Alaskan Educator Perceptions of Preparedness to Identify Diverse Gifted Learners: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

The problem addressed in this qualitative study is that classroom teachers are not adequately prepared to identify gifted characteristics, which leads to the underreferral of students from diverse socioeconomic, ethnic, and language backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of public K-6 general education classroom teachers regarding their understanding of giftedness as it relates to their abilities to identify potentially gifted students and their awareness of programs and services offered by their district. The study’s guiding theoretical framework was based on key theories of intelligence and giftedness. In a phenomenological approach, 15 elementary educators from the same urban Alaska school district were individually interviewed. An interpretive analysis rendered themes including gifted characteristics, stereotypes, teacher efficacy, awareness of identification methods, meeting gifted students’ needs, advocacy, and equity. Participant knowledge of identification methods and comfort in the identification process were inconsistent. Many were also concerned with meeting gifted students' needs beyond their pull-out enrichment classes. Recommendations include practices to promote inclusivity and timely identification of gifted students, sustain research-based programming, and implement ongoing professional development for staff.