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Content Running head: WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 1

AN EVALUATION STUDY OF …

What Do Teachers Know About Gifted Students?

A Dissertation Proposal Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

May 2020

Copyright 2020 Danielle Crosbie-Davidson
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 2

Abstract
The purpose of the study was to understand what high school teachers knew about gifted
students’ needs. The research questions were: (a) To what extent is the organization meetings its
goal? (b) What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational assets and needs necessary for
teachers to identify and differentiate instruction for gifted students’ in their classroom? (c) What
are the recommendations for teachers to identify and differentiate instruction for gifted students’
in their classes? This study employed the Clark & Estes (2008) framework. The conceptual
framework was employed to analyze the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences.
Using both qualitative and quantitative measures in a survey given to 33 teachers and a three-
member focus group, who volunteered for the task. The findings were that although teachers do
not currently know how to help gifted students, most teachers were both motivated and interested
in learning how to identify and support these students. Teachers are willing to get training in
identifying and creating curriculum and instruction for students who are gifted. The majority of
teachers are interested in learning about the socio-emotional needs of students who are gifted. It
is hoped that the study could inform school systems looking to create opportunities to support
gifted students and their teachers.

WHAT TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 3

Acknowledgements
This dissertation would not have been possible without the love and support of my
husband and my three beautiful children. Their encouragement has spurred me on many late
nights when I was down to the last minute to turn something in or just finish that last sentence -
and just one more sentence, thereafter. I know there were times that my research got in the way
of other things, but they have all continued to support me on my journey and I am incredibly
grateful to Justin, Lyndsey, Bryce, and Jayleigh. In the years to come, I hope I can show how
much I appreciate everything you have done to encourage me, and even more so, that you always
have believed in me.
I have benefited greatly from the patient mentorship of all of my professors and
instructors, particularly Dr. Darline Robles, Dr. Kenneth Yates, Dr. Courtney Malloy, Dr.
Jennifer Phillips, and Dr. Adrian Donato. These people have worked tirelessly to help me reach
one of the most significant personal goals of my life, and I know there is not enough time in the
world to adequately all thank all of you. I most definitely would not have been able to do this
without my “dream team.”

WHAT TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 4

Table of Contents
Abstract ............................................................................................................................................2
Acknowledgements ..........................................................................................................................3
List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................9
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................11
CHAPTER ONE: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY .......................................................................12
Introduction of the Problem of Practice .................................................................................. 12
Organizational Performance Goal ........................................................................................... 14
Related Literature.................................................................................................................... 15
Background of the Problem ...............................................................................................15
Importance of Evaluation ........................................................................................................ 16
Description of Stakeholder Groups ......................................................................................... 17
Administration ...................................................................................................................17
Teachers .............................................................................................................................17
Students ..............................................................................................................................18
Stakeholder Group’s Performance Goals................................................................................ 19
Goals of the Stakeholder Group for Study .............................................................................. 20
Purpose of the Project and Questions ..................................................................................... 21
Clark and Estes General Conceptual and Methodological Framework .................................. 21
Definitions............................................................................................................................... 22
Organization of the Project ..................................................................................................... 23
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .................................................................24
Influences on the Problem of Practice .................................................................................... 24
WHAT TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 5

Role of the Stakeholder Group of Focus................................................................................. 24
Clark and Estes Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences Framework ......25
Stakeholder Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Influences ..................................... 25
Knowledge and Skills ........................................................................................................25
Declarative/Factual ............................................................................................................25
Metacognitive ....................................................................................................................34
Procedural ..........................................................................................................................37
Role of Stakeholder Group of Focus ...................................................................................... 38
Clark and Estes’ Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences Framework ......... 39
Motivation ..........................................................................................................................40
Organization .......................................................................................................................43
Conceptual Framework: The Interaction of Stakeholders’ Knowledge, Motivation, and the
Organizational Context ........................................................................................................... 46
Organizational Cultural Setting and Models........................................................................... 46
Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 49
CHAPTER THREE: METHODS ..................................................................................................50
Participating Stakeholders ...................................................................................................... 50
Survey Sampling Criteria and Rationale............................................................................51
Survey Sampling (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale ...................................................51
Focus Group Sampling Criteria and Rationale ..................................................................52
Focus Group Sampling (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale ..........................................53
Sampling Strategy and Timeline ............................................................................................. 53
Quantitative Data Collection and Instrumentation ................................................................. 54
WHAT TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 6

Surveys ...............................................................................................................................54
Survey Procedures .............................................................................................................54
Qualitative Data Collection and Instrumentation ................................................................... 54
Focus Group Procedures ....................................................................................................55
Alignment of the KMO Influences With the Instrumentation ................................................ 55
Credibility and Trustworthiness .............................................................................................. 63
Validity and Reliability ........................................................................................................... 64
Ethics....................................................................................................................................... 64
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND FINDINGS .........................................................................66
Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 66
Participating Stakeholders ...................................................................................................... 66
Data Validation ....................................................................................................................... 68
Results and Findings for Knowledge Causes.......................................................................... 68
Declarative/Factual Knowledge .........................................................................................68
Conceptual Knowledge ......................................................................................................70
Metacognitive Knowledge .................................................................................................72
Open-Ended Survey Items ...................................................................................................... 75
Procedural Knowledge .......................................................................................................75
How To Do Goal Setting ...................................................................................................76
SMART Goals and Breaking It Down ...............................................................................76
Backward Design – What Are the End Goals – First?.......................................................76
Not Just for Academics ......................................................................................................77
Results and Findings for Motivation Causes .......................................................................... 82
WHAT TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 7

Motivation ..........................................................................................................................82
Self-Efficacy ......................................................................................................................83
Focus Group .......................................................................................................................90
Results and Findings of Organizational Causes...................................................................... 91
Organization .......................................................................................................................91
Cultural Models .................................................................................................................92
Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 98
CHAPTER FIVE: SOLUTIONS, IMPLEMENTATIONS AND EVALUATIONS ..................100
Introduction and Overview ................................................................................................... 100
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences ............................................... 101
Knowledge Recommendations ........................................................................................101
Conceptual Knowledge ....................................................................................................107
Procedural Knowledge .....................................................................................................108
Metacognitive ..................................................................................................................109
Motivation Recommendations .........................................................................................110
Organization Influences and Recommendations .............................................................113
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan ................................................................... 118
Implementation and Evaluation Framework ....................................................................118
Organizational Purpose, Need, and Expectations ............................................................119
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators ..........................................................................120
Level 3: Behavior .............................................................................................................122
Level 2: Learning .............................................................................................................125
Level 1: Reaction .............................................................................................................128
WHAT TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 8

Evaluation Tools ..............................................................................................................129
Data Analysis and Reporting ...........................................................................................130
Summary ..........................................................................................................................131
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Approach ......................................................................... 131
Limitations and Delimitations ............................................................................................... 132
Recommendations for Future Research ................................................................................ 132
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 133
References ....................................................................................................................................135
Appendix A: Survey Protocol ......................................................................................................145
Appendix B: Focus Group Discussion .........................................................................................152

WHAT TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 9

List of Tables
Table 1: Organization: mission, global goal, and stakeholders .........................................8
Table 2: Knowledge: assumed knowledge influence ......................................................40
Table 3: Assumed motivational influences and assessment ............................................43
Table 4: Cultural model influences and assessment for organizational gap analysis ......45
Table 5: Assumed knowledge influences and survey items revisited .................................
Table 6: Assumed motivational influences and assessment ............................................60
Table 7: Assumed organizational influences and assessment .........................................63
Table 8: Stakeholder participants’ range of years of service ...........................................67
Table 9: Teachers’ ability to feel comfortable when they need to differentiated
instruction for students they believe are gifted .................................................74
Table 10: Question 7b-7h: Theory of multiple intelligences, with given scenarios
of student choice ................................................................................................75
Table 11: Teachers know how to apply behavioral interventions for students
who are gifted ....................................................................................................77
Table 12: The extent to which teachers know the steps of how to differentiate
instruction ..........................................................................................................79
Table 13: The extent to which teachers place intrinsic value on identifying
gifted students ....................................................................................................82
Table 14: The extent to which teachers feel confident they could identify a
gifted student .....................................................................................................83
Table 15: The extent to which teachers feel confident they could identify a
gifted student .....................................................................................................84
Table 16: The extent to which teachers feel confident they could identify a
gifted student .....................................................................................................84
Table 17: Teachers Need Strong Self-Efficacy to Create Instruction for Gifted
Students Who Are Difficult ...............................................................................85
Table 18: Teachers’ Need to Have Interest in Differentiating Instruction for Students ....86
Table 19: Teachers Interested in Helping a Gifted Student Through a
Socio-Emotional Episode ..................................................................................86
WHAT TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 10

Table 20: My subject is my passion ..................................................................................87
Table 21: I enjoy teaching my chosen subject to my students ..........................................87
Table 22: The extent to which teachers find gifted students interesting ...........................88
Table 23: The extent to which teachers are interested in differentiating instruction ........89
Table 24: The extent to which teachers’ motivation is inhibited by lack of
student motivation .............................................................................................89
Table 25: The extent to which teachers feel comfortable having a colleague
observe their instruction outside of formal evaluations ....................................92
Table 26: The extent to which teachers feel comfortable having an
administrator observe their instruction outside of formal evaluations ..............93
Table 27: The extent to which the organization supports teachers to incorporate
new methods of curriculum and instruction to better serve all students ...........94
Table 28: The extent to which the organization accepts that all students
learn the same ....................................................................................................95
Table 29: Summary of knowledge influences and recommendations .............................102
Table 30: Summary of motivation influences and recommendations .............................110
Table 31: Summary of organization influences and recommendations ..........................113
Table 32: Outcomes, metrics, and methods for external and internal outcomes .............120
Table 33: Critical behaviors, metrics, methods, and timing for evaluation .....................122
Table 34: Required drivers to support critical behaviors ................................................123
Table 35: Evaluation of the components of learning for the program .............................127
Table 36: Components to measure reactions to the program ..........................................129

WHAT TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 11

List of Figures
Figure 1: Renzulli’s three-ring conception of giftedness. Adapted from “What
Makes Giftedness? Reexamining a Definition,” by J. S. Renzuli, 1978,
Phi Delta Kappan, 60(3), pp. 180-184. Copyright 1978 by Sage. ...................34
Figure 2: Coyote High School conceptual framework. ...................................................49

WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 12

CHAPTER ONE: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
Introduction of the Problem of Practice
The United States Department of Education (2011) estimated roughly three-million
students who are gifted, accelerated, talented, or exceptional (GATE) in kindergarten through
12th grade. In the 1970s and1980s, GATE programs were available in many schools across the
United States (Tannenbaum, 2000). In 2001, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was passed,
and funding for GATE programs decreased across the country (Jolly & Makel, 2010;
Lichtenwalter, 2010). Whereas some programs for GATE students still existed in the United
States, many schools placed gifted students in general education, or honors classes, or may have
not identified gifted students at all (Benny & Blonder, 2016). Critics of placing GATE students
in specialized, sheltered programs believed that students should be integrated into mainstream
classrooms (Benny & Blonder, 2016). Kitsantas argued against mainstream classrooms, citing
gifted students need to learn and interact with other students who have similar abilities
(Winebrenner & Devlin, 2000). These interactions not only helped gifted learners to have
positive self-esteem, but also helped each other have positive feelings of being gifted (Neber et
al., 2001). Students who are gifted often feel that they are outcasts, so they need socio-emotional
support (Eren, Çete, Avcil, & Baykara, 2018; Phelan & Allen, 2018).
The problem was that NCLB received government monies and defunded the GATE
programs. The educational trend then placed all students in mainstream classrooms. As teachers
no longer needed to create curriculum and instruction separately for gifted students the question
was what do teachers know about gifted students? Additionally, this study also asked what
teachers knew about the characteristics of gifted students. Did teachers know how to
differentiate curriculum and instruction in a mixed ability classroom, with levels of learners,
such as gifted?
Organizational Context and Mission
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 13

Coyote High School (CHS, a pseudonym) was a public educational institution located in
the western United States, and was one of six high schools in the District. CHS was a 10-month
high school that provides learning through traditional instruction, as well as online, and night
school, for struggling students. CHS’s mission was that all high school students will develop
effective communication; collaboration and critical thinking skills; research techniques; and self-
management strategies to become more balanced and reflective individuals. Additionally, it
expected that students and teachers would work together to deliver rigorous instruction and
personalized support to provide a successful transition to higher education and beyond.
Additionally, they promoted lifelong learning (Vision Statement, n.d.). CHS’s staff and
community wanted to create awareness, understanding, and respect for individual and civic
responsibilities, both locally and globally, in a multicultural, rapidly changing society (Mission
Statement, n.d.).
The school’s students were predominantly Hispanic or Latino. These two groups made
up of 94% of the population. The remaining 6% of students were diverse. Students were: Black
or African American; American Indian; Alaska Native; Asian; Filipino; White; and Native
Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Roughly 86% of the students were classified as socio-
economically disadvantaged, and 21% of the students were classified as English Learners.
At the time of the study, CHS employed 75 teachers who serviced approximately 1670
students. According to district statistics, as of the 2017-18 school year, 88% of all teachers in the
district had one or more years of teaching experience.
In addition to the instructional staff, there were four administrators, which included one
principal and three assistant principals. Assistant Principals were categorized by Counseling;
Instruction; and Discipline. Three main counselors served the needs of an average of 530
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 14

students for each counselor. A team of five security guards and two campus police officers
helped to support the safety and well-being of all individuals on campus.
Teachers were assigned to one or more programs: Social Science; Math; English; and
Science. Additionally, there were various elective programs including: Choir; Drama; Career
and Technical Education. Programs for Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate
represented all four core disciplines of Social Science, Math, English and Science. The student
to teacher ratio was 25 students for every one teacher; however, the classrooms were
disproportionately populated as some teachers had 10-15 students per class, while others had 40
or more students per class. The school had a 91% graduation rate. College and career readiness
according to SAT scores were at a 26% passing rate.
Organizational Performance Goal
The District’s goal was to ensure each student received a quality education and a pathway
after graduation (District, 2019). School programs were expected to be rigorous, but also
successful in creating a nurturing environment. The district was up-to-date in its technology,
such as one-to-one Chromebooks for all students. These goals were created by the
Superintendent and the Board of Education for the District.
The organizational goal was that 95% of students would graduate in four years. This goal
was established by the administration and teacher leadership team at the onset of a WASC visit
in 2016. However, the goal of this study was that all teachers at CHS would be able to
successfully identify gifted students, and differentiate instruction in their classes, as measured by
the students’ academic achievement.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 15

Related Literature
Background of the Problem
In 1988, the Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act was funded to
provide quality, rigor, and an appropriate education for students who were identified as gifted
and talented (NAGC, 2015). Then, in 2001, No Child Left Behind Act was placed into policy,
with a mission of helping students who were struggling in school. Thus, the focus was removed
from gifted students who were high achievers, but who still needed appropriate curriculum,
instruction and social support for their learning (Beisser, S., 2008). In 2011, Congress defunded
the 1988 Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act (NAGC, 2015). Research has
shown that GATE students work better when they are with their peers (Tomlinson, 2005).
Students formerly identified as being gifted were placed back in mainstream classrooms (Baker,
2014; Gootman and Gebelhoff, 2008). In the years following these decisions, academic success
for gifted students, and students with varying levels of abilities in other subjects, declined in their
progress (Cooper, 1996). Programs that still existed, in other than public schools, were
increasingly less ethnically diverse (Henfield et al., 2017).
In the 21st century, it has been established that all levels of learners benefit from being in
a classroom with like-levels of abilities (Davis, Rimm, & Siegle 2010). Students who were at
higher ability levels had personally attributed being successful in high school, and
“acknowledged the importance of being grouped together in honors and advanced classes,” (Reis
& Renzulli, 2010, p.308). Winebrenner and Devlin (2000) found that a vital part of the gifted
and accelerated students’ abilities, such as learning and applying information is more successful
when the same level of students work together. However, reorganizing students back into
groups, based on their abilities, is a concern to administrators, who say this practice is a strain on
school budgets because of having to hire more teachers (Brulles & Winebrenner, 2011). Cluster-
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 16

grouping students, meaning to put them into groups in a mainstream classroom by their ability, is
effective. However, concern for additional teachers and resources causes schools to make
decisions assigning a random group of students to each of the teachers (2011). With school
budgets being cut on a regular basis, special programs for gifted and highly-capable students are
not provided (Hull, 2010). Most recently, President Donald Trump has made cuts to gifted
education, suggesting these kinds of programs should be funded by state and local governments
(Ujifusa, 2018).
Importance of Evaluation
It was important to evaluate teachers at CHS on what they knew about gifted students.
Teachers are not required to go to any training for how to teach, support or identify gifted
students (xxx,2018). Although some students may have been identified in the early grades or in
another district, teachers do not have the means to know who was identified in this district, as
that information is not readily present in the learning management system (District, 2018). Some
students who may be gifted may have never been identified, and so teachers should be able to
identify some of the potential signs of giftedness in order to accommodate all students (Wellisch
& Brown, 2012).
Teachers must be able to identify gifted students or the result may cause
underachievement, or failure, in high school (Matthews, 2008; Geiser, 2003). High school is a
determiner of success in college and career (Geiser, 2003). Gifted students’ rely on effective
pedagogy and teachers’ awareness of socio-emotional needs (Fernández, García, Arias-Gundín,
Vázquez, & Rodríguez, 2017). Reports estimate approximately 20% of high school dropouts in
the United States are gifted and talented (Renzulli & Park, 2000). At one point, 88% of the
gifted students were passing their classes, but they dropped out because they were bored
(Bridgeland, 2006).
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 17

Variations of giftedness in students make it more difficult to identify them (Calero &
García-Martín, 2015; Pfeiffer, 2015). Although teachers are with these students nearly every
day, the teacher may or may not recognize the students’ giftedness if they do not know the many
forms giftedness takes (Pfeiffer, 2015). Therefore, these questions must be answered: What do
teachers know about giftedness, as well as, what do they know about how to differentiate
instruction for gifted students?
Description of Stakeholder Groups
Four stakeholder groups both contributed to, and benefitted from, the achievement of the
organization’s goal. These groups were the Administration and Counseling Department, the
Teachers, and the Students.
Administration
The Administration Department within the school consisted of four administrators,
including the Principal, and three Assistant Principals. Three of the four administrators
evaluated the certified teachers and classified staff. The fourth administrator was responsible for
the Counseling Department. This department’s primary functions were to advise students about
what classes they should take and whether or not they should be in an honors or advanced class.
Counseling also attended to the socio-emotional well-being of all students.
Teachers
There were 75 teachers who taught various core classes, such as: Math; Science; Social
Science; and English Language Arts. Teachers’ experience in teaching was from one to forty
years. Several teachers had only taught at CHS, with no other experience in other schools.
Other teachers taught elective programs, such as: Band; Drama; and Art; Foreign Languages; and
Physical Education. Advanced Placement (AP) courses were offered in each of the departments.
The Foreign Language Department had an AP class for Spanish, and AP Literature and
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 18

Language were available in the English Department. There was also AP Art and various AP
Science classes.
As this was a high school, all the teachers were highly qualified in at least one subject,
and some of the teachers carried an additional certification for a second subject. For example, a
teacher may have been a Social Science teacher, but also had a second certified subject in
English Language Arts. One or two designated AP teachers would be teaching the courses in
which an Advanced Placement Course was offered.
Students
At the time of the research, there were 1670 students at CHS. Approximately 200
students were in Advanced Placement classes over a range of 20 courses including: English;
STEM Social Sciences; Foreign Language; the Arts; and, Career/Technical subjects. CHS is
also an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School. IB classes contained students from
seventh through twelfth grades using the IB curriculum. The school used grades from other
classes and standardized test scores, such as the California Assessment of Student Performance
and Progress (CAASPP) or the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests, to enroll students
into the AP, IB, and Honors classes. Each of these groups of students, as noted by the
organization, were in pursuit of the secondary organizational goal, which is to graduate 95% of
students from CHS in four years.
The Principal and Assistant Principals helped to maintain a safe environment in the
school, as well as managing the discipline of the overall school, so that all students have an equal
opportunity to meet the organizational goals (CHS School Principal, 2018). The teachers are
expected to support the goal by creating curriculum and instruction for the students that supports
the Common Core Standards (CHS School Principal, 2018). Additionally, the teachers are
expected to instruct and assist the students in their understanding of material in the curriculum,
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 19

as well as monitor the progress of the students by assessing the learning of the material in the
curriculum.
Further expectations were that teachers would modify class assignments in such a way
that students can learn through scaffolding, and in some cases, personal instruction. According
to the School District’s mandates on instruction, the teachers are “...to provide a rich, research-
based curriculum that motivates every student to succeed…” (CHS District Guidelines, 2018).
Stakeholder Group’s Performance Goals
The specific stakeholder goals were that all teachers would be able to identify gifted
students from the student population in their classes. Additionally, teachers would know how to
differentiate curriculum and instruction, as well as understand and recognize the socio-emotional
needs for gifted learners.
Table 1.
Organization: Mission, Global Goal, and Stakeholders
Organizational Mission
Coyote High School is a learning community dedicated to educating all to educating all
students to become respectful, literate, thinking, and contributing members of society.
Students at Coyote High School will demonstrate responsibility
and commitment in meeting the challenges of a changing world.
Organizational Global Goal
CHS Performance Goals: 1) 95% of students will graduate in four years;
2)Teachers will be able to identify and differentiate instruction for gifted students;
and 3) recognize the socio-emotional needs of gifted learners in their classrooms.

Administration Goal Teachers 2 Goal Students3 Goal
Administrators will support
teachers’ ability to identify
gifted students and differentiate
instruction. Administrators will
provide training and materials.
Teachers will be able to identify and
differentiate instruction and recognize
socio-emotional needs of gifted students
in their classes as measured by the
students’ academic achievement.
At least 95%
percent of
students will
graduate in
four years.

WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 20

Administration goal Teachers 2 goal Students 3 goal
Administrators will support
teachers’ ability to identify
gifted students and
differentiate instruction.
Administrators will provide
training and materials.
Teachers will be able to
identify and differentiate
instruction and recognize
socio-emotional needs of
gifted students in their classes
as measured by the students’
academic achievement.
At least 95% percent of
students will graduate in four
years.

Goals of the Stakeholder Group for Study
Although a complete analysis would involve all stakeholder groups, for practical
purposes of this study the researcher selected the Teachers. Teachers were chosen because they
are the creators of curriculum and instruction, and they are responsible for the learning needs of
all students. In order to achieve the Organizational Goal of at least 95% of students graduating
in four years, responsibility fell on the teachers to support all students to be successful in
learning and understanding the material. Therefore, the goal for the teacher stakeholder was that
all teachers at CHS would be able to identify gifted students from the student population in their
classes.
Although administration team members are involved in the day to day school life for
students, the students interact mostly with teachers. Each teacher had roughly 150-200 students
that attended five classes per day. Teachers undoubtedly had the most understanding of the
students’ challenges and victories in their pursuit of passing their classes. The importance of this
goal rested on teachers knowing who was or may be gifted in their classrooms. If the
organizational goal of graduating students in four years was not met, then it may have been
because teachers lacked the knowledge to identify and assist gifted students in the navigation of
the curriculum. It was reasonable to assume that some students who did not succeed could have
been gifted, and possibly did not receive the personal support needed for accomplishing the
tasks. This would make a difference in reaching or not reaching the organizational goal of
graduating in four years.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 21

Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this project was to evaluate the degree to which the organization and its
teachers met the goal of identifying and serving the curricular, instructional and socio-emotional
needs of gifted students. Additionally, the purpose was to reach the organizational goal of at
least 95% of students graduating in four years. This analysis focused on the knowledge,
motivation and organizational elements related to achieving the organizational goals. While a
complete performance evaluation would focus on all stakeholders, for practical purposes, the
stakeholder to be focused upon in this analysis are the teachers. If teachers do not know how to
identify gifted students, how to differentiate instruction for gifted students, or address their
socio-emotional needs, then the goal of graduating students in four years may have fallen short.
As such, the questions that guided this study were the following:
1. To what extent is the organization meeting its goal?
2. What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational assets and needs necessary for
teachers to identify and differentiate instruction for gifted students in their classes?
3. What are the recommendations for teachers to identify and differentiate instruction for
gifted students in their classes?
Based on the analysis of the data, recommendations for teachers and the organization
were provided so teachers would be able to identify gifted students in their classes, as well as
differentiate instruction.
Clark and Estes General Conceptual and Methodological Framework
This project employed a mixed method of data gathering and analysis. CHS staff’s most
recent performance in relation to the organizational goal was assessed using surveys, the
literature review for the purpose of applying the research, and a content analysis of the
interviews by interpreting and coding textual material. Research-based solutions were
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 22

recommended and evaluated in a comprehensive manner. The study was executed using the
Clark & Estes Gap Analysis Framework for the research.
Definitions
Curriculum: The materials that the students and teachers use to teach and assess lessons.
Differentiated Instruction: When curriculum and instruction are tailored to each student’s
needs in order to help the individual student to meet their instructional goals.
GATE: Abbreviation for Gifted and Talented. Also, the acronym can mean Gifted and
Talented or Exceptional.
Gifted and Talented et al.: means a child identified by the planning and placement team
as (1) possessing demonstrated or potential abilities that give evidence of a very superior
intellectual, creative or specific academic capability and (2) needing differentiated instruction or
services (National Association for Gifted Children, 2013).
Instruction: The verbal and written instructions and lessons that help the student to
understand their objectives in each classroom and subject.
Jacob Javits Act: The Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act (Javits)
was first passed by Congress in 1988 as part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and
was most recently reauthorized through the “Every Student Succeeds Act” to support the
development of talent in U.S. schools through 2018.
Mainstream: The practice of placing all students in a given classroom, including students
who require an individual education plan as in Special Education, students who do not require
services, and students who may be gifted.
NCLB: Abbreviation for the “No Child Left Behind Act of 2001” - an Act of Congress
that reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It included Title I provisions
applying to disadvantaged students and students who were struggling to succeed in schools.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 23

Socio-Emotional: A psychological theory that human personality is developed through a
repeating series of crises and resolution.
Twice Gifted or “2e” - Designated as being gifted and having a physical or cognitive
disability.
Organization of the Project
Five chapters are used to organize this study. This chapter provided the reader with the
key concepts and terminology commonly found in a discussion about gifted and talented students
and their learning needs, as well as what teachers should know about students in their classes
who have been identified as or may be gifted. The organization’s mission, goals, and
stakeholders as well as the review of the evaluation framework were provided. Chapter Two
provides a review of current literature surrounding the scope of the study. Topics of giftedness,
programs for students, identification of giftedness, and the current knowledge teachers hold
about how to identify students who are or may be gifted will be addressed. Additionally, this
chapter included the conceptual framework, as well as the knowledge, motivation and
organizational influences. Chapter Three details the knowledge, motivation and organizational
elements to be examined, as well as methodology, regarding the choice of participants, data
collection and the overview of the Clark & Estes Framework. In Chapter Four, the data and
results are described and analyzed. Chapter Five provides recommendations for practice, based
on data and literature as well as recommendations for an implementation and evaluation plan.

WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 24

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
After the onset of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2001) gifted students were
placed in mainstream classrooms (Wellisch & Brown, 2012). Summarily, schools began the
declassification of gifted students, with the idea that the students could still learn effectively on
their own and did not need to have additional help in the classroom (Stephens & Riggsbee,
2007). The CHS District had a protocol in place to identify and test potentially gifted students in
second grade, but by the time those students got to CHS, they were no longer identified to
teachers (CHS District). Additionally, teachers at the high school level did not have the
knowledge to understand how to identify, differentiate or to help manage the socio-emotional
needs of gifted students.
Influences on the Problem of Practice
While Chapter One was more about the impact of the problem of practice, Chapter Two
and this section, will address the factors, variables, and causes that influence the problem of
practice, as defined by the literature in this area. The researcher reviewed the elements of what it
means to be gifted, particularly in high school classrooms. Additionally, the researcher analyzed
related research regarding what teachers understand of giftedness. It was important to
understand the curriculum of a teacher preparation program, regarding teaching, designing
curriculum, and understanding the socio-emotional needs of the gifted students. Thereafter, the
researcher reviewed an explanation of the knowledge, motivation and organizational influences
in this study, and completed the chapter by presenting the conceptual framework.
Role of the Stakeholder Group of Focus
The stakeholder group of focus is the teachers. Teachers are the creators of curriculum,
instruction and are responsible for meeting the socio-emotional needs of the students in the
classroom. Therefore, teachers should be well versed in how to teach all students, understand
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 25

their abilities, and the level of learning they need to succeed. Gifted students’ learning needs
may differ from other students in the classroom. The teacher needs to be certain they can
differentiate instruction for gifted students.
Clark and Estes Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences Framework
The Clark and Estes (2008) framework is suited to study the stakeholder performance
within the organization. This problem-solving process is based on (a) understanding stakeholder
goals with regard to the organizational goal, and (b) identifying assumed performance influences
in the areas of knowledge, motivation, and organization based on general theory, context-specific
literature, and an existing understanding of the organization. In the following sections, the
researcher will discuss the stakeholder-specific assumed influences.
Stakeholder Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Influences
Knowledge and Skills
Knowledge influences. The researcher examined the literature that is relevant to the
stakeholder and the stakeholder’s goal, and has categorized the information by knowledge types.
These are: (a) declarative/factual, (b) conceptual, (c) metacognitive, and (d) procedural. It was
important to understand the specificity of the influences so as to address what type of training or
information the teachers would need in order to attain the necessary knowledge to help gifted
students achieve, which will ultimately support the organizational goal of graduating 95% or
more high school students in four years.
Declarative/Factual
Knowledge influence 1. Teachers needed to know the characteristics of giftedness.
What it means to be gifted. One of the earliest concepts of identifying giftedness began
more than 100 years ago with Galton’s Hereditary Genius in 1869 (Plucker & Callahan, 2013).
Galton argued that creativity and “intellectual exceptionalism was measurable” as well as that
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 26

intelligence could be inherited, and then further developed in which the first concepts of people
who had extraordinary and diverse intellects were studied (Mitchell, R., 2014). Also, early
studies by Lewis Terman, in 1921 and beyond, examined and questioned the concept of what a
high intelligence quotient meant as well as how to accurately measure it (Mitchell, L., 2000).
In 1978, Renzulli defined giftedness in the constructs of one’s creativity, commitment to
a task, and overall average ability to do anything (Renzulli, 1978). The definition of giftedness
has been updated to a much larger and varied population (Reis et al., 2014). This extraordinary
group of people must have guidance and advocates who can help them receive the social,
instructional, and curricular support for their success (Plucker & Callahan, 2013; Dolezal et al.,
2018).
From these beginnings, universities across the country began to latch on to the concept
that people learn at different levels, and learned better in different environments (Plucker &
Callahan, 2013). Intelligence theories began to abound and the discussion on what makes a
person intelligent, as well as how all people learn was at the forefront of the professional
organizations dedicated to education (2014). For example, in 1988, Dweck noted that people can
achieve more than they are told they can achieve because intelligence is adaptable (Costa &
Faria, 2018). However, those adaptations may only be possible in people with high self-efficacy,
or with these students being more successful in verbal and quantitative measures in their classes
(2018). Perhaps the most important road to success for gifted students relies on the climate in
the classroom (Gómez-Arizaga, Conejeros-Solar, & Martin, 2016). Interactions with the teacher
are key in having a student who is gifted in a mainstream classroom be successful (2016).
Students who are gifted, talented, or highly capable are often overlooked because
teachers, administrators, and/or parents may not understand the characteristics of how giftedness
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 27

looks in the classroom (Crepeau-Hobson & Bianco, 2011). Without a universally accepted
definition of what it means to say a student is gifted, it is difficult to identify the students (2011).
Educators and Administrators from district to district have not come together on what to
call students who are gifted, talented, highly capable or any other numbers of labels. In 1991,
the Columbus Group labeled gifted students as having “asynchronous development.” As far back
as the late 1980s, The Columbus Group described giftedness as “school-aged children who have
advanced cognitive abilities and heightened intensity [with]…awareness that are qualitatively
different from the norm.” The Columbus Group described the gift of these individuals have that
makes them extraordinary, and particularly vulnerable to the outside world (2001). They need
different lessons and messages than other students (2001).
The Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act of 1988 defined giftedness
as “high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership
capacity…” In the book, Gifted Children: Myths and Realities, gifted students are described as
voluntarily doing overly complex tasks at an early age (Winner, 1996). Winner also makes the
claim that gifted children are often filled with intrinsic motivation as they and try to understand
the world around them, while not really caring about grades or whether someone else praised
them for what they learned (1996). The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)
defines giftedness as, “…individuals…who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude or
competence...in one or more domains.”
Some students who are gifted may also have a disability. The term used to identify these
students is “twice-exceptional.” A twice-exceptional learner is one who is at least highly capable
or gifted, and has a learning disability (Renzulli, 1978; Crepeau-Hobson & Bianco, 2011).
Teachers and other educational professionals may be unaware of the concept of a twice-
exceptional learner, and may not know how to prescribe appropriate curriculum and instruction
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 28

for these students. It is important that teachers know that giftedness can take many forms and
one definition is not enough to define them (Crepeau-Hobson & Bianco, 2011).
Knowledge influence 2. Teachers needed to be updated with training on how to
create curriculum and instruction, teach, and assess students who are gifted.
The efficacy of gifted programs and identification of gifted students. Teachers
programs do not necessarily focus on curriculum or instruction of students who are or may be
gifted, talented, or highly capable (Fisher, 2011). In the United States, only six states require
training for mainstream teachers to understand the needs and characteristics of gifted students
(2011). Thirty-six states have no requirements to receive training on learners who are gifted
(State of the States Report, 2016). Problems of new teachers in the classroom often involve the
lack of gifted training given to new teachers, with such information as how to recognize
students’ learning abilities and disabilities (Tomlinson, 1995, 2005). When asked to identify the
characteristics of the various learners, gifted or otherwise, teachers had difficulty using
descriptive words to identify student learning and assessment success (2005).
Knowledge influence 3. Teachers need to know about the history of giftedness.
Legislative practices for GATE students. As previously stated in Chapter One, in 2011,
approximately three-million students were identified as being gifted or high-functioning (GATE)
in kindergarten through 12th grade. After the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2001) was put
into law, GATE programs began to shut down. The new focus as per NCLB was on the English
Language Learners and low-performing students. Pull-out programs for the students who were
labeled low functioning was the focus of education, while GATE students were put back in
mainstream classrooms (Loveless, Farkas, & Duffett, 2008). A nationwide survey found that
approximately 70% of the nation’s teachers felt that students who are gifted were not being
challenged in school or being instructed appropriately with the proper materials (2008).
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 29

All students should be delivered rigorous, challenging, appropriate curriculum and
instruction for their personal level of learning (Tomlinson & Santangelo, 2009). However,
current students who are gifted are left to learn for themselves if teachers do not understand how
to create specific curriculum, instruction, and support socio-emotional needs of these students
(Zakrzewski, 2015). Since the onset of NCLB (2001), there are questions in the schools about
what to do for the needs of the gifted students. In many districts, teachers are no longer
receiving information about who is gifted, and they may not know how to find out the
information if the district or school does not expressly code the student in the learning
management system (Tomlinson & Santangelo, 2009).
The website of the State Department of Education addresses funding for giftedness.
These funds are often inaccessible because certain monies are part of the Local Control
Accountability Plan. This means that the ability to use those funds for training or curricular
needs is in the hands of the school leaders. There is no mandate for what the funding may be
used (District, 2018; State Education Department, 2018). One use for the funds could be gifted
training, as teacher preparation programs have minimal training on giftedness and its attributes
(Farkas & Duffet, 2008). One teacher myth of giftedness is that gifted students are smart enough
to do well on their own (Farkas & Duffet, 2008). It is possible that educational professionals
may be confused as to what giftedness looks like in the classroom, especially in populations that
include twice-gifted, or twice-exceptional learners (Renzulli, 1978; Crepeau-Hobson & Bianco,
2011). However, the problem has been that the body of evidence related to the characteristics
and treatment of gifted individuals has not been appropriately addressed (Plunkett & Kronborg,
2016). Teacher training programs merely brush the surface of what is giftedness and who the
gifted people are (2016).
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 30

Teachers need to know how to teach and support students who are gifted, talented or
highly capable (Colangelo, Assouline, & Gross, 2004; Farkas & Duffet, 2008). An article by
Stephens (2009) presented some of the teacher opinions of teaching gifted students. In his
research, Stephens recorded comments from teachers that expressed their beliefs that: (a) gifted
students do fine on their own; (b) called gifted students “know-it-alls” who think they are better
than other people; and (c) talked about how teachers believed the gifted students had poor social
skills. The programs have been defunded since the No Child Left Behind Act came into being in
2002, and therefore the students who would have made up these classrooms are in general
education, and sometimes even special education (Loveless et al., 2008). The emphasis on
programs for GATE students has diminished or disappeared altogether, in an effort to boost
programs for low performing students. Even in 2008, it was noted that the era for supporting
gifted students took an abrupt shift to the other end of the spectrum, where students who were
low-achievers became the focal point of the educational world (Loveless et al., 2008).
Conceptual
Knowledge influence 1. Teachers need to understand the general needs of gifted
students, such as their socio-emotional state so that they lessen the risk of dropping out.
Gifted students dropping out. Before the NCLB Act, students who were tested for
giftedness received services at least once a day in many schools across the country (Shirvani,
2012). Then, the money for those programs began to dry up because the new focus was on the
lower end of the spectrum - those students who had learning disabilities (NCLB, 2001).
However, since 2009, with gifted students predominantly placed in mainstream
classrooms, there is a problem of engagement in classwork and the class environment that has
led to high school students dropping out (Kim & Hull, 2012). It has been suggested that at least
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 31

20% of students dropping out in high school in the last 10 years have been on the gifted spectrum
(Richotte & Graeffe, 2017).
Although some gifted students drop out of high school to go to community college, so as
to accelerate their learning and knowledge, there is still a problem, as gifted students may lack
skills to manage their learning (Matthews, 2008; Kim & Hull, 2012). A good part of the
instructional time in a gifted program is spent on metacognition, wherein the student can literally
learn how to learn how their own brain functions (Kim & Hull, 2012). This is not the same
support they would be receiving in a collegiate setting. Although their high abilities may be able
to get them through assignments, it is possible that their special needs in the areas of motivation
and socio-emotional constructs would be served better in a high school classroom (Shirvani,
2012).
According to Ritchotte and Graeffe (2017), gifted students are dropping out. In Ritchotte
and Graeffe’s research, a few impactive themes emerged from their study. Problems outside the
realm of the school that would not allow the students to feel successful, a lack of support from
teachers, and a lack of social efficacy, were some of the major causes of those students decided
to drop out of high school (2017). In the case of gifted dropouts, students are not equipped to
understand their “gift,” especially when they do not have the support from teachers who should
be able to help them instructionally, curricularly, and socio-emotionally (Stephens & Riggsbee,
2007).
Motivation is crucial to the success of students who are gifted. According to the
Expectancy Value Theory, motivation is pertinent to the needs of students who are gifted and
talented, as they often decide whether to do a task, regardless of the consequences, if they feel
that the task is not worth doing (Clinkinbeard, 2012). It is important for the teacher to
understand and to teach the students about intrinsic motivation. Often gifted students are less
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 32

motivated by grades and points, and more motivated by the interest of what task they are asked
to accomplish (2012).
Some gifted students drop out of school not because they cannot deal with the work, but
more so because of poor socio-personal experiences with their teachers and fellow students
(Renzulli & Park, 2000). In some cases, it is because of a lack of family support with their work
in school, or that they need to help supplement family income instead of doing schoolwork
(2000). Sadly, this is often the case with Latino and American Indian students (Smith et al.,
1991). There are some school programs that help students persevere through the challenges of
living in poverty, however, later in high school, it is far easier to drop out, in hopes of getting a
job (Karp, 2013). Students who are gifted may not see the relevance of school. School
relevance is important to be addressed. When they return home to their families, the crisis of
needing food and jobs far outweigh anything they accomplish in school (Karp, 2013). It is here
that they need to know education can help with the struggle.
One of the catalysts to dropping out for a gifted student is a lack of interpersonal
relationships with both teachers and fellow students (Zabloski & Milacci, 2012). This may seem
like that would be true for all students, but for the socio-emotional experience of a gifted student,
it can be devastating (2012). A study found that when the relationships were good, they
encouraged the student to continue to persevere, and ultimately do what they needed to do to be
successful (. Other students who were gifted and dropped out had bad relationships with
teachers and other students which they attributed to their ethnicity, especially if they were in the
minority as far as the overall population of the school (2012). The pain and hardship of trying to
fit in relative to their socio-emotional experiences in school were more than they could handle
(2012). Additionally, Native Americans students who have been identified as gifted have
dropped out because of the pressure to live and learn on the reservations, and to preserve the
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 33

family culture, which may not include traditional schooling (Ford, Grantham, & Whiting, 2008).
For some Native Americans in school today, they may be the only one in their family group that
leaves their home to go to school (2008). Although they may have voiced the enjoyment of
knowledge, they feel the pull of returning to their home far more (2008). Part of those feelings
also stem from not have Native American teachers. With so few continuing through school,
teachers who are from other ethnicities become their link to the learning (2008). Some students
expressed feeling that they were being disrespectful to their families by going to school (2008).
Knowledge influence 2. Teachers needed to understand recent theories on giftedness,
such as the theory of multiple intelligences, three ring conception of giftedness, and the
differentiated model of giftedness.
Theory of multiple intelligences. Howard Gardner first conceptualized the idea of a
human having multiple intelligences (Gardner & Hatch, 1989). The theory proposes that humans
have seven areas of information processing. As a teacher, it is important to understand that a
student may be gifted in one or more areas, but not necessarily in all of them. For example,
someone may be a master at painting or writing, but may have less efficacy in mathematics.
Other than math or language, there are also possibilities of students being deemed on the
spectrum in: (a) Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence; (b) Musical; (c) Naturalist (example:
understanding living things); (d) Interpersonal; (e) Intra-personal; (f) Spatial (example:
Architects); and (g) Existential (Why are we here? What is our purpose?)
Three-ring conception of giftedness. Consider three circles as being connected, as in
Figure 1 below. Giftedness is not concrete, but instead may be noted that someone may be very
talented in one or two of the circles. Giftedness, however, comes from the three rings working
together, and therefore helping the individual to attain high-functioning or gifted behavior.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 34

Figure 1. Renzulli’s three-ring conception of giftedness. Adapted from “What Makes
Giftedness? Reexamining a Definition,” by J. S. Renzuli, 1978, Phi Delta Kappan, 60(3),
pp. 180-184. Copyright 1978 by Sage.

Differentiated model of giftedness. Gagne’s model of contribution came with the idea of
a differentiated model (2000). His model has two concepts, which are “Gifts” and “Talents.”
Giftedness, or having gifts. These gifts are sorted into four domains: (a) intellectual; (b)
creative; (c) socio-affective; and (d) sensorimotor. Talents begin to appear naturally, but then
progressively become high aptitudes. Through testing, the amount of giftedness is measured by
prevalence and levels. This model considers giftedness at the top ten percent of those taking the
test to be gifted, however, there are also degrees of giftedness labeled “extremely” and
“moderate”.
Metacognitive
Knowledge influence 1. Teachers need to consider how to plan to differentiate for a
student who is gifted, or a gifted language learner.
English language learners who are or may be gifted need culturally responsive
classrooms. In the many years that the United States has been attending to the students who may
be gifted, there has been little consideration to what it means to be an English Language Learner
(ELL) and gifted (Rapp, Martínez, & Plucker, 2007). Language barriers, such as occur in the
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 35

students who are Latino or Hispanic, have potentially precluded the teacher, parent, or
administrator from identifying the highly functioning cognition of the students. One program is
trying to combat the language barrier so as to identify the true ability in students who are
bilingual or multilingual (Sarouphim, 2002). The acronym DISCOVER is “Discovering
Individual Strengths and Capabilities through Observation while allowing for Varied Ethnic
Responses” (Sarouphim, 2002). DISCOVER is a performance-based assessment, which takes its
roots from Gardner’s (1983) theory of multiple intelligences, and Maker’s (2005) definition of
giftedness. Callahan found ways to indicate talent in Native American children, including: (a)
memory of stories and beading patterns; (b) Advanced problem-solving skills; (c) Analyses of
how the students explain relationships and are aware of Nature’s forces of weather; and (d)
Highly functioning verbal ability (Callahan, Cunningham, & Plucker, 1994).
In culturally responsive classrooms, teachers understand the needs of their students, and
make choices that allow the students comfort in learning (Ford, 2010). Culturally responsive
teachers understand that each student may require different means of instruction and delivery of
the curriculum (2010). For example, the classroom may be designed by the teacher to
accommodate the diversity of the students and their cultures or ethnicities (Civitillo, Juang,
Badra, & Schachner, 2019). The teacher will understand that each student may not learn the
same way, and that differentiation of instruction may be necessary for all students to reach the
objectives of the lessons (2019).
Gifted students in mainstream classrooms. According to Berman, Schultz, and Weber
(2012), findings showed that students who are gifted and talented in mainstream classrooms are
often bored and do not feel challenged or enlightened. An important quote from the article came
from one of the teachers that said, “Every time I come to class, I learn that what I have been
doing to keep my GT (GATE) kids busy might actually be keeping them from learning…”
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 36

(2012). Not all students who are creatively gifted should be instructed or assessed the same way
a person who is mathematically gifted is instructed (Kerr & Vuyk, 2013). Math and science are
mainstream classes and are more likely to have support for gifted students (2013). Students who
are creatively gifted may not be immediately identified as the artistic teachers may not
understand what it means to be creatively gifted if the teacher was not specifically trained to
understand the concept (2013).
In a study, approximately 50% of the students who were identified as being gifted, and
who are a different ethnicity of the students in their classes, felt that their teachers did not have
the knowledge to help them be successful in school (Ribich, Barone, & Agostino, 1998).
Research has shown that when the students’ abilities are markedly lower or higher than the
teachers’ abilities, the teachers have concerns about interactions between teacher and student
(1998) Students who are gifted may need certain types of instruction, as well as, certain climate
in the classroom (Kerr & Vuyk, 2013). Differentiation of assignments and instruction are key in
the success of all students (Ozdemir & Altintas, 2015).
Knowledge influence 2. Teachers needed to reflect on the behaviors of students who
are gifted, such as being overly emotional, talkative and moody.
Gifted students in mainstream classes are often unidentified because they are
extremely emotional, talkative and have sometimes rather dramatic mood swings. This is not
to say that every student who has mood swings is gifted, however, they do have socio-emotional
needs that must be met (Blackburn & Erickson, 1986). They can become frustrated with
schoolwork, or not do it at all, leading the teacher to think they cannot do it (Murdock-Smith,
2013). Teachers also need to provide a space where students can process the lessons verbally,
and in writing. Classroom teachers may confuse the idea of giftedness with ADHD, as often the
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 37

students may seem to not be able to focus or complete anything, and are likely visually
hyperactive (Fonseca, 2011).
Procedural
Knowledge influence 1. Teachers need to know how to help students set goals and
reflect on the work that students do.
Teachers need to know how to help students set goals and reflect. Self-regulation
strategies are imperative to teach to students who are gifted. such as goals and planning for how
they will be achieved will (Risemberg & Zimmerman, 1992). Often gifted students have
difficulty finishing a task and will rapidly go on to the next task without finishing the first one.
Goal setting helps with the self-efficacy of finishing a project (Schunk & Schwartz, 1993).
Knowledge influence 2. Teachers need to know how to identify giftedness in
students.
Identification of giftedness. Renzulli’s three rings of giftedness may still be the most
open-ended version of how to begin to identify students who need a different kind of curriculum
and instruction (1978). The three rings are: above-average ability; task commitment; and,
creativity (1978). These three concepts help to identify possibilities of giftedness because in
general, these factors can be found in highly capable individuals known to be of above-average
intelligence and skill (Renzulli, 1978; 1986; 2005).
Creativity has always been marked as a high-achieving characteristic; however, the other
two concepts have been questioned because if a potentially gifted individual is not interested in
the task, they may not complete it for the simple reason that they felt it did not need to be
completed (Little, 2012). Additionally, the social characteristics of students who are gifted tend
to show hypersensitivity to many situations and conditions (Fornia & Frame, 2001). The
students may often have an inflated sense of perfectionism and will often berate themselves for
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 38

not being able to complete a task that they think should be perfect (2001). Consideration for
their overly sensitive emotions is often not addressed, and in that case, the student may have
some underlying emotional reason why they did not feel the need to do the task, but will not
communicate with the instructor unless asked (Ogurlu, 2015). Additionally, ostracism by other
students who may not be gifted is also a problem when addressing their self-efficacy to do a task
(Ogurlu, 2015). If the student who is gifted is made fun of for doing work in school, the student
may well know how to do the task, but will not for fear of retribution (2015).
Role of Stakeholder Group of Focus
The stakeholder group of focus is teachers. Teachers are on the frontline when it comes
to interacting, teaching, assessing, and advising students. As is documented by the California
Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP), four criteria exist as foundations for all teachers
actions within the profession: (a) adhering to a body of ethics for students and the society in
which they live; (b) knowing their subject matter extensively; (c) application and consideration
of pedagogy; and, (d) deep and meaningful knowledge about their students’ development,
learning styles, interests, and needs (2009). While each teacher in the high school environment
may have different subject standards, the teaching standards for this state are the Common Core
State Standards to guide the curriculum (CCSS). The CCSS do not delve into the levels of
learning, but instead creates a framework for all students to learn specific standards. is the same
at all levels of teaching. Ultimately, all teachers are responsible for assisting and directing
students in their day-to-day studies in order to meet the standards (District, 2018) so that all
students are exposed to and learn from the same material that every other student has learned.
Common Core Standards are meant for every student, without regard for ability levels (CCSS,
2018).
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 39

Clark and Estes’ Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences Framework
The Clark and Estes (2008) provided a systematic, analytic framework that explained the
performance goals of the organization and stakeholder, which could then identify the
performance gap between the actual level and the goal. By identifying the gap, the framework
specifically examined the stakeholder knowledge, motivation and organizational influences that
could impact performance gaps (Clark and Estes, 2008). Knowledge and skills identified by
Krathwohl (2002) were divided into four types: (a) factual; (b) conceptual; (c) procedural; and
(d) metacognitive, which were used to determine if stakeholders knew how to achieve a
performance goal. Motivation influences included the choice to consider goal achievement,
continuing to work towards the goal with the mental effort to accomplish the goal (Clark &
Estes, 2008; Rueda, 2011). Motivational principles such as self-efficacy, attributions, values,
and goals can be considered when analyzing the performance gap (Rueda, 2011). Finally,
organizational influences on stakeholder performance to consider may include work processes,
resources and workplace culture (Clark & Estes, 2008).
Each of these elements of Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis will be addressed below.
These elements include teachers’ knowledge of gifted students, their motivational constructs and
what the organization itself has provided, and needs to provide. Additionally, evaluation of what
extent teachers understand how to instruct and design curriculum for gifted students, as well as,
teachers’ ability to identify the socio-emotional needs of those students. The first section will be
a discussion of knowledge and skills that each stakeholder must have to reach the performance
goals of the organization. Next, the assumed influences on the attainment of the stakeholder goal
in terms of the teachers’ motivation to identify and provide appropriate levels of work and
assistance to the students who are gifted. Finally, assumed organizational goals relating to a
schoolwide framework, which speaks to educating all students individually and specifically
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 40

according to their needs. Each of these assumed stakeholder knowledge, motivation, and
organizational influences on performance will be further examined through the methodology
discussed in Chapter Three.
Table 1
Knowledge: Assumed Knowledge Influence
Declarative/factual
• Teachers need to know the characteristics of giftedness.
• Teachers need to be updated with training to teach students who are gifted.
Conceptual
• Teachers need to understand the general needs of gifted children, such as their socio-
emotional state when in the classroom.
• Teachers need to understand recent theories on giftedness, such as the theory of
multiple intelligences, three-ring conception of giftedness, and/or differentiated model
of giftedness.
Metacognitive
• Teachers need to consider how to plan to differentiate for a gifted student.
• Teachers need to reflect on the behaviors of students who are gifted, such as being
overly emotional, talkative and moody
Procedural
• Teachers need to know how to help students set goals and reflect on the work that
students do.
• Teachers need to know how to identify giftedness
• Teachers need to know how to support “2e” or twice-exceptional students
• Teachers need to know the steps on how to differentiate instruction in a mixed-ability
classroom.
• Teachers need to know the steps on how to set goals for planning differentiated
instruction.
• Teachers need to know how to plan and create differentiated instruction

Motivation
Whereas students need motivation to do what they need to do to be successful,
motivation is equally important for teachers (Rasheed, Humayon, Awan, & Ahmed, 2016).
Developing or fostering motivation is not an easy task, as it is an internal concept, specific only
to the person who experiences it, according to Piaget’s theory (Thoonen, Sleegers, Peetsma, &
Oort, 2011). Four kinds of motivation are relevant to the discussion of ensuring success for all
students within a mainstream classroom, including GATE students: value; interest; self-efficacy;
and goal orientation.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 41

Value. In order for a task to be completed, one of the first considerations of the teacher
needs to be a reflection on the value of the work they need to complete (Eccles, 2006; Pintrich,
2003). One of the major tasks that teachers must do is to create curriculum and plan instruction
for their students. Not all students are at the same level, and so ideally, it would be appropriate
for teachers to differentiate instruction for all students, thus including gifted students. By
creating a common goal for students and then modifying the tasks to reach that goal. Tasks can
be used for each group or for an individual so they can master the work. Ultimately, the students
see value in their personalized task. More importantly, the teacher sees the value of the work
they created to teach the students, and the teacher is more likely to be motivated to do the task
again.
Interest. According to Schraw & Lehman (2009), when one can build on personal
interest it can also increase learning and motivation. In this case, the teachers must be highly
motivated and interested in teaching and delivering the curriculum in an enthusiastic way (2009).
In order to be effective in their jobs, it is imperative that the teachers have an interest in
identifying, differentiating, and creating tasks and projects for gifted students. The teachers also
need to have an interest in their subject, and the teaching of that subject. In order to be effective
in teaching students who are gifted, the teacher must also be highly engaged and knowledgeable
about how to help the students manage their motivation to do a task. Teachers must have the
ability to specifically differentiate when the student is uninterested with the assignment given to
the rest of the class. The objective may stay the same, but the methods for reaching the objective
must be varied. The teacher must be interested in creating projects for their students.
Self-efficacy theory. This theory, developed by Bandura, deals with the understanding
of what one person believes they are capable of doing, and how well they might be able to do it
(Bandura, 1994). It is, perhaps, one of the most important concepts for students who are GATE
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 42

or highly capable. According to Siegle, Rubenstein, and Mitchell (2014), teachers must be
trained in and understanding how to help motivate students, and keep them persistent to the end
goal. According to the research, findings showed that the more extensive training teachers had
with developing curriculum for any of the levels of special learners, as well as how to instruct a
population of gifted students were far better able to support the needs of the students (2014).
The needs range from academic advice and assistance, social propriety and overall engagement,
and emotional needs (2014). For example, according to Heylighen, gifted students often
facilitate problem-solving in a different manner than other mainstream students. Gifted, talented,
highly-capable students often over-complicate situations, instructions, or the outcome of a lesson
(2010). With training, a teacher can begin to recognize how to foster problem-solving, one step
at a time, while still encouraging ambition, curiosity, and meaningfulness.
Goal orientation theory. Created by Atkinson in 1957, goal orientation theory suggests
that people become more motivated if they can see their way to the end goal if there exists a
roadmap of how they can get there, step by step (Atkinson, 1957). Goal orientation, such as
efficiently, effectively, and specifically setting goals is vital to the teacher. Additionally, if the
teacher teaches goal orientation to their students, the teacher and the students can work together
on goals, and hold each other accountable (Tirri, 2010). Students that are exceptional also deal
with boredom and need to start tasks by setting specific, attainable goals (Little, 2012). Students
that are exceptional often enjoy conversations with the teacher, and goal setting is a perfect
activity (Yough & Anderman, 2006).
Teachers should be practicing goal orientation with all their students, and modeling for
their students while creating goals for themselves (Phillips & Lindsay, 2007).

WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 43

Table 2
Assumed Motivational Influences and Assessment
Assumed Motivational Influences
Value
• Rationales that include a discussion of the importance and utility value of the work or
learning can help learners develop positive values (Eccles, 2006; Pintrich, 2003)
• Teachers value identifying gifted students
• Teachers value differentiated instruction for gifted students
Self-efficacy
• High self-efficacy can positively influence motivation (Pajares, 2006).
• Teachers need to be confident they can apply the steps to identify gifted students
• Teachers need to be confident they can differentiate instruction.
• Teachers need to be confident they can handle
Goal orientation
• Focusing on mastery, individual improvement, learning and progress promotes positive
motivation (Yough & Anderman, 2006).
• Focus discourse on mastery, learning & understanding (Pintrich, 2003).
• Teachers need to be goal-oriented in order to promote positive motivation, while
focusing on mastering their ability to create materials that will enrich the gifted
students' learning and understanding.
• Teachers need to learn from their mistakes.
Interest
• Activating and building upon personal interest can increase learning and motivation
(Schraw & Lehman, 2009)
• Teachers have an interest in identifying, differentiating, and helping students with their
socio-emotional episodes for students who are gifted.
• Teachers have an interest in their subject.
• Teachers have an interest in teaching their subject.
• Teachers have an interest in differentiating for my subject.

Organization

General theory. Analysis of an organization’s culture is based on the existing cultural
settings and cultural models (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). Cultural settings are distinct and
include the following elements: employees; the tasks they are assigned; the knowledge of how
and why tasks are completed; and the social context in which their work is performed. Cultural
models refer to cultural practices and shared mental schema within an organization (2001).
Stakeholder specific factors. The cultural setting within many support programs was
dynamic and often unpredictable due to the transient student population served (Adreon &
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 44

Durocher, 2007). From a cultural setting perspective, two specific factors were at work to
explain the cause of organizational problems within support programs: (a) Staff members are
overwhelmed by an overabundance of tasks (Adreon & Durocher, 2007), and (b) many of the
staff members have been teaching for over 20 years and may not have had training in gifted
education in many years, or at all (Briggs et al., 2008).
The learning community for Coyote High School was dedicated to educating all students
to become respectful, literate, thinking, and contributing members of society (CHS, 2018). If
there are no programs or differentiation of instruction for students who are gifted and talented the
organization could not meet this goal. Gifted students may not have been getting the proper
curriculum and instruction to help them be successful (Callahan, 1994). Students were expected
to demonstrate responsibility and commitment in meeting the challenges of a changing world
(School Mission, 2018). If the teachers were not aware that the students need additional support
in learning, then the teachers in the organization were not considering the necessity of students’
knowledge of the changing world (Stipek, 2010).
The staff was expected to strive for excellence for meeting the needs of an increasingly
diverse population. It would have been important to be sure to include diverse, multi-ethnic
curriculum, so that all students could be successful (Matthews, 2014). School programs should
stimulate and generate excitement for learning, the enhancement of self-esteem, and the
celebration of individual uniqueness. Students may not have been excited to learn if they were
bored. (George, 2011). Students were expected to develop appropriate social skills, problem-
solving techniques, decision-making strategies, and career preparation skills, as well as basic
skills and technological expertise to promote life-long learning. It was important that CHS
created an awareness and understanding of individual and civic responsibilities in a multi-ethnic
society, and foster a respect for self and others so that all work and play together cooperatively.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 45

(Vision, 2018). However, as part of civic responsibility, the community of teachers and
administrators needed to advocate for students who are gifted and talented, and not assume that
students are motivated to do the work or understand the work because they are gifted.
No support systems existed for students who were gifted, talented, highly capable, or
accelerated in certain areas. The school did not have a pullout program, and the staff had never
been trained in education for gifted learners. Many teachers had not had training in gifted
education in their teacher preparation program. The evaluation of exactly what teachers know
about how gifted students learn, as well as how to design curriculum and instruction for this
diverse group and understanding of the socio-emotional needs of students will serve as the basis
for future training.
Table 3
Cultural Model Influences and Assessment for Organizational Gap Analysis
Assumed organization influence Assessment items
Cultural model influence 1
Faculty must feel that they are part of a culture that
accepts that all students do not learn in the same
manner.
• Weekly meeting notes
• Information sheet explaining giftedness
characteristics
• Information sheet on brain-based learning and
giftedness
Cultural model influence 2
A culture of trust must exist between admin and
faculty to allow observations not related to
evaluations, thus gaining outside perspectives on
improving curriculum and instruction for all levels,
including gifted students.
• Observations
• frequent check-ins
• Administration brings “How Can We Learn From
You” form.
Cultural setting influence 1
The organization must have a process with policies
in place and resources aligned to those policies to
support teachers in identifying students who may
be gifted
• Counselors and teachers have meetings with
GATE Assessment form as the document of record
• A form is used for when a teacher thinks a student
might be GATE. The teacher delivers the form to
the counselor, who schedules a meeting with
student and with parents
• Form for follow up: was student tested or not
tested
Cultural setting influence 2
The organization must have a process with policies in place
to help teachers support ability to provide effective
curriculum and instruction that will include training on
differentiated instruction for students who are gifted.
• Notes from Wednesday meetings to discuss
aspects differentiated instruction
• Follow-ups with challenges and victories of
differentiation.
• Lesson plans reflect differentiated lessons together
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 46

Conceptual Framework: The Interaction of Stakeholders’
Knowledge, Motivation, and the Organizational Context
The conceptual framework by Clark and Estes (2003) allowed for a discussion on the gap
analysis of the strengths and challenges of the efficacy of curriculum, instruction, and socio-
emotional needs of students who are gifted and talented at Coyote High School (CHS).
Conducting a review of the literature (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016) regarding teacher knowledge on
best practices for educating and supporting gifted students allows for understanding what has
worked in similar cultural settings, as well as evidence of teachers’ struggles in educating this
group of students. By analyzing the knowledge and motivation of the teachers, the evaluation
will solidify whether the knowledge for all teachers significantly aligns with the development of
curriculum and delivery of instruction for GATE students in a mainstream classroom. While
each of the areas of knowledge, motivation, and organizational structures and mandates have
been explained individually in the previous sections, it is important that the potential influencers
are understood to not only be linked to one another, but in fact, to function independently. The
following tables demonstrate the way in which knowledge, motivation and the organization
interact with one another within the cultural settings and models present within CHS.
Organizational Cultural Setting and Models
The concepts of the organizational setting, the cultural setting, and the cultural model of
CHS will be addressed in the following paragraphs. CHS was one of five high schools located in
the Unified School District. The District was in the top 15 of the largest school districts in
California. CHS was the only high school within the District that also housed seventh and eighth
grade “honors” students on the same campus as the ninth through twelfth grade students.
Seventy-five percent of teachers taught at the school for more than 20 years. No gifted programs
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 47

exist in Junior High or High School. Students are placed in upper-level classes by letter grades
(School, 2018).
CHS has several secluded programs, including Advanced Placement classes throughout
the subjects and the International Baccalaureate Program. The students for these programs are
recruited based on their previous grades in seventh and eighth grades for the honors/IB ninth
grade classes. There are no classes for gifted students and they are not recognized in their high
school student record even if they were tested (District, 2018). Students who were tested at the
elementary level, usually in second through fifth grades, were identified in the elementary
grades, but did not receive curriculum or instruction different from other students thereafter.
Also, students who were identified as gifted, and continue to the junior high and high schools,
will not be identified again. In some cases, teachers were not able to see that these students were
at one point tested and found to be gifted in the learning management system. These honors
students are not identified by any other indicator than that they had grades of A’s and B’s in the
fifth and sixth grades. The school assumes that good grades are equivalent to a student’s
giftedness.
Figure 2, below, shows that the teachers’ stakeholder group is represented within the
green oval. This group is within the organization (blue oval) as it is responsible for goal setting
for the teachers and helping to facilitate or to create programs within the school. The stakeholder
group of students and teachers work within that green oval, but only at the behest of being a
community member of the blue oval group. The teachers’ knowledge and motivation are key to
the evaluation of whether students are receiving appropriate instruction if they are gifted,
whether or not the student has been officially tested for giftedness. The teacher should know
how to effectively instruct several levels of learners through differentiated instruction (Tricarico
& Yendol-Hoppey, 2012).
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 48

Another stakeholder knowledge component is the teachers’ knowledge recognizing
identified and unidentified GATE students, as well as understanding the students’ needs for
specialized curriculum and instruction. The teachers’ skills must include the ability to
appropriately create lessons that are both rigorous and challenging, but which are also
meaningful to the students and relevant within the context of their everyday lives and events that
are happening in the world (Rayneri, Gerber, & Wiley, 2000; Wiesman, 2012). These attributes
are crucial to students who are gifted.
The teachers must also cater to the students’ socio-emotional welfare, as gifted students
may not feel motivated to work if they do not understand the impetus for the work (Persson,
2016). Teachers may not have this issue in mainstream classrooms, and therefore, if a teacher
does not understand this attribute of students who are gifted, the teachers themselves may not
have the motivation or knowledge to carefully design thoughtful activities and lessons for their
students.
The Student Stakeholder group is within the same orange oval as teachers as they are an
interlocking team. One cannot exist without the other. Students of all academic levels must feel
safe and supported in all classrooms, however, students who are gifted tend to be overly sensitive
to their own socio-emotional well-being. It is important to understand how students feel in
various classrooms. Students' views on their comfort level within the classroom is vital to the
evaluation of the success of serving and education all students for success beyond high school.
Students are the beneficiaries of the work teachers do.
The goal for the teacher stakeholders is within the rectangles below the rest of the
framework. It states that the stakeholders, the teachers, will be able to identify and differentiate
instruction for gifted students in their classes as measured by their academic achievement.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 49

Figure 2. Coyote High School conceptual framework.
Conclusion
The purpose of this study is to evaluate what the CHS teachers know about gifted
students as well as how to identify students in their classes that are, accelerated, talented, or
exceptional (GATE). As is stated in the research, the support of gifted students is largely
underfunded. Additionally, the research explains that GATE or highly capable students are often
overlooked because administrators, parents, and teachers may not understand the characteristics
of giftedness. Chapter Two has surveyed the literature, presented the key stakeholders group’s
knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences, and has shown the conceptual framework
of the organization, cultural setting, and model considering the teachers as the stakeholder. In
Chapter Three, the study’s methodological approach will be presented.

WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 50

CHAPTER THREE: METHODS
The study examined in this chapter was regarding what did teachers know about students
who are gifted. Teachers should have known how to identify and serve gifted students with
regard to specific curriculum, instruction, and their socio-emotional needs. In this chapter, the
research design was presented, as well as the methods for data collection and analysis. The
research questions are as follows:
1. To what extent is the organization meetings its goal?
2. What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational assets and needs necessary
for teachers to identify and differentiate instruction for gifted students’ in their
classroom?
3. What are the recommendations for teachers to identify and differentiate instruction
for gifted students’ in their classes?
Participating Stakeholders
The stakeholders at CHS were all high school teachers who taught one or more of the
following subjects: English, Math, Science, and/or Social Science or an elective. Teachers at
CHS had a wide range of years of service in teaching. As of the end of the 2018-2019 school
year, the amount of experience of these teachers ranges from one year to 40 years. One group of
teachers were asked to answer questions on a survey regarding their experience with, and
knowledge of, working with students who are gifted, talented, or highly capable. If a teacher has
a twelfth-grade AP Calculus class, they may have very different opinions and practices than the
teacher who teaches a ninth grade pre-algebra class. Similarly, a student who struggles in the
pre-algebra class may have extraordinary talents in a writing class.
Additionally, a focus group of three teachers was willing to discuss giftedness, and
provided qualitative data regarding what teachers know about the GATE students learning, as
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 51

well as their socio-emotional characteristics. The discussion was centered on how teachers felt
about providing individualized differentiated instruction for students in mixed ability classes, and
any experiences they may have had with students who were identified or whom they felt were
gifted.
Survey Sampling Criteria and Rationale
Criterion 1. Teachers had to be teaching at least one course required for high school
graduation, as well as having evidence of using the Common Core State Standards as mandated
by the California Department of Education. The rationale is that there are specific standards and
objectives that must be met by the state of California within these core classes, as they are all
requirements for graduation.
Criterion 2. Teachers must have been teaching at least two periods of the courses
required for high school graduation and had evidence of using the Common Core State
Standards. The rationale was that all periods have different mixtures of abilities and
personalities of the students, which may account for one period being less motivated or
productive than another period. It was potentially helpful to know if a teacher identifies
characteristics in one class more than the others.
Survey Sampling (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale
CHS had 33 out of 75 teachers that taught at least three core classes per day, and
completed the survey. The teachers were specifically chosen with the mandate of them having at
least two core classes, because those classes are required, and all students must pass these classes
to graduate, whereas elective classes were not mandatory.
During a meeting of all teachers, the researcher asked for volunteers to take a survey, and
potentially meet as a small focus group. Teachers were asked to volunteer to complete the
survey over the summer between August 1st and September 15th, 2019. The teachers sent
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 52

emails to the researcher indicating they would be happy to take the survey. Additionally, a focus
group convened in September 2019. The questions were the same as the survey. However, the
researcher wanted to delve deeper into what teachers knew by having an open-ended discussion
about the survey, what they knew already, and what they learned. The researcher recorded the
30-minute conversation, and coded information gained in the discussion in the areas of
knowledge, motivation, and the organization.
According to Merriam and Tisdale (2016), it would have been important that the overall
population of the group to be surveyed must be “typical”. Within the core classes, there were no
irregularities where, for example, only one teacher teaches all of one subject. The researcher was
able to ask for volunteers for the survey before they left the site school for the summer break.
The survey was completed between August 1st and September of 2019. The sample of teachers
that had volunteered are teachers that are considered experts in their core subjects, and the
subjects they teach are required for students to graduate high school in this state. The teachers
all had credentials in their chosen core subjects. There was a heterogenous mix of learning
levels in these classes. The teachers were all required to have taken a teacher preparation class
and/or have at least a four-year degree in Education and the core subject in which they teach.
Focus Group Sampling Criteria and Rationale
Criterion 1. Teachers must have been teaching English, Math, Science, or Social
Science classes. The rationale was that there were specific standards and objectives that must be
met by the state of California, as these are classes students must pass to graduate in the state of
California. The group was recruited by email.
Criterion 2. Teachers must have been teaching at least two sections of the subject. The
rationale was that all periods would have different mixtures of abilities and personalities of the
students, which may account for one period being less motivated or productive than another
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 53

period. It would have been helpful to know if a teacher had ever identified characteristics in one
class more than in another period. It was not imperative to have them complete the survey as
well, as the questions for the focus group would be based on the questions for the survey. The
purpose of the focus group was to allow for deeper discussion between and amongst teachers.
Criterion 3. Teachers would have completed the survey before joining the focus group.
The questions for the focus group are the same as the questions for the survey, as the researcher
has included open-ended questions that will hopefully bring more rich discussion to the study.
Focus Group Sampling (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale
Criterion 1. In keeping the focus group smaller than those participants of the survey, the
researcher asked for volunteers via email to participate as per the suggestions of size and
methods of Merriam and Tisdale (p. 97, 2016). Once at least three teachers had volunteered, the
researcher would conduct a focus group that is a cross-section of content taught as per the
suggestions of size and methods of Merriam & Tisdale (p. 97, 2016). These teachers would
have the same credentials in their subject and will have graduated with an education degree or a
Teacher Preparation Program.
Criterion 2. Teachers from each department had emailed the researcher, confirming that
they would participate in the focus group.
Sampling Strategy and Timeline
The survey was delivered to the staff from August 6 through August 15th, 2019. A link
was provided to access the survey. Teachers could access the link through September 15th. The
three-member focus group was interviewed in a classroom on site after school. The focus group
was recorded on a computer, so that the researcher was able to create a transcript of the
discussion. The discussion was facilitated with the researcher starting a question regarding how
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 54

the teachers felt about the survey. From there, the researcher asked the respondents to discuss
the question of what teachers know about gifted students, and what should they know.
Quantitative Data Collection and Instrumentation
Surveys
A link to the survey was sent to all teachers who committed to participate via an online
survey platform. The questions varied but were related to understanding the knowledge and
motivation of the teachers regarding what they knew gifted learners in general, about creating
curriculum and instruction for gifted learners, and their understanding of the socio-emotional
needs of gifted students.
This was a mixed-methods study. The questions were phrased statements that allowed
the teachers to choose a number from 1 through 5, and with 1 being the least amount of
knowledge or motivation, and 5 being fully knowledgeable or highly motivated. Below the
prompt, there was space to provide for open-ended answers to the questions.
Survey Procedures
Surveys were administered between August 6th and August 15th, 2019. The surveys
were administered in an online platform, which also collected data, and assisted in the
disaggregation of data. The researcher used Qualtrics administer, code, and analyze the data via
an online platform.
Qualitative Data Collection and Instrumentation
The qualitative data collection was collected in the Focus Group on September 15th.
Three teachers were interviewed regarding their knowledge and experience of working with and
understanding the needs of students who are considered gifted in one or more subjects. Focus
group questions were the same questions in the survey, which allowed the group members to
have an open conversation about the topic of what teachers know about gifted students.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 55

Focus Group Procedures
The focus group consisted of three teachers lasted for 45 minutes. The three teachers
were from core classes, electives or library sciences, but whose curriculum all follow Common
Core Standards as practice. Those who responded to the announcement received a gift ten-dollar
gift card. Several questions addressed in the survey were readdressed in a conversational manner
during the focus group, as they had a discussion amongst themselves.
The focus group was recorded only for the purpose of later transcribing what was said
among the participants, with permission from the participants. Their names were aliases in the
final product, as they were called Respondent 1, Respondent 2, and Respondent 3. The
document was coded for themes and information. The researcher analyzed and produced a
narrative of what teachers knew about giftedness, their motivation to help students who are
gifted, and to understand if teachers felt that the organization supports the needs identifying and
serving gifted students.
Alignment of the KMO Influences With the Instrumentation
Tables 5, 6, and 7 show the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences and
their alignment with the survey instruments used in the study.
Table 5
Assumed Knowledge Influences and Survey Items Revisited
Assumed Knowledge Influence Survey Item
Declarative/Factual Knowledge
Teachers need to know the characteristics
of giftedness.

1) Please explain your understanding of
giftedness.

2) Which of the following are characteristics of a
high school gifted student? (check all that apply)
a. Impulsive *
b. patient
c. Heightened self-awareness *
d. High expectations of self *
e. Likes to work in groups
f. High levels of frustration *
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 56

g. Rarely gets angry
h. Lack of humor
i. Turns in all homework
j. More social with the teacher than with
peers*
Teachers need to be updated with training to
teach students who are gifted.
3) In your teacher preparation program or through
any trainings what did you learn about giftedness
and teaching a gifted student?
Conceptual Knowledge
Teachers need to understand the general needs
of gifted children, such as their socio-
emotional state when in the classroom.

4) Which one of the following choices would you
most likely make if a student who was identified
as gifted or you believed may be gifted became
very angry about having to work in groups?

a. Explain that this is what the class is doing,
and the student needs to do what everyone else is
doing.
b. Have the whole class work out how each
group would do the project and how to divide up
the workload. Allow the students to work
independently or together as to their comfort.
c. Pull the student aside and discuss why the
student feels that way and what the teacher can do
to help.

Please explain why you chose your answer.
Teachers need to understand recent
theories on giftedness such as the Theory of
Multiple Intelligences, Three Ring
Conception of Giftedness, and/or
Differentiated Model of Giftedness.

5) The following questions ask about multiple
intelligences and their application to students’
abilities. Choose the best answer from the list
below for each question.
a. Visual-Spatial
b. Bodily Kinesthetic
c. Musical
d. Interpersonal
e. Intrapersonal
f. Linguistic
g. Logical-Mathematical

A student likes to build models and often uses
their hands to explain a concept. They enjoy
role playing. (b)

These students may be very sensitive to
sound. (c)

WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 57

A student that needs to form concepts before
they can deal with the details of an
assignment. (g)

These students are highly independent
learners. (e)
A student loves to experiment, prolifically
asks questions,
These students may talk about computer
games, and will sometimes learn best through
games, books, and interactive lecture with the
teacher. (f)

These students are very aware of their
environments, such as the differences between
one teachers’ classroom and another. They
artists and daydreamers. (a)

Use the following chart as a model for
giftedness and answer the questions below

(Renzulli, 2005)

6)When a student is “gifted” their above
average ability is inclusive of:
a. Processing information abstractly
b. Performing an activity perfectly
c. Getting straight “A”s

7) Creativity can be a marker of giftedness if
they have:
a. An openness to new learning
b. Are curious and mentally playful
c. Sensitive to detail
d. None of the above
e. All of the above
f. A & B
g. B & C
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 58

8)Task commitment for gifted
students entails
a. Getting the job done well
b. Getting an A on the assignment
c. Being interested and enthused about
the task being given.

9)To what extent do you know about the
Differentiated Model of Giftedness?

10)Giftedness is:
a. Untrained abilities that manifest
spontaneously in a student
b. The student is gifted in everything
they do.
c. The student’s GPA is among the top
10% of their class.
d. They receive 95 -100% on all their
tests.
e. A & B
f. B & C

11) Talented is generally defined by:
a. Mastery of at least one field to the
degree that it places the student in the top
10% of other students’ ability and knowledge
b. Mastery of all fields of knowledge and
ability
c. Completes all of their assignments
given by the teacher with an A+
d. The extent to which they are
gregarious or withdrawn
Metacognitive Knowledge
Teachers need to consider how to plan to
differentiate for a student who is gifted
12) Please describe how you would go about
modifying a lesson in your content area for a
gifted student. What measures would you
think about take regarding grading, scope and
sequence for that student?
Teachers need to reflect on the behaviors of
students who are gifted, such as being
overly emotional, talkative and moody.
13) Please describe what measures you would
take and how you would feel in your
classroom if you had a student who was
working on an assignment, but who was being
overly talkative, although on task.

WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 59

a. I would ask him to be quiet so as not
to disturb others.
b. My classroom is group-oriented, so
they are used to productive discussions.
c. I’ve tried to let them talk, but my
students can’t stay on task.
d. It depends on what we are doing in the
classroom
Procedural Knowledge
Teachers need to know how to help students
set goals and reflect on the work that
students do.
14) In planning a lesson on helping students to
set goals, what steps would you take to
when designing the lesson?
Teachers need to know how to identify
giftedness
15) What are the steps you would take if you
suspected someone was gifted?
Teachers need to know how to support
“2e” or twice exceptional students
16) What are some actions you would you
take to address the instructional and curricular
needs of a student who is twice gifted
Teachers need to know the steps on how to
differentiate instruction in a mixed-ability
classroom.
17) To what extent do you know the steps
to successfully differentiate instruction in a
mixed ability classroom? (0-5)
Please explain your answer.
Teachers need to know the steps on how to
set goals for planning differentiated
instruction.
18) What is your process for setting goals for
curriculum and instruction in your
classroom?
19) How should setting goals be applied in
your instruction?
Teachers need to know how to apply
behavioral interventions for when students
who are gifted become overly emotional,
talkative, or moody.

