like-minded peers … and age peers.
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Affective / Social / Emotional
• Self-understanding• Understanding others• Coping with being
‘gifted’ or ‘talented’• Fostering a spirit of
enquiry / love of learning
• Resilience• Exploring safely
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References
• Brighouse, H (1995) ‘In Defence of Educational Equality’ in the Journal of Philosophy of Education Vol.29 No.3 pp416-420
• Cooper, D (1980) Illusions of Equality London: Routledge • Swift, A (2001) Political Philosophy: A beginner’s guide
for students and politicians Cambridge: Polity • Winstanley, C (2004) Too Clever by Half: a fair deal for
gifted children Staffs: Trentham Books • White, J.P. (1994) ‘The Dishwasher’s Child: education
and the end of egalitarianism’ in the Journal of Philosophy of Education Vol.28 No.2 pp180-192