Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
1
Introduction
It is widely accepted that
,
even when giftedness is understood as simply being at one end of a normal
distribution of ability, intelligence or achievement (Reis & Renzulli,
2010
). From
a cognitive perspective, students who are more advanced in their knowledge and
understanding of a subject clearly need to be offered teaching that allows them to
develop further conceptually and which is therefore often likely to be too demand-
ing for many of their less gifted peers. From an equal-opportunity standpoint, all
learners should have opportunities to develop towards their full potential. From an
economic or policy perspective, it is important that the most able are enabled to
meet their potential, as that potential can be understood as a key societal resource
(Subotnik, Olszewski-Kubilius, & Worrell,
2011
). That is, many of the creative
scientists and other significant contributors to a society are likely to have been
gifted learners who were supported to develop their potential. So from these
perspectives, it is important that gifted learners are suitably challenged in their
education. The present chapter however puts a particular focus on the learner
experience and considers how chemistry teaching can provide an intellectually
satisfying
experience for the most able learners.
gifted
learners can be considered to have
special needs
'
'
'
'
1.1 Educational Experiences of Gifted Learners
Given the diversity of educational provision across different national contexts, it is
not appropriate to generalise about the nature of gifted learners
experiences in
school or even in a single school subject such as chemistry. However, there has long
been a concern that when educational provision does not sufficiently take into
account the needs of gifted learners, there is a danger of them achieving much
less than their potential.
In particular, learning activities that do not offer a gifted learner sufficient
challenge can damage the students
'
motivation to study and lead to boredom
(Gallagher, Harradine, & Coleman,
1997
; Phillips & Lindsay,
2006
) and even
frustration (Keating & Stanley,
1972
) and disengagement (Kanevsky & Keighley,
2003
) with school classes. Gifted learners in regular classes may face emotional
problems
'
because of a mismatch with educational environments that are not
responsive to the pace and level of gifted students
'
(Reis &
Renzulli,
2004
: 119). Most of us, gifted or otherwise, have sat through occasional
presentations in an academic or professional context where we felt that we were
learning nothing, that the material was being oversimplified, that the style of
presentation was condescending and most of all that we were wasting valuable
time. Some gifted learners in some classrooms may experience most instruction to
be of that type.
'
learning and thinking
'
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