20) What are some of the behavioral
interventions you would apply when a gifted
student becomes overly emotional? Please
elaborate.

21) Scenario: If a student who is gifted comes
in late to class, and is confused about what
they should be doing, what steps would you
take to integrate that student into the
classroom.

(greet the student warmly, let the student get
acclimated - such as putting his bag down,
gently let the student know what materials to
take out - do not accuse immediately of the
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 60

tardiness. Once acclimated, gently ask if they
have a pass, etc.)
Teachers need to know how to plan and
create differentiated instruction
22) What steps do you take when you are
creating a new lesson that is differentiated?
Please explain.

Table 4
Assumed Motivational Influences and Assessment
Assumed motivational influence Survey item
Value
• Rationales that include a
discussion of the importance
and utility value of the work or
learning can help learners
develop positive values (Eccles,
2006; Pintrich, 2003)
• Teachers value identifying
gifted students
• Teachers value differentiated
instruction for gifted students
Teachers must value the identification of gifted students
and their materials, activities, and discourse in teaching.
1. Tell me about the value you place in identifying
gifted students, constructing materials, activities and
the discourse in teaching.
Use the Likert scale below to explain your answer
where 0 would mean you believe there is no value at
all and 5 would mean that you strongly believe in the
value of the question. 0-5
I value identifying gifted students
I value constructing materials for students who are
gifted.
I value creating activities for differentiated
instruction
I value the discourse and personalized learning in
small groups instead of using direct instruction all the
time.
Self-efficacy
• High self-efficacy can
positively influence motivation
(Pajares, 2006).
• Teachers need to be confident
they can apply the steps to
identify gifted students
• Teachers need to be confident
they can differentiate
instruction.
• Teachers need to be confident
they can handle
Teachers need to have high instructional self-efficacy.
Self-efficacy would mean that you have confidence that
you could do the following right now.
2. How confident are you that you can do the following
right now?
a. Identify gifted students in your classroom
b. Differentiate for gifted students
c. Both
Using the scale below to explain your answers, where 0
would mean you believe you have no self-efficacy at all
and 5 would mean that you strongly believe in the value
of the question. 0-5
Get through to the most difficult gifted students by the
end of the year.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 61

Create curriculum for difficult gifted students who are
gifted.
Assumed motivational influence Survey item
Create instruction for difficult students who are gifted.
Help to increase gifted students’ ability to function in a
mainstream class through differentiation.
Help a gifted student through a socio-emotional episode.
Self-efficacy
• High self-efficacy can
positively influence motivation
(Pajares, 2006).
• Teachers need to be confident
they can apply the steps to
identify gifted students
• Teachers need to be confident
they can differentiate
instruction.
• Teachers need to be confident
they can handle
Teachers need to have high instructional self-efficacy.
Self-efficacy would mean that you have confidence that
you could do the following right now.
3. How confident are you that you can do the following
right now?
a. Identify gifted students in your classroom
b. Differentiate for gifted students
c. Both
Using the scale below to explain your answers, where 0
would mean you believe you have no self-efficacy at all
and 5 would mean that you strongly believe in the value
of the question. 0-5
Get through to the most difficult gifted students by the
end of the year.
Create curriculum for difficult gifted students who are
gifted.
Create instruction for difficult students who are gifted.
Help to increase gifted students’ ability to function in a
mainstream class through differentiation.
Help a gifted student through a socio-emotional episode.
Goal orientation
• Focusing on mastery, individual
improvement, learning and
progress promote positive
motivation (Yough &
Anderman, 2006).
• Focus discourse on mastery,
learning & understanding
(Pintrich, 2003).
Use the scale below to respond to the following
statements, where zero would mean that the statement is
not true at all for you, and 5 means that the statement is
always true. 0-5 Explain your answer
I focus on mastery through discourse with other teachers
when I am not sure that I understand if my lesson plan
will work.
I focus on making sure my lesson plans are relevant for
each class in each year.

WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 62

Assumed motivational influence Survey item
• Teachers need to be goal-
oriented in order to promote
positive motivation, while
focusing on mastering their
ability to create materials that
will enrich the gifted students'
learning and understanding.
• Teachers need to learn from
their mistakes
Use the scale below to respond to the following
statements, where zero would mean that the statement is
not true at all for you, and 5 means that the statement is
always true. 0-5 Explain your answer
I will re-do a lesson I have designed if most of the
students did poorly on a test.
I focus on promoting positive motivation for all my
students, even when others might see me fail
I focus on differentiating instruction for my students who
are gifted, although I sometimes make mistakes.
I am learning from my mistakes how to identify students
who are gifted.
I am still learning how to differentiate instruction for
gifted students and am not afraid to make mistakes and
learn from them.
Interest
• Activating and building upon
personal interest can increase
learning and motivation
(Schraw & Lehman, 2009)
• Teachers have an interest in
identifying, differentiating, and
helping students with their
socio-emotional episodes for
students who are gifted.
• Teachers have an interest in
their subject.
• Teachers have an interest in
teaching their subject.
• Teachers have an interest in
differentiating for my subject.
• Teachers have an interest in
dealing with gifted students’
socio-emotional behaviors.
Teachers need to be interested in the subject they teach,
as well as being interested in instructing gifted students.
Use the scale below to respond to the following
statements, where 0 would mean that the statement is not
true at all for you, and 5 means that the statement is
always true. 0-5
My subject is my passion.
I enjoy teaching my subject to my students.
I find identifying gifted students interesting.
I am interested in differentiating instruction.
I would enjoy it more if the students were as interested
in it as I am.
I wish I could teach what I really wanted to teach.
I am interested to know how to address socio-emotional
behaviors in gifted students.

WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 63

Table 5
Assumed Organizational Influences and Assessment
Assumed organizational influence Documents/evidence
Cultural model influence 1
Faculty must feel that they are part of a
culture that accepts that all students do not
learn in the same manner.
• Teachers need to be goal-oriented in order
to promote positive motivation, while
focusing on mastering their ability to create
materials that will enrich the gifted
students' learning and understanding.
Cultural model influence 2
A culture of trust must exist between
admin and faculty to allow observations
not related to evaluations, thus gaining
outside perspectives on improving
curriculum and instruction for all levels,
including gifted students.
• Check-ins Form - Created form for
“Check-ins” to see what’s working and
how to help if something is not working
• Minutes from department meetings
relevant to gifted instruction
• Evaluations that are non-punitive. Carbon
copies so that teachers’ experiences with
what they need to address gifted students
can be shared with the departments.
Cultural setting influence 1
The organization must have a process with
policies in place and resources aligned to
those policies to support teachers in
identifying students who may be gifted
• Training notes from sessions in identifying
students
• Lesson plans for differentiation.
Cultural setting influence 2
The organization must have a process with
policies in place to help teachers support
ability to provide effective curriculum and
instruction that will include training on
differentiated instruction for students who
are gifted.
• Teachers’ notes from trainings
• Teacher Tip of the Week: Gifted students
Characteristics
• Training for brain-based learning on
meetings-by-department. Teachers will
keep these notes in a folder on their desk so
as to monitor what teachers are learning or
not learning.

Credibility and Trustworthiness
Credibility and trustworthiness were established by creating a document of the types of
questions that were asked, and the use of a clause stating the extreme confidentiality of the
information the participants revealed, both in the survey and the focus group. All names in the
focus group became Respondent 1 (R1), Respondent 2 (R2) and Respondent 3 (R3). The
researcher’s ability to build professional relationships with administration and colleagues helped
with trustworthiness and alleviated any ethical concerns.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 64

Validity and Reliability
The validity of surveys was matched by the fact that the survey data was tracked by the
online program Qualtrics. Charts and graphs helped to give a “picture” of the data. The surveys
were on a 1- to 5-point system, which helped to validate and calculate the quantitative part of the
research. With only 33 teachers being surveyed, each one of the surveys was analyzed by the
researcher, both quantitatively and qualitatively.
Ethics
An important part of the research was the honest and earnest information the teachers
shared regarding what they knew about gifted students and what they knew about serving the
students in the educational environment. Although this research was in pursuit of intellectual
goals, it was also in pursuit of teachers’ advocacy for the population of students who are gifted,
talented, and highly capable (Maxwell, 2013, p. 23).
It was important that the teachers trust the research and the researcher, as they
participated in the survey and focus group. Any answers they gave, in either forum, would have
been addressed with extreme confidentiality. The researcher was also a teacher at the site
location. Teachers are often reluctant to share information for fear that they may be doing the
wrong thing, or that they do not know how to teach or assess certain populations with which they
are unfamiliar (Colombes, 1998). Ensuring that no one’s opinions were labeled with names or
departments was of utmost importance. In the focus group, conversations of the participants
were known as R1, R2, and R3. Although a recording of conversations existed, no person’s
name or position was revealed. If someone had mentioned a name it would have been edited. It
was up to each participant what they wanted to share with others.
Each participant both in the focus group and in the survey read, agreed and signed a one-
page document, with the understanding that they would anonymously answer and/or discuss the
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 65

answers to the questions. Information contained therein was explained, and that the participants
in the survey or the focus group were welcome to decline to answer any question, and if they
wished to leave or stop the survey at any time, they were welcome to do so. The confidentiality
clause will remain in effect, perpetually, unless they choose to discuss the study in their own
right. The researcher sought permission to record, store and secure the data that was a part of the
dissertation. The data was not attached to any particular participant. Not even the researcher
knew which answers came from which participants in the survey. The focus group participants
were assigned a number and were only identified by that number in the focus group. The
quantitative survey was sent out electronically and was encoded so that no one would know the
participants of the survey or which participant gave which answers. In the case of the focus
group, the teachers received a $10 gift card when they left the study.
Permission was granted by the Administration that a room was allowed to be used within
the school to hold the focus group, and that the researcher was granted access to use a work
computer to send out the surveys. Participants were assured that they are welcome to a copy of
the study, printed by the researcher from a home computer. Teachers were invited on a first-
come, first-serve basis, with the goal of at least 3-5 teachers. Three teachers thus participated in
the focus group.
As Maxwell states there is reason to compare two different groups within the same
setting (2013, p. 93). The research did not use students, but asked for teachers’ opinions of their
classroom culture.
The climate in the classroom refers to the quality and the kind of interactions with the
teachers, and how those interactions affect the students’ learning and motivation. A copy of the
research will be accessible to the teachers if they request it, once the dissertation is completed.

WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 66

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND FINDINGS
Introduction
The assumed causes were delineated in Chapter 3 and categorized under knowledge,
motivation, and organization (KMO) challenges. The results were organized by the categories of
assumed causes, i.e., Knowledge, Motivation, and Organization causes. The types of data that
were collected for this study were both qualitative and quantitative. The data was collected by
first administering a survey to the teachers, and then through a discussion with a small focus
group, which was all in pursuit of validating the assumed causes. Additionally, the
aforementioned data were collected to understand the knowledge, motivation, and organization
challenges of teachers’ who may have gifted students at Coyote High School, as well as precisely
what teachers knew about gifted students. The data was first collected from the survey, as this
was the largest body of data to be coded and analyzed. Thereafter, the researcher took the
recorded transcript of the focus group and coded that information. Questions for the focus group
were the same questions in the online survey, although the teachers in the focus group talked
about the survey in a metacognitive context of what they had learned from the survey, and what
they had not learned from it. Many teachers responded in the open-ended question field in the
survey. It appeared that a preponderance of them felt that just taking the survey allowed for
them to think about all their students in a deeper manner. These two bodies of information,
survey and focus group, were used in pursuit of understanding what teachers know about
students who are gifted.
Participating Stakeholders
Seventy-five teachers currently working at CHS were invited by the researcher to take the
survey regarding what teachers knew about gifted students. The researcher was also an
employee of CHS. Ultimately, only 33 teachers participated in the survey. The makeup of the
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 67

group of teachers was unknown to the researcher, as characteristics, such as age, ethnicity, etc.,
were not variables in this study. All identifying characteristics were masked in the survey.
Three teachers that had taken the survey also volunteered to be part of the focus group. These
teachers emailed the researcher to confirm participation in the focus group. At that time the
researcher knew their names, but no identifying questions were asked regarding who they were
or in what capacity they worked. Their names were masked and changed to Respondent 1,
Respondent 2, and Respondent 3. The rationale for the focus group was to help with the
understanding of any additional anecdotes, concerns, or questions about the survey or the topic
of giftedness, as well as a better understanding of what these teachers knew and did not know.
This group met for one session, lasting 30 minutes.
The experience of the participants was an important data point. Teachers’ experience
ranged from less than three years to 40 years of service. The participants were all certified
teachers, with at least a bachelor’s or masters’ degree. They were also high school teachers who
would have taught English, math, social science, science, or an elective. The rationale for not
collecting what each respondent taught was that gifted students could be in any of the classes at
any time and be known or unknown as being gifted. Table 5 shows the range of years of
teaching, as well as how many teachers are in each category.
Table 6
Stakeholder Participants’ Range of Years of Service
Years of Service as a Teacher Number of Respondents
20 years or more 11
15 years or more, but less than 20 4
10 years or more, but less than 15 5
5 years or more, but less than 10 8
Less than 5 years 5
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 68

Data Validation
The data presented below is organized by influence type as per the conceptual
framework, which includes knowledge, motivation, and organization. In analyzing the data,
influences were considered to be validated if at least 75% of the evidence confirmed the assumed
influences. An influence that is not validated represents that there is no gap or need for
remediation, and that the teachers are well within the appropriate standard of understanding the
particular knowledge, motivation, or organization in question. Validated gaps and gaps that were
not validated influences will be discussed thoroughly in the recommendations presented in
Chapter Five. It is possible that further research may be necessary to validate or not validate the
assumed influence.
Results and Findings for Knowledge Causes
The survey was made up of 57 questions, with 25 of the questions relating to knowledge
influences regarding what teachers know about students who are gifted. The findings show that
most teachers do not have enough knowledge to identify giftedness. Additionally, they also do
not fully possess the knowledge for creating curriculum or instruction for gifted students.
Finally, differentiated instruction was something that teachers knew about, but seemed not to
know how that would work for gifted students. It is possible that the relationship between the
lack of instruction regarding giftedness in their teaching program is why they were less
knowledgeable as a whole.
Declarative/Factual Knowledge
Influence 1. Teachers know the characteristics of giftedness.
Survey results. Question four asked the respondents to identify which characteristics
gifted students often exhibit from a list of ten words or phrases. The question was stated as
“Which of the following are characteristics of a gifted high school student? (check all that
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 69

apply).” Five of the given words or phrases were correct answers, and five of them were wrong
answers. The words/phrases were: (a) impulsive, (b) patient, (c) heightened self-awareness, (d)
high expectations of self, (e) likes to work in groups, (f) high levels of frustration, (g) rarely gets
angry, (h) lack of humor, (i) turns in all homework, and (j) more social with teachers than with
peers. five of the ten answers were correct: (a) impulsive, (b) heightened self-awareness, (c)
high expectations, (d) high levels of frustration, and (e) more social with teachers than with
peers. Despite some teachers having some knowledge of gifted characteristics, they still lack the
preponderance of knowledge regarding the characteristics of giftedness. From the survey, the
overall assumed knowledge of gifted characteristics identifies teachers do not understand the
characteristics of giftedness. then they also cannot know how to create curriculum and
instruction for gifted students. The teachers actually scored highly correct on this question, as
they seem to know many of the characteristics of gifted students. There is a possibility that the
teachers could have done research on this question, and that may be why they scored highly. In
any case, there was not a gap in their knowledge regarding gifted characteristics.
Influence 2. Teachers’ knowledge of teaching students who are gifted.
Survey results. The teachers were asked to think back to their teacher preparation
program/college education classes, and to what extent they remembered learning about
giftedness and gifted students. The question was asked in the format of a scale of 0%-100%,
where zero meant that the teachers learned nothing about giftedness and 100% meant they had
learned extensively about giftedness and gifted instruction. No one answered with a 90 or 100%
that they were extensively trained. Only one respondent answered that they were 80% efficient
in giftedness and gifted instruction. Eight people answered in the range of 40%-60% effective at
understanding how to teach gifted students. Four people felt only 30% confident that they had
some knowledge to teach gifted students. Eleven respondents fell in the brackets of only
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 70

between 10% and 20% confident. Six people felt 0% confidence in having knowledge of gifted
students and how best to instruct them. Twenty-nine respondents scored themselves below the
threshold of 75% with respect to their knowledge of teaching gifted students. Therefore, 93% of
teachers validate the knowledge gap. This gap is likely because teachers are not receiving
adequate instruction in their teacher preparation program in order to serve the needs of gifted
students.
Summary. Just over 3% of teachers felt that they had learned 80% of the knowledge
necessary to teach gifted students. The remainder of the teachers felt they knew far less about
teaching gifted students. The percentages of how knowledgeable the respondents felt in teaching
gifted students indicated that they lack the knowledge to do the task.
Conceptual Knowledge
Influence 1. Teachers’ knowledge of the socio-emotional needs of gifted students.
Survey results. Gifted students are often overly sensitive and have socio-emotional
needs that sometimes require a teacher or counselor to help calm them (Eren et al., 2018). The
question posed to the respondents was, “Which of the following choices would you most likely
make if a student who was identified or believed was gifted suddenly became angry and upset?”
Three solutions were posed in the answers: (a) Explain that this is what the class is doing right
now and the student needs to do what all of the rest of the students are doing right now; (b) Have
the whole class work out how each group would do the project and how to divide up the
workload, allowing the students to work independently or together; and (c) Pull the student aside
and discuss why the student feels that way and what the teacher can do to help. Only one person
responded that they would try to make the student do what everybody else was doing. Eight
respondents believed that the correct answer would be question two, where the group work might
mollify the student’s emotions. This would not likely calm the student at all, if the scenario
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 71

would be that the student was not upset about the work at all, but something else. Therefore,
pulling the student aside would be the most likely approach from these three scenarios.
Summary. Although there were 71% of teachers that picked the most correct answer of
having an aside discussion with the student, the rationale is that 75% or more is what is needed
to not validate the gap. Twenty-nine percent of the teachers chose the incorrect answers;
therefore, the gap is validated.
Influence 2. Thinking of the answer you explained for Question 6a, please explain
your answer. Question 6b was a follow-up to the aforementioned question and was open-ended.
Question 6b asked the respondents to explain why they chose their answer. Most of the teachers
focused on the student that did not want to do his work in a group, and left out the information
that the student was in distress and angry. At least eight of the respondents wanted the student to
be made to work with others in some way. One respondent said, “Maybe the student needs to
understand that it is better for [the students] to collaborate with others in 21st-century skills that
they need to develop.” (What Do Teachers Know Survey, 2019). Eight of the respondents talked
about giving independent work, but only five of the respondents seemed to want to address the
student’s socio-emotional state. Nearly 50% of teachers did not answer the question directly,
and the other half did not answer the question with nonsensical answers. They did not seem to
know what to do with anger issues in a gifted student. This question needs to be analyzed
independently, and as it is validated knowledge gap, it is hoped that training can assist in the
teachers’ knowledge of socio-emotional students.
Summary. There were 14 responses to this question. Forty-two percent of the responses
were incorrect. This shows a lack of knowledge regarding the students’ socio-emotional needs.
However, 57% of responses were correct and showed understanding of the socio-emotional
needs of gifted students. The findings validate that some teachers have a gap in their knowledge
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 72

regarding socio-emotional learning for gifted students. Although more than half of the responses
were correct, they did not reach the 75% threshold, and therefore, the gap is validated.
Metacognitive Knowledge
Influence 1. Teachers understanding of what steps to take if they suspected a
student was gifted.
Survey results. Teachers at CHS were not sure to whom they would speak with about a
student outside of their own classroom. Suggestions were made by three of the teachers that they
would go to the International Baccalaureate (IB) coordinator. The problem is that IB does not
specifically serve giftedness or the gifted population. Although some students in IB may be
gifted, the program at CHS was essentially built for motivated students of all levels (CHS, 2018).
Another teacher answered that they would “immediately begin to address questions, homework,
projects, etc. at a level that is challenging or interesting for the student.” Alternatively, a teacher
said they would choose to have a personal discussion regarding goals or possible
accommodations with the student. Another teacher felt that it would be important to encourage
them to challenge themselves and take higher-level courses. This teacher also suggested
providing time to talk to them about their goals or help create future goals with them.
Twenty-four of the teachers suggested one or more of these solutions found in the table
below in the first column. The second column shows whether the teachers' answers were Correct
(C), Incorrect (I), or Undetermined (ND), with “Undetermined” meaning that their answer was
non-sensical or their answer was unclear. If the teachers’ incorrect answers were at least 75% of
all respondents’ answers then the gap is validated.
Summary. In Table 10 above, regarding teachers' understanding of what steps they have
to take if they suspected they had a student who was gifted, 50% of the answers were acceptable
and did not validate a gap in knowledge. Forty-two percent of the answers showed no gap in the
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 73

teachers’ knowledge, while one of the teachers’ answers could not be assessed. Correct answers
were not enough to meet the threshold of 75%, therefore, the gap is validated.
Influence 2. Teachers’ ability to feel comfortable when they need to differentiated
instruction for students they believe are gifted. The survey asked teachers to explain how
comfortable they would feel creating differentiated instruction for gifted students. In Table 9,
the teachers’ answers show that no one was confident that 90-100 percent of the time they could
create appropriate instruction for the students. The rest of the answers show that the teachers do
not feel comfortable differentiated instruction for students who are gifted.
Survey results. According to the comfort level of the teachers, as noted by the results,
the gap is validated. In fact, in their open-ended answers, 78% of the teachers suggested that
giving the students harder and more challenging work would suffice in taking care of the needs
of gifted students. In one case, a teacher suggested that they needed harder work so gifted
students would be more challenged. Another believed that giving different work to students was
not fair. Seventy-eight percent of teachers surveyed said they always give the same assignment
to every student, and as one mentioned, “even to the students with disabilities.”
Additionally, 24% of teachers proposed in their answers that it might be worthy to plan
together for students who are gifted. Cross-curricular assignments were suggested so that the
students could work separately or together on a project which would be shared by Math and
English, or Social Studies and English.
According to the survey, teachers’ responses to when a student is struggling or bored, is
to send them to their counselor or to another teacher with a smaller class. Some of the teachers
have elicited the belief that a classroom that is crowded is not good for gifted students.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 74

Table 7
Teachers’ Ability to Feel Comfortable When They Need to Differentiated Instruction for Students
Who Are Gifted
% of How Comfortable They Feel 10–30% 40–50% 60–70% 80%
% of How Teachers Chose Their Comfortability 14% 32% 44% 18%

Summary. Row one in the chart above shows the extent to which the teachers feel
comfortable differentiating instruction. For example, one of the answers was that teachers feel
comfortable differentiating instruction for gifted students in the 10-30% bracket. Fourteen
percent of teachers chose that category. In the 40-50% bracket of comfortability in
differentiating instruction for gifted students, 32% of teachers felt comfortable, whereas the
extent to which teachers felt 60-70% comfortable in the task, 44% of the time. There were only
18% of teachers who believed they felt comfortable differentiating instruction 80% of the time.
The survey shows that teachers overall do not feel comfortable differentiating instruction for
gifted students, and therefore, the gap is validated.
Influence 3. Teachers’ knowledge of the theory of multiple intelligences.
Survey results. Teachers were asked several questions regarding the theory of multiple
intelligences. This factor is important as students may need support in dealing with stronger
intelligences. If students learn better through either written words or a conversation, the teacher
may need to modify the assignment to accommodate the student.
A scenario was given for each question. Question seven proposed “This student likes to
build models. They often use their hands to explain a concept. They enjoy role-playing.”
Teachers were then given options to match answers with the appropriate intelligences:
Linguistic, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Musical, Bodily Kinesthetic, Visual Spatial, and
Logical-Mathematical, as is evidenced in Table 10 below.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 75

Table 8
Question 7b-7h: Theory of Multiple Intelligences, With Given Scenarios of Student Choice
Theory of multiple intelligence
Teachers’
correct answers
Teachers’
incorrect answers Gap validated?
Q7b: Bodily kinesthetic 29% 71% Not validated
Q7c: Musical 63% 37% Not validated
Q7d: Intrapersonal 54% 46% Not validated
Q7e: Linguistic 16% 6% Not validated
Q7f: Visual spatial 65% 35% Not validated
Q7g: Logical-mathematical 50% 50% Not validated
Q7h: Interpersonal 0% 100% Validated

Summary. In total, it is clear that teachers are unaware of how they should be addressing
differentiation of instruction in order to serve the gifted population in consideration of their
area(s) of giftedness. For example, 65% of teachers chose the correct answer for Visual Spatial.
One-hundred percent of teachers did not choose correctly for Intrapersonal. This would validate
a gap in knowledge in that one category. However, the gap did not meet the criterion of 75% to
validate it as an influence. The teachers’ choices, however, do show that there is a relevant lack
of understanding about multiple intelligences.
Open-Ended Survey Items
Procedural Knowledge
Influence 1. Teachers know how to help gifted students set and reflect on goals. The
survey asked teachers how they would plan a lesson on helping students to set goals in their
classroom, as well as the steps teachers would take to design the lesson. Another said they have
a discussion set of simple roles for group work. One response indicated that they set guidelines
for their students, and occasionally include the students in the process.
Survey results. Twenty-three out of thirty-two teachers responded to this question. This
survey item was an open-ended question regarding goal setting. Teachers responded to the open-
ended item and gave opinions on how they would help gifted students to set and reflect on goals.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 76

The following narrative explains how teachers conceptualize teaching students how to set goals.
Themes that came from the teachers' interviews will help to organize the information.
How To Do Goal Setting
One teacher felt that understanding how to set goals is an impossible task if the teacher is
the one who is setting goals for the students. Instead, the teacher believed that students needed
to have modeling to show what strong goals look like. One of the constructs that the teacher
suggested was to first teach the students about how to do self-evaluations of their current abilities
in setting goals. The teacher also suggested that teachers should model for students how teachers
set goals for themselves. Teachers felt that creating an action plan to make sure they are setting
goals on a regular basis, such as three times per week. In the first week of teaching goal setting,
the students can practice on Monday and Wednesday, and then reflect on the week on Friday.
SMART Goals and Breaking It Down
SMART is the acronym for “specific, measurable, action plan, realist, timely” (Doran,
1981). The founder’s system of how to set goals is used in many classrooms. One teacher had
the idea that whatever goal the teacher wanted to model for the student should be realistic. This
teacher said, “You can’t just talk about it – you have to do it!” Overall, 33% of teachers spoke to
figuring out what goal needed to be set and then being sure that the goal was public, so that peers
could help keep the person on track.
Backward Design – What Are the End Goals – First?
This teacher said they were a proponent of backward design (Bowen, 2017). “The idea is
to envision what your end goal will be, and then figure out the steps backwards, in order to
understand how to get to the goal itself.” Another teacher said that “…one of their most parts of
setting goals is to make it real by seeing what it will look like in the end”.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 77

Not Just for Academics
Several of the teachers pointed out that goal setting is not just about academia. They
encouraged themselves, through the interview questions, to remind themselves and their students
to set goals for vacations, and other special events. “Setting goals is important, but don’t just
plan, and forget to reach your goals”. This teacher believed that goal setting was the way to
organize one’s life and felt also that students would benefit from goal setting.
Summary. The answers given by the respondents show overwhelmingly that the gap is
not validated. Seventy-eight percent of the teachers said they did know how to help gifted
students set goals. Eight percent of the answers were undetermined, as their answers may have
mentioned goals, but did not apply how to set the goals or teach students how to set goals. For
example, one teacher indicated they would “...break down the end-task into smaller steps for
them to have success with.” As a reminder, the question asked, “In planning a lesson on helping
students to set goals in the classroom, what steps would you take when designing the lesson?”
This gap is not validated as the threshold was exceeded by three percentage points totaling 78%.
Influence 4. Teachers know how to apply behavioral interventions students who are
gifted because they may easily become openly emotional, talkative or moody
Survey results. The question regarding this discussion asked, “What are some of the
behavioral interventions would you apply when a gifted student becomes overly emotional?”
Four answers were given for the teacher to select: (a) Send them to the nurse; (b) Tell them to
step outside for a moment; (c) Ignore the behavior and refocus on the lesson; and (d) Stop and
step outside with them to see if they just need a moment, or if they are in distress. Happily, out
of the 31 respondents, only two respondents would tell them to step outside, presumably alone,
for a moment. The 29 respondents who chose to “stop and step outside with the student to see if
they just need a moment, or if it was something more serious,” chose the proper response. In the
area of socio-emotional understandings of teachers, 29 respondents chose the correct answer.

