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Research in rural gifted education is garnering increased national attention (Plucker and Callahan, 2014; Lewis and Boswell, 2020), yet inequities in rural gifted services continue to challenge educators in their efforts to meet the needs of a unique population (Azano et al., 2014, 2017). Understandings about existing systemic structural challenges in rural gifted services highlight a need to mitigate opportunity gaps for rural gifted students (Azano et al., 2017). Using Greenwood's (2003, 2008) critical pedagogy of place as the theoretical framework, this qualitative case study examined how 16 teachers in a high-poverty rural district consisting of eight schools experienced the Promoting PLACE in Rural Schools curriculum, a place-based language arts curriculum designed for gifted third- and fourth-grade students. Analytic induction and thematic coding of four distinct sources of evidence (fidelity logs, observation documents, questionnaires, and an interview) were used to make sense of teachers' experiences in implementing of the curriculum. With "an emphasis on experience, understanding, and meaning-making" (Merriam, 2009, p. 19), the researcher explored what teachers' experiences and perceptions could teach us about instruction in high-poverty rural communities and opportunities for gifted learners. Findings illuminated influences on teachers' ability to implement the curriculum such as the under-prioritization of gifted education by the larger school community and teachers' own ingenuity in ameliorating challenges to implementation. The study offers insights about students' access to gifted instruction in one school district in Appalachia. Findings from this qualitative case study may shape gifted instruction in rural places and inform stakeholders of ways in which opportunity gaps for rural gifted populations may be addressed. Insights offer implications for practitioners, administrators, policymakers, community members, and researchers to mitigate instructional challenges and increase students' access to place-based gifted curriculum. / Doctor of Philosophy / This qualitative case study examined teachers experiences with a language arts curriculum for high-poverty rural gifted students. The study focused on one rural Appalachian school district where 16 elementary teachers working in eight schools implemented the Promoting PLACE in Rural Schools curriculum with third- and fourth-grade students. Methods included analytic induction and thematic coding of four distinct sources of evidence: fidelity logs, observation documents, questionnaires, and an interview. These sources were used to generate understandings about how teachers perceived their experiences with a rural specific curriculum designed for gifted students. These understandings suggested existing barriers influence implementation and impede students from access to the curriculum in its entirety. Insights from this case study offer implications for practitioners, administrators, policymakers, community members, and researchers to mitigate instructional challenges and increase students' access to place-based gifted curriculum.

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<p> The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant difference in total scores on the <i>Mathematical Self-Efficacy Scale, </i> the mathematics task self-efficacy portion of the scale, and the math-related school subjects self-efficacy portion of the scale for middle school students between students assigned to a homogeneously grouped accelerated math class and students assigned to a heterogeneously grouped math class. </p><p> The instrument used to gather information for thus study on student self-efficacy was the <i>Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale</i> (MSES). The MSES measures 2 domains of mathematics-related behaviors and capabilities. The <i> Mathematics Task Self-Efficacy</i> scale is designed to measure the level of confidence the student would have when successfully completing the given task. The <i>Math-Related School Subjects Self-Efficacy</i> scale is designed to measure the level of confidence the student would have when successfully completing a college level course with a final grade of an A or B. The 2 parts of the MSES may be individually scored or holistically scored to obtain a total score representing overall mathematical self-efficacy.</p><p> Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data for the 9 research questions. Participants in the study were randomly assigned to the heterogeneous or homogeneous groups by their schools and were not controlled by the researcher. Students within the groups were chosen as participants based on their math ability and scores on the seventh grade TCAP test. At the time of the survey these students attended either a K-8 elementary school or a middle school in Northeast Tennessee. The population consisted of 357 gifted or talented eighth grade math students in 6 school districts in Northeast Tennessee.</p><p> The results of this study does not support or discourage the practice of acceleration by retaining 7 of the 9 null hypotheses that there are no significant difference in self-efficacy scores between homogeneous grouped eighth grade math students who were placed in accelerated coursework by taking Algebra I and those students who were heterogeneously grouped in a regular eighth grade math class.</p>

