What Is the Meaning of Giftedness? A Qualitative Analysis of Teachers’ Perspectives

Document Type : Qualitative Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Education, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Univesity of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

2 Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.

10.22034/jsa.2023.62801

Abstract

The discussion over human inherent capabilities and talent has long been one of the important challenges of education and has prompted scholars and educators to probe this ongoing issue. This paper aimed to conduct a phenomenographic analysis of the meaning of giftedness from the perspective of school teachers across Sanandaj. In this qualitative study, 30 school teachers were interviewed until theoretical saturation was reached. For this study, a semi-structured interview was conducted using a set of six questions. The data collected from the interviews were analyzed using the MAXQDA 2020 software. The coding method utilized for the interviews was the Colaizzi data analysis method, which is a commonly used approach for qualitative data analysis. The participants believed that giftedness encompasses ‘self-direction,’ ‘moral prosperity,’ and self-motivation’ among others. Also, the suggested mechanisms to employ gifted individuals include providing supportive atmosphere in schools, supporting and guiding gifted students during their education at university, employing gifted alumni, and establishing and implementing complementary and various programs.

Keywords

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 12 November 2022
  • Revise Date: 22 July 2023
  • Accept Date: 06 May 2023

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