Table 9
Teachers Know How to Apply Behavioral Interventions for Students Who Are Gifted
Teacher responses for applying behavioral
interventions for gifted students
% of teachers who
chose these answers Gap validated?
1. Send them to the nurse. 0% Not validated
2. Tell them to step outside for a moment. 6% Validated
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 78

3. Ignore the behavior and refocus on the lesson. 0% Not validated
4. Stop, step outside with the student to see if they
just need a moment, or if they are in distress.
98% Not validated

Summary. This question does not have a validated gap in the knowledge of what to do
with a socio-emotional episode with a student who is gifted. Teachers met and exceeded the
75% threshold with 98% of teachers understanding what to do in the event of a behavioral
intervention.
Influence 5. Teachers know how to differentiate instruction.
Survey results. Teachers were asked to briefly define differentiated instruction in order
to check their knowledge of this practice. Key components in their answers should have
contained something such as tailoring the lesson specifically to the individual student, thus
allowing the student to master the objective of the lesson through personal means. Differentiated
instruction means that students are attempting to reach an objective provided by the teacher,
while students are personalizing the outcome. Some students may be drawing a scene, while
others are writing a story, or designing a game to reach the objective. The responses were
roughly 50% correct, leaving 50% incorrect. The gap in knowledge of differentiated instruction
is validated. Answers such as “Ability to tailor instruction…” and “Every person learns in
different ways” are just two of the correct answers. One respondent said that differentiation is
when “teachers vary instruction by providing lessons that address multiple abilities and
interests.” However, the other half of the respondents constructed answers such as,” … managing
their techniques…” and another said they thought it meant, “Altering previous instruction.”
These last few answers by respondents did not seem to have a grasp on what differentiated
instruction is.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 79

Influence 6. Teachers know how to plan to differentiate for a student who is gifted.
Differentiated instruction should allow for students to be presented with an objective of the
lesson, and then allow for those students to have choices as to how they will meet the objective.
Survey results. This question was posed as, “To what extent do you know the steps of
how to differentiate instruction in a mixed ability classroom?” The scale was from 0 to 100,
where zero would mean that teachers knew none of the steps to create differentiated instruction
for the students and 100 would mean that they were confident that they effectively knew the
steps to create a differentiated instructional lesson for their students. No one claimed that they
were experts at creating a differentiated lesson. Eighteen percent of teachers believed they could
confidently construct 80% of a differentiated lesson step by step, and 14% of people believed
they could only construct between 40% and 50% or less of the differentiated lesson.
Table 10
The Extent to Which Teachers Know the Steps of How to Differentiate Instruction
% to the Extent Teachers Know the Steps 10–30% 40–50% 60–70% 80%
% of Teachers Who Know How to Differentiate 15% 23% 44% 18%

Summary. The answers revealed a lack of how to differentiate instruction appropriately
as is seen in Table 11. No one claimed that they were experts at creating a differentiated lesson.
Five people believed they could 80% construct a differentiated lesson step by step, and 11 people
were 50% or less likely to feel that they would know the steps to create a differentiated lesson.
Sixty-nine percent of the teacher population could not construct a differentiated lesson. The
threshold for a gap is 75%. Therefore, the gap is validated.
Influence 1. Teachers know how to address the needs of a student who is twice-
gifted. At CHS, nearly all the students have classes of mixed ability levels. Students who are
twice-gifted are students who have a disability and they are gifted. The disability may be
physical or cognitive, but these students are also gifted (CHS Counseling Department, 2019).
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 80

The survey asked what actions teachers would take to address the needs of the twice gifted
student.
Survey results. There were 24 teachers who answered this question: “What do teachers
know about the needs of a student who is “twice-gifted?” Thirteen of the respondents answered:
(a) “I don’t know”; (b) “I’m not sure what that means”; (c) “Not sure that I know what that
means”; (d) “I had to look it up and I still don’t know what it means”; (e) “Absolutely no idea. I
would be so lost;” and (f) “No idea”. The remaining respondents answered by suggesting
possible adaptations for these students. However, there were no concrete answers that allowed
for whether or not the teachers knew how to address the needs of the students who are twice
gifted.
Summary. There is a gap in the knowledge of the concepts and needs of a student who is
twice-gifted. Twenty-two percent of teachers responded with mostly correct information. Only
18% of responses were too vague to categorize. Sixty-one percent of the respondents answered
correctly. Seventy-eight percent of the teachers did not know how to help gifted students set
goals. In fact, only 13% of teachers were able to coherently describe how to set goals for
themselves and teach that skill to their students, gifted or otherwise. Eight percent of the
answers were undetermined, as their answers may have mentioned goals, but did not apply how
to set the goals or teach students how to set goals. For example, one teacher indicated they
would “...break down the end-task into smaller steps for them to have success with.” As a
reminder, the question asked, “In planning a lesson on helping students to set goals in the
classroom, what steps would you take when designing the lesson?” This gap is validated as the
threshold was exceeded by three percentage points totaling 78%.
Influence 2. Teachers know how to apply behavioral interventions students who are
gifted because they may easily become openly emotional, talkative or moody
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 81

Survey results. The question regarding this discussion asked, “What are some of the
behavioral interventions would you apply when a gifted student becomes overly emotional?”
Four answers were given for the teacher to select: (a) Send them to the nurse; (b) Tell them to
step outside for a moment; (c) Ignore the behavior and refocus on the lesson; and (d) Stop and
step outside with them to see if they just need a moment, or if they are in distress. Happily, out
of the 31 respondents, only two respondents would tell them to step outside, presumably alone,
for a moment. The 29 respondents who chose to “stop and step outside with the student to see if
they just need a moment, or if it was something more serious,” chose the proper response. In the
area of socio-emotional understandings of teachers, 29 respondents chose the correct answer.
Summary. This question does not have a validated gap in the knowledge of what to do
with a socio-emotional episode with a student who is gifted. Teachers met and exceeded the
75% threshold with 98% of teachers understanding what to do in the event of a behavioral
intervention.
Influence 4. Gifted instruction in teacher preparation program. The researcher
posed the question as to whether or not any of the other two respondents had a specific gifted
program in their teaching program.
Focus group findings. R2 responded that they had participated in a gifted education
program when they did their student teaching at XYZ College, there was a special education
program that had gifted curriculum and instruction in four classes. “The classes talked about not
pushing gate students aside, and not to let them slide under the radar.” R1: “Such as a program
that would explain about giftedness? I’m not sure about that.”
Yes, I did my student teaching at XYZ College and there was one particular time when
they did a special education program right after they did gate classes. They focused in on
both of them as separate programs and how to deal with students in case they were
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 82

incorporated into your class so that you would know how to deal with them and not push
them aside, or, you know, just let them slide under the radar.
Neither of the other two respondents had participated in a gifted program.
Summary. These answers correlate with the time frame, as training would not have been
necessarily available for either the teacher with 30 years of service, or the teacher with five years
of service.
Results and Findings for Motivation Causes
Motivation
Influence 1. Value. Teachers need to value identifying gifted students.
Survey results. Teachers were asked about the value they placed in identifying gifted
students. The question was posed as to what extent teachers value identifying gifted students.
Row 1 indicates what percentage of importance of teachers identifying gifted students. Zero
percent means they do not value the process at all, and 100% would mean that they completely
value identifying students who are gifted. The table below illustrates the outcome of this
question.
Table 11
The Extent to Which Teachers Place Intrinsic Value on Identifying Gifted Students
% of Extent Teachers Place
Value on Identifying Students 0% 10–30% 40–70% 80–100%
% of Teachers Who Chose That Range 6% 6% 21% 32%

Summary. Thirty-two percent of teachers said that they were 80% and 100% invested in
the value of identifying gifted students, followed by 21% of teachers who valued identification
of giftedness between 40% and 70% of the time. Based on the findings and the threshold of
75%, this gap is validated as teachers value identifying students who are struggling because of
their ability to understand how to identify giftedness. It is also important to teachers that they
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 83

value the discourse among each other and planning for personalized learning for students who
are gifted (Ho, 2010).
Influence 2. Teachers need to be confident when they are identifying gifted
students. When teachers were asked, “How confident are you that you can identify gifted
students…?” the answers were in relation to whether or not they valued the identification of
students who are gifted, versus actually valuing identifying them.
Survey results. In the table below, Row one indicates the percentage of how confident
teachers feel about identifying gifted students. Zero percent means they do not value their ability
at all, and 100% would mean that they completely value their ability in identifying gifted
students. Row two indicates how many teachers selected the given percentage of how confident
they feel to identify gifted students. The table below will show the outcome of this question.
Table 12
The Extent to Which Teachers Feel Confident They Could Identify a Gifted Student
% Extent to Which Teachers Feel Confident 0% 10–30% 40–60% 70–90%
% of Teachers Who Chose That Range 10% 12% 29% 46%

Summary. In column two, the information given is that 10% of teachers felt 0%
confident. It should be noted that the highest percentage of teachers who felt they could identify
a gifted student was only 46%, and then they felt they could only do that 70-90% of the time.
Essentially, these results show that the majority of teachers are not comfortable that they could
identify a gifted student. As the threshold for the gap is 75%, this is not a confirmed gap,
however, it is concerning, as this confirms that teachers largely do not feel confident that they
could accurately identify gifted students.
Self-Efficacy
Influence 1. Teachers need to have strong self-efficacy in their ability to reach,
cognitively and emotionally, to the most difficult gifted students by the end of the year. The
table below illustrates the strength of the respondents’ self-efficacy. Row one indicates what
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 84

percentage of how strong teachers feel that they have the self-efficacy to help motivate students.
Zero percent means teachers do not have any self-efficacy for reaching the students, and 100%
would mean teachers have the self-efficacy necessary to reach gifted students. Row two
indicates the extent of how teachers feel confident in identifying these students. Row two is how
many teachers chose that range.
Table 13
The Extent to Which Teachers Feel Confident They Could Identify a Gifted Student
% of Extent Teachers Feel Confident
in Identifying a Gifted Student
0% 10–30% 40–60% 70–90% 100%
% of teachers that chose that range 3%
9% 16% 62% 6%

Summary. As noted above, the chart shows that 62% of respondents had strong self-
efficacy in being able to get through to difficult gifted students. Although 62% is more than half
of the respondents, nevertheless, this data validates a gap in the self-efficacy of teachers getting
through to students.
Influence 2. Teachers need to have strong self-efficacy creating curriculum for
gifted students who have behavioral issues.
Survey results. Teachers were prompted to share how strong their self-efficacy was for
creating curriculum for gifted students and have behavioral issues on a scale of 0-100. Table 21
indicates the results. Row one shows the percentage of their belief in their self-efficacy to create
curriculum for gifted students. Row two shows how many teachers chose that percentile as their
answer.
Table 14.
The Extent to Which Teachers Feel Confident They Could Identify a Gifted Student
% of Extent Teachers Feel Confident
Identifying a Gifted Student
0% 10–30% 40–60% 70–90% 100%
% of teachers who chose that range 3% 9% 16% 62% 6%

Summary. The above-referenced table shows that teachers’ self-efficacy is not
consistent. Statistically, too many lack self-efficacy for creating tailored curriculum for gifted
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 85

students. In fact, in the highest bracket of teachers who believe that 70-90% of the time they
have self-efficacy to create curriculum for gifted students with behavioral issues, only came in at
43%. Based on the findings, and the threshold of 75%, this gap is validated.
Influence 3. Teachers need to have strong self-efficacy in creating instruction for
difficult gifted students. When asked if they had the self-efficacy to create instruction for
difficult students who are gifted, the numbers dropped significantly. Only two teachers believed
they had 100% of self-efficacy to be able to create appropriate instruction for the gifted students.
Ten teachers responded that they had less than 50% of self-efficacy to be able to create
instruction for difficult students. Row one indicates the percentage of their belief in their self-
efficacy to create instruction for gifted students. Row two indicates the percentage of teachers
who chose that percentile as their answer.
Table 15.
Teachers Need Strong Self-Efficacy to Create Instruction for Gifted Students Who Are Difficult
% of Which Teachers Need Strong
Self-Efficacy To Help Gifted Students 0% 10–30% 40–60% 70–90% 100%
% of teachers who chose that range 5% 13% 36% 36% 6%

Summary. The table above shows that of the 30 teachers that responded 36% of teachers
believed that they had strong self-efficacy to create instruction for difficult gifted students. Only
6% of teachers felt that they had no self-efficacy to create instruction for these students.
Although these statistics show some positivity, it is clear that the majority of teachers, roughly
55% do not have enough self-efficacy for their students who need strong support despite their
intelligence. Based on the findings, and not reaching the threshold of 75%, this gap is validated.
Influence 4. Teachers need to have “interest” in helping to increase gifted students’ ability
to function in a mainstream classroom through differentiation of instruction. According to
the survey, 16 teachers were between 90-100% in answering that they do have interest in
differentiating instruction for the students as shown in the table below. Only one outlier did not
find the idea of differentiating instruction for gifted students. Thirteen teachers fell between the
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 86

50th percentile and 80th percentile regarding their interest in differentiating instruction. Row
one indicates the percentage of their interest to differentiate instruction for gifted students. Row
two indicates the percentage of teachers who chose that percentile as their answer.
Table 16
Teachers’ Need to Have Interest in Differentiating Instruction for Students
% of Interest Teachers Have for Differentiation 10% 20–40% 50–60% 70–90%
% of teachers who chose that range 3% 0% 3% 88%

Summary. In this question, it is clear that teachers overwhelmingly have interest in
differentiating instruction for gifted students. In fact, 78% of teachers showed positivity in their
answers. Therefore, this gap is not validated.
Influence 5. Teachers need to have an interest in how to help a gifted student
through a socio-emotional episode. Students who are gifted are noted as being hyper-
emotional. Whether it is just watching a movie, or reading a book, or even hearing a sad story,
gifted students are highly empathic (Qualter, Gardner, & Whiteley, 2007). Therefore, teachers
must be interested in helping a gifted student through an emotional experience, or risk the
student deciding not to participate in activities or lessons.
Table 17
Teachers Interested in Helping a Gifted Student Through a Socio-Emotional Episode
% Teachers are Interested in Helping a Gifted
Student Through a Socio-Emotional Episode 10–30% 40–60% 70–90% 100%
% of teachers who chose that range 10% 10% 58% 20%

Summary. Table 19 shows that roughly 70% of teachers have a large amount of interest
on how to help gifted students during a socio-emotional episode. Although 69% of teachers
showed that they are interested, this does not meet the validated threshold of 75%.
Influence 6. My subject is my passion and I enjoy teaching it to my students. One
prompt in the survey stated, “My Subject Is My Passion!” The question was posed to explain to
what extent did teachers still enjoy learning and teaching enough to reach out to students who are
gifted, and who would benefit from hearing the teacher speak about the emotion they feel for
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 87

their subject. Gifted students often identify with teachers more than their peers, and therefore
may be more interested in the subject because the teacher likes it (Mills, 2003). Teachers’
answers are shown in the table below. Row one indicates the percentage of how much teachers
enjoy teaching their subject. Row two indicates the percentage of teachers that chose those
ranges.
Table 18
My Subject Is My Passion
% of To What Extent Teachers
Subject Is Their Passion 10–30% 40–60% 70–90% 100%
% of teachers who chose that range 0% 9% 52% 33%

Summary. The data above shows that most teachers are still passionate in teaching the
subject they chose to teach in a high school environment. In fact, 76% of the teachers apparently
are still passionate about teaching their subject. Therefore, the gap is not validated.
Table 19
I Enjoy Teaching My Chosen Subject to My Students
% to Which Teachers Enjoy Their Subject 10–30% 40–60% 70–90% 100%
% of teachers who chose that range 3% 3% 43% 50%

Summary. The above chart shows that a large percentage of teachers do find joy in
actually teaching the students the subject that the teachers love to teach. Twenty-one of the 30
teachers responded that they enjoyed teaching the subject to the students between 90% and
100%. Additionally, only two teachers indicated that they do not really love teaching their
subject to the students. This is important because when teachers enjoy what they are teaching,
the students are also found to be more engaged in learning (Ames, C.,1990).
Influence 7. I find identifying gifted students interesting. Gifted students cannot
identify themselves, and the professionals that should identify the students are the teachers
(Siegle & Powell, 2004). However, if teachers do not find identifying students interesting, they
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 88

may not meet the task, and furthermore, may not be following the mission statement that clearly
defines the necessity to prepare the students for success (District, 2018).
Survey results. According to the results, 57% of teachers acknowledged they were
interested in identifying gifted students. For example, 7% of teachers were 100% interested; 6%
of teachers were 70% interested; and 27% of teachers were 40%-60% interested. However, 6%
of teachers had only 10% interest in identifying gifted students, as shown in the table below.
Row one shows the percentage the teachers chose to indicate their level of interest in identifying
gifted students. Row one shows the percentage of teachers that chose that percentile range.
Table 20
The Extent to Which Teachers Find Gifted Students Interesting
% Chosen Indicates the Amount of Interest 10% 40–60% 70–90% 100%
% of teachers who chose that range 6% 27% 6% 7%

Summary. In this study, the researcher found that teachers were interested in how
teachers should be identifying students who were deemed or suspected to be gifted, however, it
would appear that the data shows that the teachers are not as interested in identifying the students
themselves. In the 40-60% bracket, which indicates to what extent teachers are interested in
identifying gifted students, only 27% of teachers shared that they find identification interesting.
Therefore, this influence indicates a validated gap, as the question of having an interest in
identifying the students as gifted did not reach the 75% threshold.
Influence 8. I am interested in differentiated instruction. At CHS, differentiated
instruction is virtually unknown. The importance of learning to differentiate instruction is that
all students have assignments that are tailored to their level and interest (Rock, Gregg, Ellis, &
Gable, 2008). When gifted learners are identified in the classroom, it is important to construct
lessons that meet the needs of all learners, as well as gifted learners.
Survey results. Eighty-eight percent of teachers were interested in this subject at a level
of 70% or more. Currently, CHS does not differentiate instruction, as there is an expectation of
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 89

the whole group learning the same lesson in most classrooms. Predominantly, the school relies
on one method of teaching for all students (Teaching Guidelines, CHS, 2017).
Table 21
The Extent to Which Teachers Are Interested in Differentiating Instruction
% of How Much They Are Interested in
Differentiation Instruction 0–30% 40–60% 70–90% 100%
% of teachers who chose that range
0% 6% 72% 16%

Summary. If CHS stands to its statement of teaching all students according to their
needs, then it is important for the Administration to understand that the teachers are interested in
differentiated instruction. As 83% of the teachers are interested in differentiated instruction,
there is not a validated gap.
Influence 9. I would enjoy it more if the students were as interested in my subject as
I am.
Survey results. Eight people were 80% certain that they would enjoy their subject more if they
could reach the students. Additionally, eight people were 100% that they would enjoy teaching
their subject if their students would be more engaged. The table below represents the extent to
which they agreed with this question, where Row one indicates the percentage of interest they
had if students were more engaged in the subject. Row two indicates the number of teachers that
responded to that percentile.
Table 22
The Extent to Which Teachers’ Motivation Is Inhibited by Lack of Student Motivation
% of How Much Teachers Motivation is Inhibited 0–30% 40–60% 70–90% 100%
% of teachers who chose that range 13% 14% 46% 27%

Summary. The lack of interest aligns with the lack of motivation of the students to
become engaged in the curriculum, which then causes teachers to lose their motivation to teach
as they try to engage their students (Geving, 2007). Although the gap is not validated, as just
64% of the teachers responded that they were inhibited in their teaching because of a lack of
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 90

interest from the students, the percentage should not be ignored as that is a significant part of the
population of teachers who are potentially less motivated to teach.
Focus Group
Influence 1. What does it take to identify gifted students by teachers?
Focus group findings. The researcher asked if there were students that would need to be
identified, what steps would you take to identify the students. R3 stated that they would not
know who to talk to that would get the student at least tested. R2 said they would probably seek
out a counselor, but they were not sure that would have been the proper channels. Additionally,
R3 stated, “Even if they were identified, they would probably not be given the instruction they
should have and would probably just be a number in the system.” R1 also commented that other
schools in the district would be a better place for a gifted student anyway.
R2 was then asked if there was a student that they believed needed to be identified as
gifted, what steps would they take to get that student identified. Specifically, the researcher
asked, “What are the steps you would take today to try and get that student help?” R2’s response
is as follows:
Well, in my particular situation if I didn’t think that their schedule could be changed or
that they could be tested -- because that seems to be a problem at this particular school
site... They couldn’t be tested, or I was told it was going to be a delay. I would find a
way to get his class changed. I would want him to get something that challenges him
something that interests him more than what he’s in because a lot of times it’s not that
they don’t know that.
Summary. It would seem that although these participants were understanding about the
lack of resources for gifted students, and that they wanted to help the process, they were often
more concerned about how the organization would make teachers do what they should do to help
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 91

with giftedness in the classroom. All three participants said they did not really know who to go
to for help. Therefore, the gap is validated, as 100% of the participants did not have knowledge
about how to serve gifted students in their classrooms.
Results and Findings of Organizational Causes
The following organizational results are primarily about how the teachers feel about
formal evaluations and the freedom or lack of freedom to create new curricular and instructional
methods in order to accommodate and better serve the needs of all students. Additionally, the
researcher asked if there was a school culture that supported the idea that differentiated
instruction would not be accepted, due to a belief that all students must learn the same way. The
researcher concluded the survey by asking two additional questions: (a) How could the
organization be more helpful in teachers’ learning about gifted students’ needs? and (b) How
could the organization be helpful in supporting teachers to use differentiated instruction?
Organization
Influence 1. Lack of the organization informing teachers on educating all students.
Focus group results. The question asked of the focus group was what kind of training
the teachers had outside of their teacher preparation program, and also inside the District. R2
noted that in the 25 years since they had been at the school, no one had a training at the school
regarding what they should have been learning about how to take care of gifted students. They
said that there had been several principals in the time they had been a teacher, however,
giftedness was not part of any of the professional development. R1 also noted that at the
beginning of last school year there was a training, but there were roughly 20 opportunities to take
various classes. They knew there was a gifted training that would have lasted for about an hour,
however, they were mandated by their departments to go to other trainings and they did not feel
that it was necessary at that time, because they had no students in their classes that were gifted.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 92

“Or so I assumed,” said R1. “Little did I know that students were not being identified in high
school.”
Summary. The respondents lacked confidence in the administration to follow through
with helping to identify and teach gifted students in the manner in which they should be taught.
R1 said, “A lack of confidence is something that would lead to a lack of motivation on the part of
the teachers in identifying students… and then the program would likely fall apart.” The gap in
the organization’s knowledge regarding how to educate all students, including students who are
gifted, clearly validates the focus group conversation as a gap in knowledge.
Cultural Models
Influence 1. Feeling comfortable having a colleague observe your instruction
outside of the formal evaluations. The question was posed as to what degree would a teacher
feel comfortable having another teacher evaluate instruction. Teachers are used to being in a
classroom by themselves and tend to be independent of other teachers (Yinger, 1979)
Survey results. Row one indicates the percentage of feeling comfortable while having a
colleague observe them, and row two indicates the number of teachers that chose that percentile.
Table 23
The Extent to Which Teachers Feel Comfortable Having a Colleague Observe Their Instruction
Outside of Formal Evaluations
% Teachers Feel Comfortable Having a
Colleague Observe Their Instruction 0–30% 40–60% 70–90% 100%
% of teachers who chose that range 3% 15% 55% 23%

Summary. Results indicated that 73% of teachers would find having a colleague observe
instruction acceptable, especially in the case of learning about how to deliver curriculum and
instruction to gifted students. Twenty-three percent of respondents felt that they were 100%
comfortable with this type of observation. Fifty-five respondents were between 70 and 90%
comfortable with this structure as well. The remaining 18% of respondents were less confident,
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 93

as there were 6% of respondents that were 60% in acceptance, followed by two more that were
50% in acceptance. Although the practice looks promising, the gap is validated as the measure
did not meet the threshold of 75% of a gap.
Influence 2. The extent to which the teachers feel comfortable being observed by an
administrator. Teachers are alone in the classroom with their students all day. Although they
have usually constructed plans for what their students will do that day, they often improvise, and
even experiment with new methods. When an administrator enters the room, there is concern
that the administrator will judge what the teacher is presenting (Zepeda & Ponticell, 1998).
Survey results. The construct of this question was meant to evaluate the culture between
the teachers and the administration as far as the teachers’ performances and reviews, as well as
the ability of the administrator to support professional development for the teachers when
necessary. The table below shows the comfort in the administrator to the degree that the teachers
would or would not appreciate the administrator evaluating them randomly for the purpose of
improvement. Row one indicates the extent of comfort with an administrator evaluating the
teacher, and row two indicates the number of teachers that chose that percentile.
Table 24
The Extent to Which Teachers Feel Comfortable Having an Administrator Observe Their
Instruction Outside of Formal Evaluations
% of Teachers Feeling Comfortable
Having an Administrator Observe
Them 0–30% 40–60% 70–90% 100%
% of teachers who chose that range
16% 12% 41% 30%

