As students have the closest relationship with teachers and are observers of teacher's methods and strategies on a daily basis, it is important to understand and value their views (Beishuizen et al., 2001). Yet, relatively few studies have surveyed the views of students regarding their perceptions of essential teacher attributes (Pang, 2000). In a study conducted in Australia (Vialle, 2002), investigating the qualities of effective teachers from the perspective of gifted students, it was found that the personal / social qualities of the teachers were more highly valued than their intellectual qualities. Similar results were found in studies conducted in the U.S.A (Abel & Karnes, 1994; Dorhout, 1983; Krumboltz & Farquhr, 1957; Lewis, 1982), while the Israeli study (Milgram, 1979) came to contrasting findings. In her study, Milgram added the dimension of teacher creativity. The subjects in that study demonstrated a strong preference for the intellectual qualities of the teacher above the other two dimensions. Yet, it is important to note, that while using the same instruments as Milgram did, Maddux (Maddux et al, 1985) found a preference of the personal I social characteristics of the teachers over the intellectual and creativity ones. In a previous study (1998), Vialle used semi-structured interviews and found that gifted children, aged 5–6 years, regarded personal qualities as highly as academic ones. Understanding and helpfulness were rated as the key qualities in their ideal teacher. A sense of humor, creativity, and curiosity were highly valued as well as the ability to make the work interesting and structured. The basic goal of the present study (conducted in Israel) is similar to that of Vialle's, yet it consists of a few independent variables: giftedness; religion; the quality of extraversion / introversion of the students (which was meant to explain the preference of the social qualities). As in the former studies, the gender and socioeconomic status were taken into account.
There are relatively few research studies focusing on the understanding of teachers of gifted learners, though it is assumed that not all teachers should be assigned to teach the gifted. Most of the studies investigated this issue by examining the perceptions of teachers and students. In most of those studies the results show a preference to the social qualities of the teacher. The ability to respond to students as individuals is considered a central component of successful teaching. Yet, experimental studies show different results. Mills (2003) found that the characteristics of effective teachers of the gifted were similar to those typically ascribed to the gifted students. How important are the teaching skills of the teachers of the gifted? And how significant is his or her expertise in the field? Because the gifted population is not homogeneous, it seems that different students would have different preferences. Yet, it could be concluded that in order to be a successful mediator for gifted students, one would undoubtedly have to be intelligent enough to be able to understand their way of thinking, knowledgeable enough to be able to challenge them and, last but not least, emotionally intelligent.
In the present study, the attitudes of teachers and students regarding different teachers' characteristics were investigated. The questionnaire, written by the investigator, consists of 25 statements and three open-ended questions. The statements relate to four categories: knowledge, didactic ability, personal characteristics, and sociability. The sample consists of 140 students from the department of behavioral sciences, 31 teachers of gifted students, as well as 52 teaching regular classes. The sample as a whole attributed great importance to expertise in the field and to didactic ability. The sample attributed slightly less significance to the ability to create a pleasant atmosphere in class, creativity, the ability to transform the student into an independent learner, the ability to individualize and differentiate the teaching, and flexibility. In general, the students attributed less importance to all the categories. The teachers of gifted students attributed more significance to the personal characteristics of the teacher, while the teachers in the regular classes attrributed more to discipline.
Ina study that wa,sc;onducted in one of thepl,l~loutcenters in Israel, questionnaires were given to the partujpants, theitteache-rsin the progtam~.qnd in tlzeircltt$Ses, the principals, their parents, andtheir friends .. The questionnaires tuere focused 011 a few topics: Jhe identification of the gifted; the level of involvenie.nJ of heparents; the teaching styles !ntheprQgtc"tlm; the problems related to the separation from the schools, the relatiol'lShips betwe:enthe schoqls and the program, and the attitudes towards the
This article discusses the responsibility of the environment in identifying and in nurturing the gifted. The concept of mediation (Feuerstein, 1979), which usually focuses on enhancing cognitive functions and strategies, among disfunctioning populations, is broadened by relating to a wider population (potentially gifted), as well as to a variety of functions (motivational and psychological). Renzulli's Enrichment Model for the gifted is analysed,using the basic parameters of Mediated Learning Experience.The basic issues relating to giftedness are: 1. Definition of giftedness. 2. Identification of the gifted. Nurturance of the gifted .Those issues have a special significance in relation to the underachieving and learning disabled gifted. Being interrelated, those issues reflect some underlying assumptions, or conceptions that could lead to various practical attitudes. The two contradictory approaches are -the static, traditional one (where abilities are conceived as mainly genetic, and thus hardly modifiable), vs. the dynamic approach (in which modifiability is a basic concept).
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