Giftedness in Inclusive Classrooms: A Cross-Cultural Examination of Pre-Service Teachers’ Thinking in Finland, Austria, Turkey, the Philippines, and Japan

Abstract

This research examines student teachers’ thinking about teaching gifted students in an inclusive classroom context. Grounded in a narrative paradigm, we analyzed narratives from student teachers in Finland, Austria, Turkey, the Philippines, and Japan to identify solutions that they imagined in response to gifted students’ needs in an inclusive classroom. Six solution categories emerged: (a) giving gifted students more challenging or motivational tasks; (b) encouraging peer learning and having gifted students act as teaching assistants; (c) using communication in the classroom and with gifted students; (d) guiding gifted students toward learning opportunities beyond the classroom; (e) consulting colleagues, experts, parents, or principals; and (f) developing one’s own capacities as a teacher. Our findings carry implications for developing teacher education to nurture future teachers who understand the meaning of cultural contingencies and different learners’ needs to teach the gifted in inclusive classrooms.