Summary. The table above indicates that 71% of teachers are comfortable in having an
administrator in a classroom for the purpose of evaluation for improvement. However, 28% of
teachers did not feel the same way. Sixteen-percent of teachers were definitely not comfortable
when being observed by the administration. In fact, 9% of the teachers actually admitted they
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 94

had 0% comfortability when it came to have an administrator observe them when they were
learning something new. Ultimately, the gap is not validated because 71% of the teachers were
comfortable to some extent in having their administrator observe them. This may indicate a
strong culture with the staff trusting their administrator’s reasons for being observed. However,
this gap is not validated, as it falls short of the 75% threshold.
Influence 3. The organization supports teachers to incorporate new methods for
curricular and instructional methods in order to accommodate and better serve all
students.
Survey results. According to the results of this question, Row one indicates the
percentage that teachers believe they are supported by the organization to work on incorporating
new methods of curriculum and instruction, and Row two indicates the number of teachers that
chose that percentile. It is important for the organization to support teachers when they are
trying something new in the classroom. As professionals, with certification in their field, this
should be a common courtesy that helps the teachers help the students by learning new methods
of pedagogy, curriculum building, and instruction.
Table 25
The Extent to Which the Organization Supports Teachers to Incorporate New Methods of
Curriculum and Instruction to Better Serve All Students
% Teachers Chose Indicating the
Support of Administration 0% 10–30% 40–60% 70–90% 100%
% of teachers who chose that range 6% 19% 26% 39% 3%

Summary. In the analysis in the table above, one can see that there are vast differences
in opinions regarding whether or not the organization supports teachers in order to serve all
students. At least 25% of teachers believe that the organization does not support teachers in new
methods of curriculum and instruction at least any more than 10-30% of the time, and 6% of
teachers believe they are not supported by the organization 0% of the time. Overall. teachers
feel they receive no support at all when incorporating new methods that may help to support both
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 95

gifted and mainstream students. Also, teachers commented that they do not have training to do
what they should be doing. The threshold for a gap in knowledge is 75%, as they believe the
organization only supports them in this measure 42% of the time. The gap is validated as
teachers do not feel supported in creating new curriculum.
Influence 4. Organization needs to accept that students may learn differently. The
curriculum that is delivered to teachers is often one curriculum for all students, regardless of
their levels of learning or their interest in what they are learning. Students who are gifted often
need to be engaged with the curriculum or they will likely not do the work. Therefore, the
learning process would better serve gifted students if they were able to have choices in their
lessons.
Survey results. This question showed a wide range of answers to the question of “to
what extent does the organization believe that all students learn the same way from the same
materials?” Row one indicates the extent of what teachers believe the organization understands
about students learning in different ways. Row two indicates the number of teachers who chose
that percentile.
Table 26
The Extent to Which the Organization Accepts That All Students Learn the Same
% of Teachers That the Organization
Accepts That All
Students Learn the Same 0% 10–30% 40–60% 70–90% 100%
% of teachers who chose that range 16% 32% 26% 22% 3%

Summary. This analysis was not supportive of the organization. The majority of
teachers believe that the organization does not believe that all students learn the same. Only
25% of teachers responded that they feel from 70%-100% certain that the organization believes
that all teaching and materials should be tailored for the students. However, this leaves 58% of
teachers believing that the organization does believe that all students learn the same, and thus,
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 96

the teaching of gifted students may be in jeopardy, as it is true that not all students learn the
same. The threshold for a gap in knowledge is 75%; therefore, the gap is validated as only a
quarter of teachers believe the organization understands the necessity for personalized learning.
Influence 5. The organization could be more helpful in providing training for
teachers to learn about gifted students’ needs. As the data is analyzed, it is becoming
apparent that even teachers are asking for a professional training that deals with giftedness and
gifted students. The question was asked how the organization could be more helpful in teachers
learning about gifted students’ needs. After coding the information, the following is a
summation of the teachers’ answers to this question.
Seventy percent of teachers answered this question overwhelmingly with the solution
being thrown or more opportunities for training to update the teachers’ knowledge of giftedness
and gifted students. Thirteen-percent of teachers suggested that it would be helpful to team-
teach once training was completed, so that teachers could practice applications of work for gifted
students. Another 33% of teachers called out for differentiated instruction training. Ten percent
of teachers recommended some of the applications above, but also added that learning about the
identification of giftedness would require some training. One of the teacher respondents
suggested this, saying that it may be helpful to send out a short, informative news brief about
giftedness.
One respondent suggested that there were two things we could do better. (a) Stop
assuming that the gifted kids will learn regardless of what we do. The assumption that they can
teach themselves or learn in any environment has led to many gifted students… dropping out of
school. (b) “Invest in socio-emotional learning. Even our high ability, high motivation students
struggle with social and emotional skills. Teachers receive no additional training on this. We
don’t discuss how the brain works. We don’t learn how to help students manage their emotions
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 97

or deal with stress or manage their time or ask for help…” As evidenced by the above
information, the organizational influences are not providing appropriate training for their
teachers in the way of training on how to identify, create curriculum and instruction for students
who are gifted.
Summary. Teachers are willing to take the time to be trained in all aspects of giftedness.
As just a little under half of the teachers responded to the survey and answered this question
candidly, it can be seen that teachers are willing to be trained in order to identify and assist
students who are gifted. In this case, the teachers asking for help in various ways showed a wide
gap in knowledge as to how to service students who are gifted. Overwhelmingly, this gap in the
organization not providing training for teachers in giftedness is validated at 85%.
Influence 6. Lack of organization informing teachers on educating all students.
Focus group survey results. R2 noted that in the 25 years since they had been at the
school, no one had a training at the school regarding what they should have been learning about
how to take care of gifted students. They said that there had been several principals in the time
they had been a teacher, however, giftedness was not part of any of the professional
development. R1 also noted that at the beginning of last school year there was a training, but
there were roughly 20 opportunities to take various classes. They knew there was a gifted
training that would have lasted for about an hour, however, they were mandated by their
departments to go to other trainings and they did not feel that it was necessary at that time,
because they had no students in their classes that were gifted. “Or so I assumed,” said R1.
“Little did I know that students were not being identified in high school.”
Summary. The lack of the Administration’s knowledge regarding the identification of
gifted students in the school, as well as helping to teach gifted students in the manner in which
they should be taught was clear to the respondents. R1 said, “…that would also lead to a lack of
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 98

motivation on the part of the teachers in identifying students, …and then the program would
likely fall apart.” The gap in knowledge of the organization about how to educate all students,
including students who are gifted, 100% validates the focus group conversation as a gap in
knowledge.
Conclusion
This chapter contained results of the analyses, while connecting the analysis back to the
research questions, and demonstrates consistency of the analysis with grounded theory
methodology. Thirty-two participants took the survey which ultimately asked what teachers
know about gifted students. Additionally, three participants openly discussed some of their
understandings of giftedness in a focus group and were very open about what they did not know
about gifted education. As noted above, one participant from that group decided they needed to
have their own understanding, and confessed that after they had taken the survey, they did some
research of their own, so that they could better understand what is known in 2019 about gifted
education.
There were three levels of analysis: qualitative and quantitative questions from the
survey, and direct conversation in a focus group with three participants who had also taken the
survey. Through open coding, and the revelations of the 47 themes as they became apparent, the
researcher was able to conclude, that although it was clear that teachers have little or no current
information regarding giftedness and gifted students, the teachers who took the survey and
participated in the focus group were clear about wanting to know more. In the qualitative
questions, teachers were open about what they did not know. Their responses to some questions
within the survey revealed that the teachers wanted training, as they were in pursuit of methods
to help their students who are gifted in a mainstream classroom.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 99

Overall, teachers did not know what they should know about students who are gifted;
however, it was admirable that most of the respondents called out through the survey that they
wanted to learn more about how to design curriculum and instruction for their students.
Furthermore, teachers communicated that they would wish for more information on gifted
students’ socio-emotional behaviors so as to further understand their students’ needs.
Based on Chapter Four findings, Chapter Five will include the summary for the critical
analysis and discussion on the themes, which were found in the Chapter 4 analysis.
Recommendations in Chapter 5 will also address closing the gaps and will propose
recommendations.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 100

CHAPTER FIVE: SOLUTIONS, IMPLEMENTATIONS AND EVALUATIONS
Introduction and Overview
Chapter 4 presented the results of the data analysis of the survey of 33 participants, as
well as the focus group discussion by three members of the teacher population. There were
clearly gaps in knowledge, motivation, as well as a lack of resources from the organization that
influenced the success of the teachers to identify, build curriculum and instruction, and
understand how to provide for the needs of gifted students. Based on these findings, Chapter 5
will address the recommendations to close the gaps, propose a training on giftedness and gifted
students, as how to provide for gifted students, as well as the recommendation to deliver
instruction using differentiation. Finally, it will describe how the organization can evaluate the
success of the plan through the application of the Kirkpatrick New World four levels of
evaluation (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
The factual knowledge gaps are that teachers do not know how to differentiate instruction
in order to have the means to support gifted students in a mixed-ability classroom through
differentiation. The conceptual knowledge gap is due to the lack of factual knowledge regarding
gifted students' needs in the classroom. A percentage of teachers possess an anti-motivational
aspect of feeling that teachers should not need to provide differentiated instruction and
curriculum for students who are gifted, while others are willing to do what they can to help all
students. They do admit they may not have the knowledge to help students who are gifted. Once
the facts are conveyed to the teachers and the organization, it will be within the power of the
administration to decide what teachers are expected to do for gifted students in mainstream
classrooms.
The organizational gaps are in the cultural models, wherein teachers who are tenured do
not consistently adhere to directives from the organization. Additionally, teachers have a lack of
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 101

resources, such as access to recent pedagogical research, time to learn with peers specifically
about giftedness, and most importantly they lack training to follow the suggested measures for
identifying gifted students and creating specialized curriculum for gifted students.
The recommendations presented in this chapter are designed to address these key
validated influences based on relevant, theoretical principles. One priority recommendation is to
deliver a training that is designed to fill in gaps of knowledge and motivation with regard to
identification of gifted students, and how best to serve their curricular and socio-emotional needs
in the classroom. Additional recommendations based on the survey and focus group data speak
to the organizational gaps. The evaluation of the program is described using the Kirkpatrick
New World Model (2008), which will measure reaction, learning, behavior, and results. Tools
used for measurement before, during and after a program is implemented will be described and
sample documents provided in the addendum.
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences
Knowledge Recommendations
Introduction. At CHS, teachers need knowledge about giftedness and how it manifests
in the students in their classroom. There are no gifted classes in this high school, as they have
used International Baccalaureate as a place for students who are driven and may or may not be
gifted. As teachers have not been trained on how to identify gifted students, nor how to build
curriculum and instruction for gifted students, it is therefore necessary that teachers need to
know gifted students.
First, teachers need to know about the characteristics of giftedness. For example,
changes in their environment can affect the behavior of students who are gifted (Daly, 2009;
Tuckman 2009). If teachers do not know that students who are gifted often have hypersensitive
socio-emotional behaviors, the teacher may be alarmed, and may not know how to address the
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 102

student’s needs (Eren et al., 2018). Prioritization of these influences were selected by the
understanding of what negative outcomes would occur, such as a student dropping out, or not
being motivated to do their work (Landis, 2013). It is in the classroom environment that
problems with motivation become exceptionally important for gifted students (citation).
The framework that the researcher has used is fashioned by Clark & Estes (2008).
Through that framework, a few very important influences become clear, based on theoretical
principles. Recommendations are stated in Table 29.
Table 27
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations
Assumed knowledge
influence: Cause, need,
or asset Validated? Priority Principle and citation
Context-specific
recommendation
Declarative/factual
Teachers need to
know the
characteristics of
giftedness
Yes Yes Teachers need
information for about
giftedness when they
already know what to
do. “This helps people
identify strategies and
procedures” (Clark &
Estes, 2008)
Provide teachers
with a “cheat sheet”
of definitions of the
characteristics of
giftedness.

Assumed knowledge
influence: Cause, need,
or asset Validated? Priority Principle and citation
Context-specific
recommendation
Teachers need to be
updated on how to
design a learning
environment that
will support
instruction and
teaching of students
who are gifted.
Yes Yes Students often choose
to be with other
students and will often
do better in their
studies when in close
proximity to the
teacher (Ames, 1992).
Provide teachers
with information on
classroom
environment that
will accommodate
mainstream
students and gifted
students.
Conceptual
Teachers need to
understand the
general needs of
gifted students,
such as their socio-
Yes Yes How individuals
organize knowledge
influences how they
learn and apply what
they know (Schraw &
McCrudden, 2006)
Provide teachers a
list of needs and
socio-emotional
climate for gifted
students.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 103

emotional state in
the classroom.
Teachers need to
understand theories
on giftedness such
as the theory of
multiple
intelligences, three-
ring conception of
giftedness, and the
differentiated model
of giftedness
Yes Yes How individuals
organize knowledge
influences how they
learn and apply what
they know (Schraw &
McCrudden, 2006)
Provide teachers
with a dossier of
gifted theories, such
as the theory of
multiple
intelligences, the
three-ring
conception of
giftedness and the
differentiated model
of giftedness.
Procedural
Teachers need to
know how to help
gifted students set
goals and reflect on
the work that
students do.
Yes Yes Learning tasks that are
similar to those that
are common to the
individuals’ familiar
cultural settings will
promote learning and
transfer (Gallimore &
Goldenberg, 2001).
Provide teachers
with a job-aid
explaining how to
create goals for
gifted students in
the mainstream
classroom.

Assumed knowledge
influence: Cause, need,
or asset Validated? Priority Principle and citation
Context-specific
recommendation
Teachers need to
know how to
recognize students
that are “2e” or
“twice-exceptional”
which means that
they have a
disability and are
gifted.
Yes Yes Identify specific
behavioral objectives
for learning (Daly,
2009).
Provide teachers
training on the steps
to identify students
who are gifted. This
could be done
during a day of
professional
development.
Teachers need to
know how to
support “2e” or
twice-exceptional
students.
Yes Yes Identify specific
behavioral objectives
for learning (Daly,
2009).
Provide teachers
training on the steps
to support a twice
gifted student.
Metacognitive
Teachers need to
consider how to
plan to differentiate
for a student who is
gifted, or a gifted
Yes Yes Rationales that include
a discussion of the
importance and utility
value of the work or
learning can help
Provide teachers
opportunities to
reflect on and
discuss with others
regarding Teachers
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 104

student who is an
English Language
Learner in a
mainstream
classroom
learners develop
positive values
(Eccles, 2006;
Pintrich, 2003)
must be trained to
differentiate
curriculum,
differentiation, and
instruction.
Teachers need to
reflect on the
behaviors of
students who are
gifted.
Yes Yes Reflection occurs
when information
about the standard is
included in one's self-
construal, and
evaluation occurs
when such
information is
excluded (Markman,
K. D., & McMullen,
M. N. (2003)
Provide teachers
opportunities
During planning
time, it is
imperative for
teachers to reflect
on the success of
students who are
gifted.

Declarative/Factual Knowledge

Teachers need to know the characteristics of giftedness. Teachers need information
about giftedness, as the organization rarely practices identification of gifted students to high
school teachers. This would help people identify strategies and procedures (Clark & Estes,
2008) of the characteristics of giftedness. Additionally, cognitive load theory deals with how
humans receive and process information in their own way. Decreasing cognitive load by
effective instruction enables more effective learning (Kirschner et al., 2006). In fact, one of the
constructs of a gifted learner is that they do not always learn the way the majority of people
intake information, such as how they make sense of a direction on an assignment (Assouline,
Nicpon, & Whiteman, 2010). Teachers need to learn how gifted students process information,
and how they manifest in the classroom. Giftedness is not just being smart and doing well on
tests. Instead, these students often are not the high academic achievers one would think they
would be (Sobel, 2012).
If a teacher looks at the gradebooks, they may not find that student in the top rank. They
are often impulsive, in that their mindset changes rapidly from one focus to another (Martin et
al., 2010). They also tend to be talkative and sometimes exhibit what appears to be Attention
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 105

Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (2010). Gifted adolescents often prefer solitude, sometimes
based on what the assignment a teacher gives, as for the most part they do not like to work in
groups (Dimitriadis, 2012). The recommendation is to specifically put them in small
homogenous groups, despite their distaste of the practice (Vidergor & Harris, 2015).
Although gifted students often have a wonderful sense of humor (Luftig & Nichols,
1991) they are prone to a heightened self-awareness, and have high levels of frustration, which
can lead to episodes of anger (Kaiser & Berndt). Perhaps this is why it is difficult to identify
these students immediately, because individually, one or two of these characteristics are normal
in high school students; however, many gifted students have a trove of highly sensitive emotions.
Teachers are the first line of communication in the classroom, and if they do not understand the
characteristics of giftedness, they may never see that high potential in those students. The
recommendation is to provide teachers a weblink to a “cheat sheet” that answers FAQs regarding
characteristics of giftedness, as well as the needs of gifted students in the mainstream classroom.
Teachers need to know how to design a specialized classroom environment for gifted
students. Teachers at CHS may not have knowledge of how to design a special learning
environment for gifted students that are in a mixed-ability classroom. This learning environment
must support instruction and teaching (Smutny, 2000). This environment must also consider
gifted students who may also have a learning disability (Smoke & Glaeser, 2009).
The solution is rooted in Social Cognitive Theory, and specifically uses the principle of
modeling-to-be-learned strategies or behaviors, as well as improving self-efficacy, learning, and
performance (Denler, Wolters, & Benson, 2009). This theory has been chosen to resolve this
lack of knowledge influence. To develop mastery in teaching using differentiated instruction,
individuals must acquire component skills, practice integrating them, and know when to apply
what they have learned (Schraw & McCrudden, 2006). Additionally, special education and
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 106

mainstream teachers need training for recognizing that giftedness may come with other
disabilities, and therefore, it is imperative that teachers do not assume that a student who has a
reading disability, for example, could not be gifted. The recommendation is to train teachers
how to restructure their learning environment, as well as their delivery of curriculum and
instruction. They must learn how to differentiate assignments according to the students’ needs.
For example, a student may have an individual education plan (IEP) that states their disability in
reading.
An example of modification is when a teacher gives lower lexile reading materials to a
gifted student because that is what the rest of the students are reading. Though the teacher might
think that the gifted student will do all the work, that might not be true. If a gifted student is not
engaged in reading something they are passionate about, they may not be motivated to finish the
assignment, even if they get a bad grade. Teachers should know about a technique called “RTI”
or “Response to Intervention” (Adams, Yssel, & Anwiler, 2012). This strategy helps to keep the
rigor of a lesson, while cutting the length of the reading material into smaller sections.
Additionally, it allows for deep introspection into vocabulary, which can be elevated
appropriately for specific learners. Instead, the teacher might restructure the assignment into
reading circles. This is where the class reads in small groups. Each group has a different
passage, article, or book, thus allowing discussion in or between the groups, in order to
accommodate for interest in the reading, as well as the complexity of the texts for all of the
students. It would be helpful in this scenario to have a conference with the student about their
interests, so as to allow them to pick their own book or choose from a selection.
Teachers regularly give the same assignments to every student, teachers likely do not
know how to differentiate instruction, as they are not evaluated on what the students are learning.
Teachers are evaluated only once per year, and only on how they deliver instruction. To develop
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 107

mastery teachers must acquire component skills, practice integrating them, and know when to
apply what they have learned (Schraw & McCrudden, 2006). Differentiated instruction means
that all students are given a particular task to complete; however, students may approach the task
in different ways, according to their aptitude and creativity. This may be difficult on the
teachers’ side of the classroom, especially if they have not been trained to accommodate
different outcomes for different students. Differentiated instruction is a way for gifted students
to be accommodated in such a way that they learn in the manner of their learning style. The
recommendation is to train teachers on how to create curriculum, teach and engage gifted
students using differentiation of instruction will amount to more students passing.
Conceptual Knowledge
Teachers need to understand the general needs of gifted students, such as their
socio-emotional state in the classroom. Differentiation of instruction is imperative in a
classroom with gifted students, whether they are sheltered or in mainstream classrooms. One of
the attributes of gifted students is that they enjoy being creative with their lessons (Tomlinson,
2004). Gifted students often appreciate being in close proximity to the teacher (Rayneri et al.,
2006). Also, as gifted students are often very emotional at times, more so than many of their
mainstream peers, teachers need to be prepared to step outside with the student for a moment to
reassure or comfort the student (Yoo & Moon, 2006). The recommendation is for teachers to be
certain to know how to help gifted students organize knowledge influences of a lesson, as well as
help them process how to learn, and how it applies what they know (Schraw & McCrudden,
2006).
Teachers need to understand respected theories on giftedness. Teachers need to be
provided with a dossier of needs for gifted students that considers how they develop and deliver
their curriculum, instruction, and social interaction with gifted students, so as to allow for
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 108

mastery of their lessons. In order for this to occur, teachers need to understand recent theories on
giftedness. When applying these theories, teachers will find that continued practice promotes
automaticity and take less capacity in working memory (Schraw & McCrudden, 2006). The
recommendation is to provide teachers with a dossier of gifted theories, such as the Theory of
Multiple Intelligences (Gardener, 1989), the Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness (Renzulli,
2010), and the Differentiated Model of Giftedness (Gagne, 2000), so as to learn and reflect on
how to apply these theories, as teachers meet together to process the information. In a
cooperative learning environment, have each teacher research a method, share out in a group,
and discuss how to apply the theory in the classroom.
Procedural Knowledge
Teachers need to know how to help gifted students set goals and reflect on the work
that students do. Learning tasks that are similar to those that are common to the individuals’
familiar cultural settings will promote learning and transfer (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001).
Teachers should be provided with a job-aid explaining how to create goals for gifted students, as
gifted students in a mainstream classroom may need more help from the teacher in making lists,
and other strategies to help organize themselves (Dirkes, 1985). The recommendation is to
provide teachers with a job aide explaining how to create goals for gifted students in the
mainstream classroom.
Teachers also need to know how to identify giftedness and recognize students that
are “2e,” or “twice-exceptional.” These students have a disability that may be physical or
cognitive, but they are also gifted. It is imperative that teachers be able to identify specific
behavioral characteristics of 2e students (Daly, 2009). The recommendation is that the
organization needs to provide teachers training on the steps to identify students who are 2e. This
could be accomplished during a day of professional development.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 109

Teachers need to know how to support “2e” or twice-exceptional students. Once
teachers can identify specific behavioral objectives for learning (Daly, 2009) for the 2e students,
it is imperative to know how to support these students. The recommendation is to facilitate
training for all teachers, and especially those teachers who are credentialed in special education,
as all teachers need to be provided with training on the steps to support students who are twice-
exceptional.
Metacognitive
Teachers need to consider how to plan to differentiate for a student who is gifted, or
a gifted student who is an English Language Learner (ELL) in a mainstream classroom.
Rationales that include a discussion of the importance and utility value of the work or learning
that is being done can help learners develop positive values (Eccles, 2006; Pintrich, 2003). The
organization needs to provide teachers opportunities to reflect on and discuss with other teachers
regarding various ways of differentiating instruction. Additionally, teachers must be trained to
differentiate curriculum, as a modification to the particular lesson may be addressed, and the goal
protected, so that students who are gifted can still reach the objective of the less through the help
of the teacher differentiating both curriculum and instruction.
Teachers need to reflect on the behaviors of students who are gifted. Reflection
occurs when information about the standard is included in one’s self-construal and evaluation
occurs when such information is excluded (Markman & McMullen (2003). As such, it provides
teachers with opportunities during planning time. It is imperative for teachers to reflect on the
success of students who are gifted, so that they can reach their full potential of learning in a
mainstream classroom. Therefore, the recommendation is to be certain that the organization
provides teachers opportunities during planning or meeting time to reflect on the success of
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 110

students who are gifted by sharing their work with each other, as well as planning specific
lessons tailored for gifted students.
Motivation Recommendations
Introduction. The motivation recommendations involve the influences of self-efficacy,
goal orientation, and interest. All three of these influences have a high probability of being a
validated gap, as high-school teachers sometimes tend to become complacent with teaching the
same way every day. The influences are prioritized through the lens of the teacher and in what
order the discovery of the teachers’ motivation would likely occur.
Self-efficacy is a vital companion to many teachers as they often work alone to plan their
lessons. Creating curriculum for nearly 200 students every day, it is important that teachers use
models that in turn also help to build self-efficacy and enhance motivation (Pajares, 2006).
Goal-orientation is another component that the teacher must constantly focus upon. They must
focus on mastery, individual improvement, learning, and progress (Yough & Anderman, 2006)
so as to create appropriate instruction for the students. To do this, teachers need to engage in
their curriculum and instruction, as in high school teachers specializing in what they know and
what they enjoy teaching. Activating and building upon personal interest can increase learning
and motivation (Schraw & Lehman, 2009).
Table 28
Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations
Assumed motivation
influence Validated? Priority Principle and citation
Context-specific
recommendation
Self-efficacy
Teachers need to
work or plan
together in their
course-alike or
cross-curricular
teams in order to
feel more confident
in their pedagogical
decisions.
High
probability
Yes High self-efficacy can
positively influence
motivation (Pajares,
2006).
Provide instructional
support (scaffolding)
early on, build in
multiple opportunities
Provide
demonstration,
guided practice, and
immediate feedback
in a cooperative
learning
environment.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 111

for practice and
gradually remove
supports (Pajares,
2006).
Goal Orientation
Teachers need to
focus discourse on
mastery, learning,
and understanding
of the curricular and
instructional needs
of gifted students
High
probability
Yes Focus discourse on
mastery, learning &
understanding
(Pintrich, 2003).
Focusing on mastery,
individual
improvement, learning
and progress promote
positive motivation
(Yough & Anderman,
2006).
Provide teachers
opportunities to
meet and talk with
each other about
mastery, learning,
and understanding
of the curricular
needs of gifted
students in their
weekly meetings.
Interest
Teachers need to
include real-world
materials that they
enjoy as well as
contemporary
themes and subjects
(movies, books,
music), or well-
known events to use
in examples,
scenarios or the
canon of a lesson.
High
probability
Yes Incorporate real-life,
original source
materials that are
vivid, varied or novel,
and create surprise or
disequilibrium
(Schraw & Lehman,
2009).
Model enthusiasm or
interest (Schraw &
Lehman, 2009).
Provide teachers
opportunities to
create “pet projects”
that are within the
realm of the subject
they teach but are of
particular interest to
the teacher
themselves.