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ABSTRACT The main purpose of this research is to probe the teacher education system of dancing teachers for junior high school for the gifted students in dance class and the related problems. This is done by questionnaires survey and documentary analysis, and the survey aims at the present dancing teachers around the country. Totally there were 58 copies of questionnaires collected. The data is analyzed by statistics methods such as frequencies distribution, percentage, Chi-square. Major findings were as follows: 1. Most junior high school dancing teachers are female, and they are about 31-40 years of age. Most of them graduated from the Dance Department of colleges, and have been teaching dancing less than 5 years. More than 67.2% are substitute teachers or part- time teachers. Moreover, among them, 87.2% didn¡¦t acquire qualified certificates. 2.All the qualified junior high school dancing teachers had taken specialized dance courses, special education courses or credits in this country. They officially acquired certificates in these three courses or credits. 3.There are not many substitute junior high school dancing teachers. Five of them had taken specialized courses, special education courses, education courses or credits, but only two acquired certificates of qualified teachers. 4.The percentage of part-time dance teachers is as high as 58.6%. Among them, 97.1% had taken specialized dance courses, 26.5% had taken education courses, 20.6% had taken special education courses, but only 11.8% had acquired certificates of qualified dancing teachers 5.Although 58.6% of surveyed junior high school dancing teachers are for the opinion that to be a qualified junior high school teacher, one has to take at least 40 special education courses, still 41.4% are against it. What¡¦s more, as many as 80% of substitute teachers are against it. 6.To be a qualified junior high school dancing teachers, one should not only have specialized capacity, but also take special education courses or education courses or credits, but the education authorities did not offer chances for these in-service education and training. Therefore, as many as 93.1% of junior high school teachers think that there are few chance for in-service education & training, and this is really not the basic spirits of the teacher education, which means to be diverse. No matter what in-service education with an academic degree (bachelors, doctors) or not, more than 80% of junior high school teachers are for the education & training. 7. 72.4 % of junior high school dancing teachers think that the supply/demand-balance is not yet achieved. Also 41.4% of teachers think that the system of practice teaching for the cultivation of dancing teachers is not mature yet. 8.The institutionalization of dance class in junior high schools and elementary schools has lasted for 20 years. Because the cultivation of dancing teachers had not been systemized, and the qualification of dancing teachers is demanding, 63.8% of teachers think that the ¡§cultivation¡¨ and ¡§employment¡¨ of secondary school dancing teachers don¡¦t match each other. 9.The executive team for special education in the Ministry of Education is small with few members. It is really difficult for them to handle all the details of all kinds of special education countrywide. Hence, as many as 98.3% of secondary school dancing teachers think that the establishment of cultivation organization of dancing teachers is urgent. 10.The teachers of teaching cultivation organization are rather important. Universities or colleges with the Department of Dance have sufficient equipments, teachers, and the quality of teaching is recognized. About more than 70% of junior high school dancing teachers are for or positively for it. Key words: Dance, Gifted education, Teacher education

<p>Parenting stress (PS) is a phenomenon experienced by all parents to varying degrees due to the demands of meeting a child?s needs. This distinct type of stress is caused by an imbalance between the perceived demands of parenting and the perceived coping resources available to parents. The construct of twice-exceptionality (2E) is defined as the co-occurrence of giftedness and disability or possessing both high cognitive abilities and at least 1 of 13 potential disabilities identified under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004. The purpose of this study was to understand how PS is experienced by parents of children who have been identified with 2E. The theoretical perspectives of stress appraisal, coping, and attribution guided this study and provided a framework for understanding the lived experiences of parents and the meaning they ascribe to these experiences. The goals of the study were accomplished through in-depth interviews with 13 participants, an extensive literature review, and reflective journaling. Interview data were analyzed using the phenomenological techniques of epoche, bracketing, horizontalization, and imaginative variation, and several relevant themes and subthemes were developed. High levels of PS described by the parents in this study indicate that further research is indicated for better understanding and serving the significant needs of this population. The social implications of this research include raising awareness of PS and 2E; increasing the potential for positive outcomes for children and families; and addressing misconceptions concerning giftedness, gender bias in the perceptions of parental roles, and the impact of PS on family systems.