Finnish Elementary School Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Gifted Education

Abstract

This study examined Finnish elementary school teachers’ (N = 212) attitudes toward the gifted and their education. On a general level, teachers’ attitudes toward gifted education were slightly positive. Teachers saw that gifted students have social value and that they need special services. The results of teachers’ attitudes toward specific gifted education options were in line with earlier Finnish research, because teachers supported differentiated teaching but were more negative toward acceleration or separating the gifted into their own groups. However, despite the strong support for differentiated teaching for the gifted, teachers’ positions toward practice were more skeptical.

Keywords:

• attitudes
• differentiated teaching
• explorative factor analysis
• gifted education
• teachers

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sonja Laine

Sonja Laine is a lecturer at the Viikki Teacher Training School of the University of Helsinki and a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Education at the University of Helsinki. Laine has served as a national delegate of the World Council of Gifted and Talented Children since 2015. E-mail: [email protected]

Risto Hotulainen

Risto Hotulainen is an Associate Professor of Educational Assessment and Director of the Centre for Educational Assessment belonging to the Faculty of Education Sciences at the University of Helsinki. Hotulainen has been the national correspondent for the European Council for High Ability since 2006. E-mail: [email protected]

Kirsi Tirri

Kirsi Tirri is a Professor of Education and Research Director at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies and the Department of Education at the University of Helsinki, Finland. She is also a visiting Professor at St. John’s University, New York, and the University of Tallinn, Estonia. Tirri has been the President of the European Council for High Ability for the years 2008–2012, the President of the SIG International Studies at the American Educational Research Association for the years 2010–2013, and the President of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters for the years 2016–2017. E-mail: [email protected]