Teachers need to increase their self-efficacy. Teachers often lack strong self-efficacy
while learning new methods (Lee, 2010) of pedagogy or creating curriculum. High self-efficacy
can positively influence motivation (Pajares, 2006). Additionally, instructional support
(scaffolding) should be in place early on, thus building multiple opportunities for practice, and
then gradually remove the supports (Pajares, 2006). According to the social cognitive theory,
people can learn from each other in a positive environment by observing, imitating, and
modeling skills that are necessary to complete the task (Bandura & Adams, 1977). Learning and
motivation are enhanced when learners have positive expectancies for success (Pajares, 2006).
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 112

Ultimately, teachers need to work or plan together in their course-alike or cross-curricular
teams in order to feel more confident in their pedagogical decisions. The organization needs to
provide instruction, guided practice, and immediate feedback in a cooperative learning
environment. Part of the teachers’ concern may be that as they have been using the direct
instruction method for most of their teaching careers, it will be difficult to restructure their
curriculum and instruction to fit in a differentiated structure. Teachers are the leaders in the
classroom, and for them, trying a different method of teaching may give them concern for their
ability to do the work. Therefore, the recommendation is to provide instruction, guided practice,
and immediate feedback in a cooperative learning environment so teachers can help teachers
navigate through to the understanding.
Goal orientation theory. Teachers must focus discourse on mastery, learning, and
understanding of the curricular and instructional needs of gifted students (Pintrich, 2003).
Additionally, teachers should focus on mastery, individual improvement, learning, and progress,
which promotes positive motivation (Yough & Anderman, 2006). Using goal orientation theory,
teachers should be encouraged to set goals (Dembo & Eaton, 2000), as well as measurable
performance goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). Through discourse, training, and course-alike
planning, teachers can also use cooperative and collaborative groups to allow for opportunities to
attain both social and academic goals (Pintrich, 2003). The recommendation is that teachers
need to be provided with time to meet and talk with each other about mastery, learning, and
understanding of the curricular needs of gifted students in their weekly meetings, both course-
alike and interdisciplinary.
Teachers need to have interest in what and who they teach. Teachers need to include
real-world materials that they enjoy, as well as contemporary themes and subjects (movies,
books, music) or well-known events to use in examples, scenarios or the canon of a lesson.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 113

These materials should incorporate real-life, original source materials that are vivid, varied and
novel, and create surprise or disequilibrium (Schraw & Lehman, 2009). Teachers should also
model enthusiasm or interest (2009). The recommendation is to provide teachers time to create
“pet projects” that are within the realm of the subject they teach but are of particular interest to
the teacher themselves. Having teachers enjoy the lesson they are delivering will help gifted
students, as gifted students identify with the teachers more so than with their peers.
Organization Influences and Recommendations
Introduction. Based on the data analysis to date and upon reflection of the assumed
organizational influences, Table 4 indicated there were two cultural model influences and two
cultural setting influences. The first of the cultural model influences was that the faculty seemed
to believe that all students can learn in the same manner, which is not true (Boud, Cohen, &
Sampson, 2014). Students learn at various levels due to multiple reasons, such as knowledge,
motivation, and availability to prior knowledge (Kennedy et al., 2015). Training in differentiated
instruction could positively affect the organizational goal of graduating students in four years
(Edwards, Carr, & Siegel, 2006). The second cultural model influence revealed that the teachers
need to create and support a culture of trust between administration and faculty, in order to allow
observations not related to evaluations (Houtte, 2006). Currently, teachers see observations as
punitive instead of an opportunity for improvement.
Additionally, there are two cultural setting influences that address the organization’s
process and policies to support teachers in identifying students who may be gifted, as well as
providing resources aligned to those policies. Faculty must incorporate new methods for
curricular and instructional change, as well as to become proficient in differentiated instruction
for gifted students as well as mainstream and students with individual education plans (IEP).
Table 29
Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 114

Assumed
Organization Influence Validated? Priority Principle and citation
Context-specific
recommendation
Cultural model
influence 1

Faculty need to feel
that they are part of
a culture that
believes that
students do not
learn in the same
manner.
High
probability
Yes Effective change
efforts use evidenced-
based solutions and
adapt them where
necessary to the
organization’s culture
(Clark & Estes, 2008).
Effective change
efforts ensure that
everyone has the
resources (equipment,
personnel, time, etc.)
needed to do their job,
and that if there are
resource shortages,
then resources are
aligned with
organizational priorities
(Clark & Estes, 2008).
Organization must
and enable time
and support for
teachers to:
• Learn about and
openly discuss
recent research
on students who
are gifted.
• Understand
teachers’
knowledge of
gifted students’
needs in the
classroom:
curriculum,
instruction,
socio-emotional
support
• Address
teachers’
feelings and
concerns about
differentiating
instruction
Cultural model
influence 2

A culture of trust
must exist between
administration and
faculty to allow
observations not
related to
evaluations, thus
gaining outside
perspectives on
improving
curriculum and
instruction for all
levels, including
gifted students.
High
probability
Yes Effective change
efforts utilize feedback
to determine when/if
improvement is
happening (Clark &
Estes, 2008)
Administration
will allow for
department heads
to orchestrate who
will team-teach
together, among
and between like
subjects, and
cross-curricular
subjects,
Cultural Setting
Influence 1

WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 115

The organization
must have a process
with policies in
place and resources
aligned to those
policies to support
teachers in
identifying students
who may be gifted.
High
probability
Yes Effective change
efforts ensure that
everyone has the
resources (equipment,
personnel, time, etc.)
needed to do their job,
and that if there are
resource shortages,
then resources are
aligned with
organizational priorities
(Clark & Estes, 2008).
Effective change
efforts use evidenced-
based solutions and
adapt them where
necessary to the
organization’s culture
(Clark & Estes, 2008).
The organization
must draft a policy
that will mandate
that every teacher
be trained in how
to identify and
service students
who are or may be
gifted so that
teachers can serve
these students
effectively. This
policy will be tied
to evaluations of
the teachers’
proficiency in
curriculum and
instruction.
Cultural setting
influence 2

The organization
must have a process
with policies in
place to help
teachers support
ability to provide
effective curriculum
and instruction that
will include training
on differentiated
instruction for
students who are
gifted.
High
probability
Yes Effective organizations
ensure that messages,
rewards, policies, and
procedures that govern
the work of the
organization are
aligned with or are
supportive of
organizational goals
and values (Clark &
Estes, 2008).
Administration nee
ds to draft a policy
that teachers will
specifically
support gifted
learners in the
classroom as well
as incorporate
differentiated
instruction into
their pedagogical
choices.
Administration
needs to be certain
that teachers are
provided
appropriate
training with
regard to students’
gifted
characteristics,
socio-emotional
attributes,
appropriate
curriculum and
instruction, and
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 116

differentiated
instruction.

Cultural model influence 1. Faculty need to feel that they are part of a culture that
believes that students do not learn in the same manner. Effective change efforts use evidence-
based solutions and adapt them where necessary to the organization’s culture (Clark & Estes,
2008). Additionally, effective change efforts ensure that everyone has the resources (equipment,
personnel, time, etc.) needed to do their job, and that if there are resources shortages, then
resources are aligned with organizational priorities (Clark & Estes, 2008).
The organization must enable and support for teachers to: (a) Learn about and openly
discuss recent research on students who are gifted; (b) Understand teachers’ knowledge of gifted
students needs in the classroom, curriculum, instruction, and socio-emotional support; and (c)
Address teachers’ feelings and concerns about differentiating instruction.
Cultural model influence 2: A culture of trust must exist between administration and
faculty to allow observations not related to evaluations. This would help to gain outside
perspectives on improving curriculum and instruction for all levels, including students who are
gifted. Ultimately, effective change efforts utilize feedback to determine when/if improvement is
happening (Clark & Estes, 2008). However, in a cultural model that includes fears of retribution
from observations of their classroom habits, it is difficult to get valuable and valid feedback.
Change efforts would ensure that everyone has the resources (equipment, personnel, time, etc.)
needed to do their job, and that if there are resource shortages, then resources are aligned with
organizational priorities (Clark & Estes, 2008). The recommendation is for administration to
allow for department heads to orchestrate who will team-teach together, among and between like
subjects.
In summary, the organization must be willing to engage in deep conversations with
teachers in order to: (a) Have administration understand the feelings of the teachers when it
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 117

comes to evaluation; (b) Have administration learn techniques of differentiated instruction in
order to properly assess, and more importantly, support the teachers learning of this strategy; and
(c) Be prepared to what might be a difficult conversation at the onset, where one on one or in
small groups teachers are able to trust what they say to the administrator will be a positive
construct to better understand the relationship between teacher and administrator.
Cultural setting influence 1. The organization must have a process with policies in
place and resources aligned to those policies to support teachers in identifying students who may
be gifted. Effective change efforts ensure that everyone has the resources (equipment, personnel,
time, etc.) needed to do their job, and that if there are resource shortages, then resources are
aligned with organizational priorities (Clark & Estes, 2008). Also, effective change efforts use
evidenced-based solutions and adapt them where necessary to the organization’s culture (Clark
& Estes, 2008).
The recommendation is that the organization draft a policy that will mandate that every
teacher be trained in how to identify and service students who are or may be gifted so that
teachers can serve these students effectively. This is a high priority to the organization. This
policy will be tied to evaluations of the teachers’ proficiency in their curriculum and instruction.
In summary, the organization must (a) draft a policy mandating every teacher is trained in
how to identify gifted students; and (b) inform the teachers that this policy will be tied to
evaluations of the teachers’ proficiency in serving the needs of the gifted population.
Cultural setting influence 2. The organization must have a process with policies in
place to help teachers support ability to provide effective curriculum and instruction that will
include training on differentiated instruction for students who are gifted. This is imperative, as
effective change efforts use evidenced-based solutions and adapt them where necessary to the
organization’s culture (Clark & Estes, 2008). Administration needs to draft a policy that teachers
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 118

will specifically support gifted learners in the classroom, as well as incorporate differentiated
instruction into their pedagogical choices.
Effective organizations ensure that organizational messages, rewards, policies, and
procedures that govern the work of the organization are aligned with or are supportive of
organizational goals and values (Clark & Estes, 2008). This must be added to the evaluation that
each teacher receives each year from administration. Additionally, the administration needs to
be certain that teachers are provided appropriate training for teachers to understand gifted
students’ characteristics, their socio-emotional attributes, and how to apply appropriate
curriculum, instruction, and differentiated instruction.
Therefore, the organization must (a) draft a policy that teachers will specifically support
gifted learners in the mainstream classroom by incorporating differentiated instruction into their
pedagogical choices; (b) the use of differentiated instruction must be added to the teacher
evaluation; and (c) teachers need to receive appropriate training with regard to gifted
characteristics and their need for high socio-emotional support.
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
Implementation and Evaluation Framework
In order to implement and evaluate recommendations for organizational change, the New
World Kirkpatrick Model is used for the study (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Four levels
are considered when evaluating training programs. In order to understand the goal of the change,
the authors consider the stages in reverse. In the fashion of backward design, when the learner
knows what goal they need to reach, they become more effective and efficient in understanding
what steps they need to take or implement, as well as plan for the outcome of the evaluation.
Utilizing the levels, Level Four deals with the degree to which targeted outcomes occur because
of the training, support and accountability. Level Three addresses behavior, and to what degree
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 119

do people who participated in training apply what they learned when they return to work. Level
Two undertakes the acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence and the ability to
persevere with what they learned in training. Level One respects the participants in their
opinions on whether they can utilize what they have learned, and if it was something that will be
“...favorable, engaging, and relevant to their jobs” (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016, p. 39).
Organizational Purpose, Need, and Expectations
The organizational mission of CHS is that as a learning community dedicated to
educating all students to become respectful, literate, thinking, and contributing members of
society. Students of the organization will demonstrate responsibility and commitment in meeting
the challenges of a changing world. Additionally, the organization has global goals: (a)
graduating 95% of students in four years; and that (b) teachers will be able to identify and
differentiate instruction for gifted students.
Based on the findings, teachers stated the importance of being able to identify and
differentiate instruction for gifted students. Currently, the high school does not identify or
accommodate for needs gifted students who were originally identified as gifted in elementary
school. In high school, these students are declassified as such, and therefore, reside in
mainstream classrooms where all students are expected to do the same work in the same manner.
Students who are gifted need to have modified curriculum and instruction in order to be
motivated to finish work, or even start it. Whereas it is acceptable to teach the overarching
theme or subject of the lesson to all students, it is critical that gifted students be able to find the
answers to questions in their own way; such as oral and written projects, reports, etc. Using
differentiated instruction, the teacher learns to accommodate and personalize the lessons for all
students, including gifted students, based on the students’ own best methods of acquiring
knowledge. This environment thus aligns with the organization’s mission and goal, as all
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 120

students will receive personal curriculum and instruction, and, therefore, will be more successful
in their studies, thus leading to the goal that at least 95% of students graduating in four years, as
well as, creating a differentiated environment for all students to learn in their best manner.
If teachers are trained in differentiated instruction, thus acknowledging and supporting
the students’ varying methods of learning, then the teachers will be more successful in
supporting the students’ comprehension of the lessons. This will alleviate fewer students having
to repeat classes that are mandatory for graduation, and therefore, will graduate in four years as
is hoped by the organization for all students.
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
In Table 32, the level four results and leading indicators describe the outcomes, metrics,
and methods, as well as the external and internal outcomes, of CHS as prescribed by the New
World Kirkpatrick model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). External outcomes are the result of
internal outcomes, such as students graduating from CHS in four years. Internal outcomes are
specific to the organizational goal of students graduating in four years, while internal outcomes
specifically discuss what teachers can do to support that goal within the classroom. Additionally,
in the Methods column, information about how these outcomes will be realized or are observable
are noted. The following tables will delineate the outcomes, metrics, and methods, as well as
critical behaviors of the stakeholders and the required drivers.
Table 30.
Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes
Outcome Metrics Methods
External outcomes
Community colleges and
universities are receiving
students that graduated from
CHS.
College acceptance rates of
gifted and talented students
from CHS
Track acceptance
notifications that detail which
colleges and universities are
accepting students.
Universities begin to recruit
at CHS due to a reputation of
Number of students who have
been recruited to universities
Track how many recruiters
are coming to CHS
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 121

high GPAs and college
acceptance offers.
and are being sought out by
recruiters.
Internal outcomes
Gifted students and the
mainstream student
population are receiving
differentiated instruction.
100% of teachers are
differentiating instruction for
all students.
On a weekly basis, 100% of
teachers meet with students,
individually and in groups,
for clarification of
assignments and grade
monitoring.
On a weekly basis, 100% of
teachers use the SpeCDP to
address differentiated
instruction for specific
students.
Teachers continuously
monitor each other in order to
support the differentiated
instruction model of teaching.
Yearly graduation statistics of
students who are gifted for
each academic year.
Teacher- developed
“Specified Classroom
Differentiation Plan”
(SpeCDP) form would be
filled out by each teacher and
a copy given to the course
leader as a backup.
Each teacher’s forms are
tabulated and then placed in
the classroom plans binder.
Each teacher provides a
report on their differentiated
accommodations for each
student and update as needed.
Outcome Metrics Methods
Gifted Students are receiving
differentiated instruction.
Teachers plan out their
curriculum together two
weeks in advance, before
students return.
Copies of the reports are
delivered to lead subject
teachers and administration
and will be sent and
reviewed. A binder will be
kept and when the reports are
filed in the binder, the report
will be initialed by the lead
teacher.

Grades are available online
for teachers, parents,
counselors, etc. (in LMS,
document), so that all
stakeholders have the
opportunity to monitor
student grades.
Teachers submit SpeCDP
Scoreboard (grade metrics) to
department chair.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 122

Level 3: Behavior
Critical behaviors. Teachers’ key behaviors will be that they exhibit data and
conversational discourse about mastery, as well as activating students’ understanding of how
metacognitively the students can reach mastery of the lesson. All students do not learn alike, and
particularly, gifted students look at their assignments and lessons very differently than do most
mainstream students. Teachers who are motivated to improve their curriculum and instruction
for students who are gifted would find that they need to get together in groups of teachers and
administrators so as they learn the traits and applications of the learning objectives, they will feel
supported by their peers. Teachers must also embrace training in differentiated instruction as
this method will allow for more success in the classroom as the teachers are able to find the best
path to mastery for all students, including gifted students.
Table 31.
Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation
Critical Behavior Metrics Methods Timing
Teachers strategically
work together to
understand differentiation
and giftedness with
Common Core Standards
as foundations,
Number of teachers
attending trainings to
work with teammates to
share ideas, challenges,
and victories with
differentiated instruction.
Attendance logs for
subject-alike teacher team
meetings maintained and
monitored by Team
Leaders.
Monthly
Observations by district
visitors, administration and
other teachers. (check-in form
from observer) on record in
the office.
Teachers are identifying
educational traits of
giftedness and gifted
students.
100% of teachers feel more
comfortable in the classroom
and are comprehending more
information than before.
Survey
Increase of teachers being
able to cope and resolve
socio-emotional episodes of
gifted students, as well as
mainstream students.
Faculty peer observations of
teachers coping and resolving
distress for gifted students.
Nurse and counselor logs
maintained and reported on a
monthly basis to front office.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 123

purposefully address the
concept of metacognition
to students, and identify
and serve gifted students.
Teachers are comfortable
with check-ins from
administration and other
teachers, and as such,
observers will see teachers
primarily working with
groups of students, or one
on one instruction or
remediation.
Number of teachers who
demonstrate desired
behavior during classroom
visits from district
personnel, administration,
and other teachers.
Observation by district
personnel, administration,
other teachers.
Two
out of
three
visits a
month.
Teachers populate
classroom bulletin boards,
walls, and whiteboards
with objectives and
pertinent information that
will allow teachers to
focus on helping students
reach mastery.
Number of teachers who
practice each of the
techniques of populating
the classroom bulletin
boards, walls, and
whiteboard with
objectives and pertinent
information in pursuit of
mastery.
Observation by district
personnel, administration,
other teachers.
Documented by check-in
form showing what
visitors observed in the
classroom of both teacher
and students.
Four or
more
times a
month.

Required drivers. Demonstration of key behaviors from the teachers as noted by
administration and organizational processes and systems will indicate that teachers will be
affecting change within the classroom, which in turn will support the organizational goal of
graduating high school students within four years. The drivers in the table below will detail the
critical behaviors, metrics, methods, and the recommended timing of the actions. These drivers
will be organized by reinforcing, encouraging, rewarding, and monitoring and are provided
in Table 34.
Table 32.
Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors
Methods Timing
Critical
behaviors
supported
Reinforcing
Teachers need to know the characteristics of
giftedness.
Immediately and on
a recurring basis
1
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 124

throughout the
school year.
Teachers need to update their terminology on gifted
students.
Training in October
2019
1, 2
Teachers need to be up to date with terminology on
gifted students’ curriculum
Post-training in
summer 2020
1, 2
Encouraging
Administration shares metrics with teachers at
meetings to see where we are in meeting the goal in
95% of students being on track to graduate in four
years, and
Monthly 1
Rewarding
Administrators provide awards to teachers whose
students have achieved mastery in a particular unit.
Monthly 1,2,3
Teacher of the month is rewarded by Administration
at monthly meeting based on student performance.
Monthly 1,2,3
Administrators congratulate the teachers for the work
that they do independently on a postcard in their box.
As necessary 1,2,3
Monitoring
Administrator monitors scoreboards of student
success to see challenges or victories.
Monthly 1,2,3
Administrator monitors behaviors of teachers, as they
should be actively engaged with the students
singularly or in groups
Monthly 1,2,3

Organizational support. The organization of administrators and their practices will
need to change as there are no metrics of the student success rate revealed to the teachers on any
regular basis. Thus, the teachers have no understanding of the challenges or victories of student
success. At the end of the year, when it is largely too late to make change happen, the teachers
are informed if the organization has or has not met its goal. Additionally, teachers do not have
the ability to view any of the metrics of student success. In order to close the gap on how many
students are on track for graduating in four years, as well as ensuring relevant and recent metrics
of students who are gifted, the organization must get everyone on board to do all that they can to:
(a) service all students’ needs in the classroom, such as textbooks for all students, relevant
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 125

materials, etc.; (b) require and monitor all teachers are delivering personalized and differentiated
instruction; and (c) be certain that all teachers have all training needs met.
Teachers also need to attend training on new instructional methods, as is noted in Table
40. Without teachers serving all students' needs and without differentiating instruction it is
unlikely the goals of the organization will be met. Administrators must keep track of metrics in
order to celebrate and challenge teachers’ success rate with gifted students. During monthly
meetings, the administration can easily accomplish this by sharing metrics and celebrating the
success of the teachers who have met their goals through the success of the students, especially
the students who are gifted. Encouraging other teachers to congratulate the teachers who have
done well can be motivating for other teachers (Roberts, 2005). Administration can then publish
data that speaks to the success of the teachers and their ability to serve all students, bringing
more students to the school, making CHS that much more successful in meeting the 95% goal. If
this plan is not put into place, and students who are gifted are not assessed, accessed, and
supported curricularly and instructionally, it may well be that the ignoring of this special
population will widen the gap at CHS.
Level 2: Learning
Learning goals. According to Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick (2016), learning is based on the
degree of participation and acquiring knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence, and commitment in
order to learn the lesson. Once training for differentiation of instruction and elements of
giftedness have been delivered to the teachers, the following must be present and identifiable in
the classroom:
1. Teachers can define what is giftedness; (D)
2. Teachers know the characteristics in order to identify gifted students; (D)
3. Teachers apply the steps to build appropriate curriculum; (P)
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 126

4. Teachers apply the steps to differentiate instruction; and (P)
5. Teachers have self-efficacy for attending to the socio-emotional attributes of
giftedness in the classroom (M)
6. Teachers are enthusiastic about their ability to design curriculum and instruction
specifically for gifted learners (M)
Program. The goals listed in the previous sections will be achieved through a training
focused on these principles. By the end of the training and subsequent observations, teachers
will know how to identify, build custom curriculum and instruction, differentiate, and recognize
socio-emotional attributes of gifted students. The organization will need to support the teachers’
critical behaviors by promoting a culture of trust and authentic care between teachers. In order
to motivate teachers to take value in what they will be learning, the organization must also
provide effective incentives to have teachers meet the goals of the training.
The training will take place during two scheduled professional development periods.
Several modules of information will be delivered and discussed in a session that will include
modeling differentiated instruction for the teachers as they learn about giftedness. The first
session will consist of delivering knowledge of giftedness to the teachers, such as: (a) learning
what teachers may already know about giftedness; (b) learning specifics of the research on
giftedness; (c) learning what differentiated instruction is; (d) practicing differentiated instruction;
and (e) addressing the socio-emotional needs of gifted students, including strategies to better
manage and alleviate the stress of the students.
The second part of the training will be scheduled during the next meeting one week later.
In this part of the training, teachers will be working within their own subject matter, as well as
discussing how they will implement this procedure with their course-alike teachers.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 127

Following this training, a survey will help to understand what teachers knew and what
they did not know about giftedness, as well as follow-up observation for purposes of supporting
the teachers. The organization needs to provide time for teachers to meet, practice, and deliver
the instruction for gifted students with confidence and the safety of knowing that any observation
would only be for improvement, and not for evaluation during this first year.
Evaluation of the components of learning. In the following table, declarative
knowledge, procedural skills, attitude, confidence, and commitment regarding the evaluation of
the components of learning for the program are identified. The first construct will be declarative
knowledge of the teachers, and information regarding this section will be related to knowledge
about what teachers know as a result of the survey, including what they know about giftedness,
and discussions with peers. Additionally, procedural skills will be addressed to understand if
teachers have learned the steps on how to identify gifted students, as well as design curriculum
and instruction for the students. Attitude about the training is critical as the teachers’ thoughts of
the value and rationale of the training, concerns, and issues from the teachers’ perspective, as
well as concerns about the observations that will take place for training purposes only. Teachers
need to believe they can shift their classroom environment in order to serve students who are
gifted. This can occur with mentorship or coaching, as well as creating action plans for teachers
so that they can scaffold the new concepts as the year progresses.
Table 33.
Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program
Methods or Activities Timing
Declarative knowledge: “I know it”
Knowledge checks on pre- and post-survey Before and after survey
Share information with tablemates During training and
after
Pre-survey and post-survey Before, during, and end
of the training
Procedural skills: “I can do it right now.”
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Checklist of how to identify, differentiate, and design curriculum
and instruction.
During the workshop
Scenarios of what to do with gifted students in certain
circumstances (curriculum, instruction, socio-emotional issues,
etc.)
During and after
Attitude: “I believe this is worthwhile.”
Discussions on value and rationale of material During workshop
Issues and concerns of participants in training During and after
Confidence: “I think I can do it on the job.”
Small group discussions regarding concerns of having to
redesign part of the curriculum and instruction teachers have
created
During and after
Mentorship, coaching, or peer check-ins After
Q&A in pairs and in full group During and after
Pre and post surveys During and after
Commitment: “I will do it on the job.”
Discussions of issues or barriers, based on commitment,
resources, knowledge, motivation, etc.
During and after
One on one reports of progress and support needed After
Indirect action plans of how teachers will implement the new
skills
After

Level 1: Reaction

In the table below, labeled “Components to Measure Reactions to the Program,” a list of
the methods that were used to determine how the participants reacted to the learning events are
noted. These methods or tools include: (a) engagement; (b) relevance; and (c) teacher
satisfaction. It is important to understand if the training was engaging to the teachers and
constructed in a way that was meaningful for their learning. Additionally, it is important to make
certain the workshop was relevant to the teachers’ everyday occurrences in their classrooms.
Finally, the table addresses the concept of customer satisfaction that allows for an understanding
of whether or not the training was helpful to their practice, which can be determined by the
observation of the participants through the training and the anonymous post-survey.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 129

Table 34.
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program
Methods or tools Timing
Engagement
Anonymous survey Before the workshop
Teachers’ attendance Beginning of workshop
Asking meaningful questions During workshop
Completion of practice scenarios During workshop
Seriously considering the practice scenarios During workshop
Relevance
Personal check-ins with teachers Before, during and after the workshop
Post survey End of workshop
Customer satisfaction
Observation of participants and their reactions During workshop
Anonymous survey After each training session

Evaluation Tools

Immediately following the program implementation. Immediately following the training,
a questionnaire (Appendix A) will check for understanding and clarity of the information
delivered to the teachers during training. This will be delivered to the teachers in the meeting
room as the last piece of the training. This questionnaire will be taken by the participants, as
well as any of the attending administrators, and is meant to assess the facilitators’ objective of
learning about giftedness and the students who are gifted (Level 2). Additionally, relevance and
customer satisfaction will be measured as a part of the post-survey (Level 1).
Delayed for a period after the program implementation. Approximately four weeks after the
teachers have attended the training a team of independent evaluators, not related to formal
performance evaluations, will travel to random classrooms to assess the critical behaviors (Level
(c) among teachers regarding how to utilize differentiation of instruction as well as methods of
identifying students who are or may be gifted. Observers, who will be curriculum coaches, will
note their findings as seen in the classroom, and they will send a copy of the notes to the
attending teacher. Finally, the evaluators will conduct a follow-up visit to see how successful the
changes were. The follow-up visit should occur after another four weeks, in order to allow time
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 130

for behavior change. These constructs will be repeated each quarter thereafter as the action in
the classroom can be important to support the performance goal which is to graduate all students
in four years.
Another delayed questionnaire (Appendix B) was delivered at the end of year meeting upon
commencement of the school year. This questionnaire was looking for how the information
delivered at the beginning of the year was utilized to identify and serve gifted students’ needs in
their classrooms. It also helped to re-evaluate how the knowledge gained was used continuously
throughout the year, or whether modifications to the training program needed to be made. The
Assistant Principal of Curriculum and instruction would be the person assessing the
questionnaire for challenges and successes.
The third evaluation would have been delivered at the end of the year, and as a focus group,
constructed of volunteers from the staff. The goal of this survey was to have the teachers talk
amongst themselves and have the researcher understand what challenges and victories occurred
in the classroom with the knowledge gained in the training.
Data Analysis and Reporting
The evaluation data collected from the training program will be distributed via email so
as to inform the participants and the administration of the final outcome. The survey is a mixed-
methods tool, with quantitative data as well as comments from the participants. The researcher
coded the qualitative comments and statistics from the survey, with explanations on the
comments and will be available for the administration and teachers. As this training had an end
of year survey, the researcher will know how to amend or add to the follow-up training.
Additionally, there will be drop-ins to the classrooms by external evaluators as mentioned in the
section above, which will have no bearing on teachers’ official evaluations. Finally, there will be
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 131

an end of year survey to see if anything has changed. The researcher will again code and deliver
information to the administration for purposes of evaluation of the training in Appendix D.
Summary
The researcher used the New World Kirkpatrick Model to plan, implement, and evaluate
the researcher’s recommendations for the organization to optimize achieving both the
stakeholder and the organizational goal. The expectations for using the framework and the
advantages of integrating implementation and evaluation allowed for a much deeper
understanding of the findings. According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016), there are three
areas of evaluation: (a) Does the level of the evaluation meet expectations?; (b) If it does not
meet the expectations, why not?; and (c) If it does meet expectations, then why does it do so?
The recommendations are for training and implementation for teachers to provide
differentiated instruction for all students, with the idea that students who are or may be gifted
would benefit from having personalized curriculum and instruction. Therefore, the chapter
included a proposed training plan to implement those recommendations for teachers. Although
teachers were not overall entirely enthused about having to learn a new method of creating and
delivering curriculum based on the data analysis discussed in chapter four, the reality is that if
they do not meet those expectations, the goal of graduating all students in 4 years will not be
met.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Approach
All methodological approaches have strengths and weaknesses. In this section, discuss
the strengths and weaknesses of using the Clark and Estes (2008) framework in your case study.
Consider different perspectives for writing this section, such as (a) the appropriateness of using
this approach in the problem in practice domain of your organizational problem, (b) the
appropriateness of using the case study design in comparison or contrasted with other study
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 132

design methods, (c) the advantages and/or disadvantages of using the KMO framework to
understand the performance of organizations and individuals, and (d) the resources required
(time, financial, human, social) to use the approach for problem-solving versus the benefits
(accuracy, completeness, validity, and reliability, stakeholder participation).
Limitations and Delimitations
The first limitation encountered was that only 44% of the teachers responded to the
survey. Although a wide range of the tenure of teachers was represented, from more than 30-
year teachers, to one-year teachers, there was not a majority of teachers who could have
contributed to the pool of knowledge. Additionally, with only one school that was surveyed,
there could have been other cultural elements of participation in other district schools.
The focus group only numbered three people in the end, and it would have been
interesting and contributory to the study had more people joined the focus group. However, the
three members that joined were exceedingly open and candid about what they knew, although
none of the members had any solid conception of what it meant to be gifted.
Recommendations for Future Research
In general, there are various categories of topics that could be discussed in this section for the
Dissertation in Practice. They are:
1. More participants in the study, as well as delineating what subject the teachers teach
so as to understand if the information conveyed in the questions were too broad or too
narrow.
2. As the current school did not have a gifted program, but instead substituted
International Baccalaureate curriculum for those who may have been gifted, future
research could help to identify current best practices for gifted curriculum in high
school.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 133

3. Recommendations of having consistent yearly or bi-yearly training on the recent best
practices of gifted curriculum and instruction, especially at the start of the year for
any new personnel who may encounter students who are gifted, such as support staff
and collaboration classes between teachers.
One of the improvements to the study could have been to open up the survey to other
high schools within the District. This would have allowed for understanding the culture of the
teachers’ ability to learn new ideas within the educational realm, and whether or not there were
more teachers in other schools that knew more or less than the teachers at CHS.
Conclusion
The problem was that there was a lack of information about what teachers knew about
giftedness, gifted students’ personal needs, and gifted students’ need of socio-emotional support.
It was important that the stakeholders were the teachers, as they are on the frontline with the
students. While counselors and administrators may interact periodically with the students,
teachers see them the most, and know about their needs in the classroom.
The recommendations were training on giftedness, as well as training on implementation
of differentiated instruction for teachers. Therefore, the chapter included a proposed training
plan to implement those recommendations for teachers. The survey showed that some teachers
did not want more training, and were concerned about having to learn a new method of creating
and delivering curriculum, based on the data analysis discussed in Chapter Four, there were
teachers who realized that the reality is that if they do not meet expectations, it is likely the goal
of graduating all students in four years will not be met. The organizational goal of graduating
students in four years is important to the district, as they see this as a springboard to college.
Other teachers, in the qualitative parts of the survey, noted that it had been too many years that
had passed since the organization had stopped support gifted students. Many teachers were
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 134

willing to learn after this survey, so that all students, including the gifted and talented students at
CHS, can learn in a positive environment for their style of learning.

WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 135

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Practice, 44, 160-166. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4402_10
Tretter, T. R. (2003). Gifted students speak mathematics problem-solving insights. Gifted Child
Today, 26(3), 22-33. https://doi.org/10.4219%2Fgct-2003-109
Ujifusa, A. (2018, March). Trump K-12 priorities outlined in budget. Education Week, 14-17.
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outlined-in-budget.html
Vidergor, H., & Harris, C. (2015). Applied practice for educators of gifted and able learners.
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http://www.ascd.org/publications/jcs/summer2005/toc.aspx

WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 145

Appendix A: Survey Protocol
1. How long have you been teaching?
a. Less than 3 years
b. More than 3 years, but less than 5 years
c. 5 years or more but less than 10 years
d. 10 years or more but less than 15 years
e. 15 years or more but less than 20 years
f. 20 years or more.

2. Do you teach with a credential in special education?
a. Yes
b. No
c. I have dual credentials – Special Education and another Subject

3. Please explain your understanding of giftedness.

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

4. Which of the following are characteristics of a high school gifted student? (check all that
apply)
a. Impulsive *
b. patient
c. Heightened self-awareness *
d. High expectations of self *
e. Likes to work in groups
f. High levels of frustration *
g. Rarely gets angry
h. Lack of humor
i. Turns in all homework
j. More social with the teacher than with peers*

5. Thinking back to your teacher preparation program or through any training, to what extent
did the program or training teach you about giftedness and gifted students? In this case, “0”
would mean that you learned nothing in your program or training and “5” would mean you
had an amazing experience with learning about giftedness from your program or training.

Nothing! 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 I am a pro!

6. Which one of the following choices would you most likely make if a student who was
identified as gifted or you believed may be gifted became very angry about having to work in
groups?
a. Explain that this is what the class is doing and the student needs to do what everyone
else is doing.
b. Have the whole class work out how each group would do the project and how to
divide up the workload. Allow the students to work independently or together as to
their comfort.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 146

c. Pull the student aside and discus why the student feels that way and what the teacher
can do to help.

Please explain why you chose your answer.

7. The following questions ask about multiple intelligences and their application to students’
abilities. Choose the best answer from the list below for each question.
a. Visual-Spatial
b. Bodily Kinesthetic
c. Musical
d. Interpersonal
e. Intrapersonal
f. Linguistic
g. Logical-Mathematical

7a. A student likes to build models and often uses their hands to explain a concept. They enjoy
role playing. (b)
7b. These students may be very sensitive to sound. (c)
7c. A student that needs to form concepts before they can deal with the details of an assignment.
(g)
7d. These students are highly independent learners. (e)
7e. A student loves to experiment, and prolifically asks questions (d).
7f. These students may talk about computer games, and will sometimes learn best through
games, books, and interactive lecture with the teacher. (f)
7g. These students are very aware of their environments, such as the differences between one
teachers’ classroom and another. They artists and daydreamers. (a)

Use the following chart as a model for giftedness and answer the questions below

(Renzulli, 2005)

8. When a student is “gifted” their above average ability is inclusive of:
a. Processing information abstractly
b. Performing an activity perfectly
c. Getting straight “A”s

9. Creativity can be a marker of giftedness if they have:
a. An openness to new learning
b. Are curious and mentally playful
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 147

c. Sensitive to detail
d. None of the above
e. All of the above
f. A & B
g. B & C

10. Task commitment for gifted students entails
a. Getting the job done well
b. Getting an A on the assignment
c. Being interested and enthused about the task being given.

11. To what extent do you know about the Differentiated Model of Giftedness?

12. Giftedness is:
a. Untrained abilities that manifest spontaneously in a student
b. The student is gifted in everything they do.
c. The student’s GPA is among the top 10% of their class.
d. They receive 95 -100% on all their tests.
e. A & B
f. B & C

13. Talented is generally defined by:
a. Mastery of at least one field to the degree that it places the student in the top 10% of
other students’ ability and knowledge
b. Mastery of all fields of knowledge and ability
c. Completes all of their assignments given by the teacher with an A+
d. The extent to which they are gregarious or withdrawn

14. Please describe what measures you would take and how you would feel in your classroom if
you had a student who was working on an assignment, but who was being overly talkative,
although on task.
a. I would ask him to be quiet so as not to disturb others.
b. My classroom is group oriented so they are used to productive discussions.
c. I’ve tried to let them talk, but my students can’t stay on task.
d. It depends on what we are doing in the classroom
e. None of the above - then elaborate on the lines below

Please elaborate if none of those answers fit to your beliefs and actions.
________________________________________________________________________

15. In planning a lesson on helping students to set goals, what steps would you take to when
designing the lesson?

16. What are the steps you would take if you suspected someone was gifted?

17. What are some actions you would you take to address the instructional and curricular needs
of a student who is twice gifted?
___________________________________________________________________________
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 148

18. To what extent do you know the steps to successfully differentiate instruction in a mixed
ability classroom?
1-------2-------3------4-----5
Please explain your answer.
___________________________________________________________________________

19. What is your process for setting goals for curriculum and instruction in your classroom?
___________________________________________________________________________

20. How should setting goals be applied in your instruction?
___________________________________________________________________________

21. What are some of the behavioral interventions you would apply when a gifted student
becomes overly emotional?
a. Send them to the nurse
b. Tell them to step outside, for a moment.
c. Ignore the behavior and refocus on the lesson
d. Stop, and step outside to see if they just need a moment or if there is something
wrong. (greet the student warmly, let the student get acclimated - such as putting his
bag down, gently let the student know what materials to take out - do not accuse
immediately of the tardiness. Once acclimated, gently ask if they have a pass, etc.)
e. A student likes to build models and often uses their hands to explain a concept. They
enjoy role playing.
f. These students may be very sensitive to sound.
g. These students are highly independent learners
h. These students have a difficult time with abstract feelings of their own and of others
in the classroom.
i. These students keep to themselves most often

22. Tell me about the value you place in identifying gifted students, constructing materials,
activities and the discourse in teaching.
___________________________________________________________________________

For the following section, use the Likert scales below to explain your answer where “0” would
mean you believe there is no value at all and “5” would mean that you strongly believe in the
value of the statement.

23. I value identifying gifted students.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

24. I value constructing materials for students who are gifted.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

25. I value creating activities for differentiated instruction

WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 149

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

26. I value the discourse and personalized learning in small groups instead of using direct
instruction all the time.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

27. How confident are you that you can do the following right now?
a. Identify gifted students in your classroom
b. Differentiate for gifted students
c. Both

Using the Likert scale below each statement to explain your answers, where “0”would mean you
believe you have no self-efficacy at all and “5” would mean that you strongly believe in the
value of the statement.

28. Get through to the most difficult gifted students by the end of the year.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

29. Create curriculum for difficult gifted students who are gifted.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

30. Create instruction for difficult students who are gifted.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

31. Help to increase gifted students’ ability to function in a mainstream class through
differentiation.

32. Help a gifted student through a socio- emotional episode.

Use the scale below to respond to the following statements, where “0” would mean that the
statement is not true at all for you, and 5 means that the statement is definitely true.

33. I focus on mastery through discourse with other teachers when I am not sure that I
understand if my lesson plan will work.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

34. I focus on making sure my lesson plans are relevant for each class in each year.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

35. I will re-do a lesson I have designed if most of the students did poorly on a test.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 150

36. I focus on promoting positive motivation for all my students, even when others might see me
fail
Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

37. I focus on differentiating instruction for my students who are gifted, although I sometimes
make mistakes.
Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

38. I am learning from my mistakes how to identify students who are gifted.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

39. I am still learning how to differentiate instruction for gifted students and am not afraid to
make mistakes and learn from them.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

Use the scale below to respond to the following statements, where “0” would mean that the
statement is not true at all for you, and “5” means that the statement is always true.

40. My subject is my passion.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

41. I enjoy teaching my subject to my students.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

42. I find identifying gifted students interesting.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

43. I am interested in differentiating instruction.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

44. I would enjoy it more if the students were as interested in it as I am

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

45. I wish I could teach what I really wanted to teach.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

46. I am interested to know how to address socio-emotional behaviors in gifted students.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 151

47. To what extent do you feel you are part of a school culture that accepts that all students learn
the same?

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

Please elaborate:
________________________________________________________________________

48. How could the organization be most helpful to support and enable the ability for teachers to
learn about and master differentiated instruction?

________________________________________________________________________

49. How could the organization be more helpful in teachers learning about giftedness?

________________________________________________________________________

50. To what extent do you feel comfortable having an administrator observe your instruction
outside of the formal evaluations?

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

51. To what extent do you feel comfortable having a colleague observe your instruction outside
of the evaluations?
Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

52. There is a process in the school that facilitates identifying students who may be gifted.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

53. The organization supports teachers to incorporate new methods for curricular and
instructional methods in order to accommodate and better serve all students.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

54. If you have any additional input with regard to students who are gifted, please add that in the
space below.

_____________________________________________________________________________

In the week following the survey, you will have a chance to join a focus group that will allow for
open discussion of your knowledge and motivation to address the needs of gifted education, as
well as any concerns. Your answers will not be attached to your name, and all discussions will
be recorded for the purposes of transcription only. As soon as the transcription is complete the
recording will be deleted. For the extra time you take, the researcher will have a small gift to
thank you for taking extra time out of your day.

WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 152

Appendix B: Focus Group Discussion
1. How long have you been teaching?
a. Less than 3 years
b. More than 3 years, but less than 5 years
c. 5 years or more but less than 10 years
d. 10 years or more but less than 15 years
e. 15 years or more but less than 20 years
f. 20 years or more.

2. Do you teach with a credential in special education?
a. Yes
b. No
c. I have dual credentials – Special Education and another Subject

3. Please explain your understanding of giftedness.

_____________________________________________________________________________

4. Which of the following are characteristics of a high school gifted student? (check all that
apply)
a. Impulsive *
b. patient
c. Heightened self-awareness *
d. High expectations of self *
e. Likes to work in groups
f. High levels of frustration *
g. Rarely gets angry
h. Lack of humor
i. Turns in all homework
j. More social with the teacher than with peers*

5. Thinking back to your teacher preparation program or through any training, to what extent
did the program or training teach you about giftedness and gifted students? In this case, “0”
would mean that you learned nothing in your program or training and “5” would mean you
had an amazing experience with learning about giftedness from your program or training.

Nothing! 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 I am a pro!

6. Which one of the following choices would you most likely make if a student who was
identified as gifted or you believed may be gifted became very angry about having to work in
groups?
a. Explain that this is what the class is doing and the student needs to do what everyone
else is doing.
b. Have the whole class work out how each group would do the project and how to
divide up the workload. Allow the students to work independently or together as to
their comfort.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 153

c. Pull the student aside and discuss why the student feels that way and what the teacher
can do to help.
Please explain why you chose your answer.
________________________________________________________________________

7. The following questions ask about multiple intelligences and their application to students’
abilities. Choose the best answer from the list below for each question.
a. Visual-Spatial
b. Bodily Kinesthetic
c. Musical
d. Interpersonal
e. Intrapersonal
f. Linguistic
g. Logical-Mathematical

7a. A student likes to build models and often uses their hands to explain a concept. They enjoy
role playing. (b)

7b. These students may be very sensitive to sound. (c)

7c. A student that needs to form concepts before they can deal with the details of an assignment.
(g)

7d. These students are highly independent learners. (e)

7e. A student loves to experiment, and prolifically asks questions (d).

7f. These students may talk about computer games, and will sometimes learn best through
games, books, and interactive lecture with the teacher. (f)

7g. These students are very aware of their environments, such as the differences between one
teachers’ classroom and another. They artists and daydreamers. (a)

Use the following chart as a model for giftedness and answer the questions below

(Renzulli, 2005)

8. When a student is “gifted” their above average ability is inclusive of:
a. Processing information abstractly
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 154

b. Performing an activity perfectly
c. Getting straight “A”s

9. Creativity can be a marker of giftedness if they have:
a. An openness to new learning
b. Are curious and mentally playful
c. Sensitive to detail
d. None of the above
e. All of the above
f. A & B
g. B & C

10. Task commitment for gifted students entails
a. Getting the job done well
b. Getting an A on the assignment
c. Being interested and enthused about the task being given.

11. To what extent do you know about the Differentiated Model of Giftedness?

12. Giftedness is:
a. Untrained abilities that manifest spontaneously in a student
b. The student is gifted in everything they do.
c. The student’s GPA is among the top 10% of their class.
d. They receive 95 -100% on all their tests.
e. A & B
f. B & C

13. Talented is generally defined by:
a. Mastery of at least one field to the degree that it places the student in the top 10% of
other students’ ability and knowledge
b. Mastery of all fields of knowledge and ability
c. Completes all of their assignments given by the teacher with an A+
d. The extent to which they are gregarious or withdrawn

14. Please describe what measures you would take and how you would feel in your classroom if
you had a student who was working on an assignment, but who was being overly talkative,
although on task.
a. I would ask him to be quiet so as not to disturb others.
b. My classroom is group oriented so they are used to productive discussions.
c. I’ve tried to let them talk, but my students can’t stay on task.
d. It depends on what we are doing in the classroom
e. None of the above - then elaborate on the lines below

Please elaborate if none of those answers fit to your beliefs and actions.
________________________________________________________________________

15. In planning a lesson on helping students to set goals, what steps would you take to when
designing the lesson?
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 155

16. What are the steps you would take if you suspected someone was gifted?

17. What are some actions you would you take to address the instructional and curricular needs
of a student who is twice gifted?

18. To what extent do you know the steps to successfully differentiate instruction in a mixed
ability classroom?

1-------2-------3------4-----5

Please explain your answer.
___________________________________________________________________________

19. What is your process for setting goals for curriculum and instruction in your classroom?

20. How should setting goals be applied in your instruction?

21. What are some of the behavioral interventions you would apply when a gifted student
becomes overly emotional?
a. Send them to the nurse
b. Tell them to step outside, for a moment.
c. Ignore the behavior and refocus on the lesson
d. Stop, and step outside to see if they just need a moment or if there is something
wrong.(greet the student warmly, let the student get acclimated - such as putting his
bag down, gently let the student know what materials to take out - do not accuse
immediately of the tardiness. Once acclimated, gently ask if they have a pass, etc.)
e. A student likes to build models and often uses their hands to explain a concept. They
enjoy role playing.
f. These students may be very sensitive to sound.
g. These students are highly independent learners
h. These students have a difficult time with abstract feelings of their own and of others
in the classroom.
i. These students keep to themselves most often

22. Tell me about the value you place in identifying gifted students, constructing materials,
activities and the discourse in teaching.

For the following section, use the Likert scales below to explain your answer where “0” would
mean you believe there is no value at all and “5” would mean that you strongly believe in the
value of the statement.

23. I value identifying gifted students.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

24. I value constructing materials for students who are gifted.
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 156

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

25. I value creating activities for differentiated instruction

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

26. I value the discourse and personalized learning in small groups instead of using direct
instruction all the time.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

27. How confident are you that you can do the following right now?
a. Identify gifted students in your classroom
b. Differentiate for gifted students
c. Both

Using the Likert scale below each statement to explain your answers, where “0”would mean you
believe you have no self-efficacy at all and “5” would mean that you strongly believe in the
value of the statement.

28. Get through to the most difficult gifted students by the end of the year.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

29. Create curriculum for difficult gifted students who are gifted.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

30. Create instruction for difficult students who are gifted.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

31. Help to increase gifted students’ ability to function in a mainstream class through
differentiation.

32. Help a gifted student through a socio- emotional episode.

Use the scale below to respond to the following statements, where “0” would mean that the
statement is not true at all for you, and 5 means that the statement is definitely true.

33. I focus on mastery through discourse with other teachers when I am not sure that I
understand if my lesson plan will work.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

34. I focus on making sure my lesson plans are relevant for each class in each year.

WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 157

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

35. I will re-do a lesson I have designed if most of the students did poorly on a test.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

36. I focus on promoting positive motivation for all my students, even when others might see me
fail
Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

37. I focus on differentiating instruction for my students who are gifted, although I sometimes
make mistakes.
Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

38. I am learning from my mistakes how to identify students who are gifted.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

39. I am still learning how to differentiate instruction for gifted students and am not afraid to
make mistakes and learn from them.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

Use the scale below to respond to the following statements, where “0” would mean that the
statement is not true at all for you, and “5” means that the statement is always true.

40. My subject is my passion.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

41. I enjoy teaching my subject to my students.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

42. I find identifying gifted students interesting.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

43. I am interested in differentiating instruction.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

44. I would enjoy it more if the students were as interested in it as I am

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

45. I wish I could teach what I really wanted to teach.

WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 158

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

46. I am interested to know how to address socio-emotional behaviors in gifted students.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

47. To what extent do you feel you are part of a school culture that accepts that all students learn
the same?

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

Please elaborate:
___________________________________________________________________________

48. How could the organization be most helpful to support and enable the ability for teachers to
learn about and master differentiated instruction?
___________________________________________________________________________

49. How could the organization be more helpful in teachers learning about giftedness?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

50. To what extent do you feel comfortable having an administrator observe your instruction
outside of the formal evaluations?

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

51. To what extent do you feel comfortable having a colleague observe your instruction outside
of the evaluations?
Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

52. There is a process in the school that facilitates identifying students who may be gifted.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

53. The organization supports teachers to incorporate new methods for curricular and
instructional methods in order to accommodate and better serve all students.

Disagree 0------1-------2-------3------4-----5 Agree

54. If you have any additional input with regard to students who are gifted, please add that in the
space below.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

In the week following the survey, you will have a chance to join a focus group that will allow for
open discussion of your knowledge and motivation to address the needs of gifted education, as
well as any concerns. Your answers will not be attached to your name, and all discussions will
WHAT DO TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS? 159

be recorded for the purposes of transcription only. As soon as the transcription is complete the
recording will be deleted. For the extra time you take, the researcher will have a small gift to
thank you for taking extra time out of your day.

Abstract (if available)

Abstract The purpose of the study was to understand what high school teachers knew about gifted students’ needs. The research questions were: (a) To what extent is the organization meetings its goal? (b) What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational assets and needs necessary for teachers to identify and differentiate instruction for gifted students’ in their classroom? (c) What are the recommendations for teachers to identify and differentiate instruction for gifted students’ in their classes? This study employed the Clark & Estes (2008) framework. The conceptual framework was employed to analyze the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences. Using both qualitative and quantitative measures in a survey given to 33 teachers and a three-member focus group, who volunteered for the task. The findings were that although teachers do not currently know how to help gifted students, most teachers were both motivated and interested in learning how to identify and support these students. Teachers are willing to get training in identifying and creating curriculum and instruction for students who are gifted. The majority of teachers are interested in learning about the socio-emotional needs of students who are gifted. It is hoped that the study could inform school systems looking to create opportunities to support gifted students and their teachers.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Crosbie-Davidson, Danielle Leigh (author)

Core Title An evaluation study of... What do teachers know about gifted students?

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)

Publication Date 02/14/2020

Defense Date 02/14/2020

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Education,gifted curriculum,gifted instruction,gifted students,giftedness,OAI-PMH Harvest,Teachers

Language English

Advisor Robles, Darline P. (committee chair), Malloy, Courtney L. (committee member), Yates, Kenneth A. (committee member)

Creator Email crosbie@usc.edu,daniellecrosbie@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-269126

Unique identifier UC11675187

Identifier etd-CrosbieDav-8173.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-269126 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-CrosbieDav-8173.pdf

Dmrecord 269126

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Crosbie-Davidson, Danielle Leigh

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA