This paper analyzes acceleration in education as a practice for meeting the educational needs of gifted students, and points out favorable and unfavorable arguments on the use of this practice. Acceleration is an educational practice consisting of several teaching strategies designed to encourage academically gifted students and reduce their time spent in school. It promotes faster learning by matching the curriculum to the student’s level of knowledge, interest and motivation. There are several arguments in favor of acceleration, such as the improvement of academic performance, self-esteem and student’s social adjustment. However, educators are reluctant to implement this practice, arguing that students may be immature or lose part of the content of the regular curriculum. / Se analiza la aceleración de la enseñanza como práctica de atención a las necesidades educacionales de alumnos superdotados y se presentan argumentos favorables y contrarios. La aceleración de la enseñanza es una práctica educacional compuesta por diversas estrategias para estimular al alumno académicamente superdotado y reducir su tiempo de permanencia en la escuela. Promueve un aprendizaje más rápido al equiparar el currículum al nivel de conocimiento, interés y motivación. Son varios los argumentos a favor de la aceleración, como mejora del desempeño académico, la autoestima y el ajuste social del alumno. Sin embargo, educadores se resisten a implementar esta práctica alegando que los alumnos pueden ser inmaduros o perder parte del contenido del currículum regular.

This work deals with the gifted children and their education possibilities in Czech schools. The work is divided into two parts: theoretical and practical. In the theoretical part we first look in what talent is, we will explain different terms which are similar in meaning to the word talent and how to differentiate between them, we will introduce models of talent by various authors and also the basic types of talent. Further I mention the characteristics of the gifted children and how to use these characteristics to identify them. Subsequently, we divide the gifted children into different categories depending on the manifestations of their talents. Significant part of this work is the education of the gifted children, which I split into education at school and out of school. I describe concrete forms of education and possibilities of work with the gifted children and I evaluate their pros and cons. By out of school activities I mean family environment and organizations and institutions focused on education of the gifted children. The rest of the theoretical part I provide summary of this of this topic in the Czech Republic and also what is the situation with education of the pedagogues of the gifted children. The practical part includes a questionnaire and its evaluation aimed at finding the...

Målet med denna studie är att undersöka hur matematiskt särbegåvade elever upplever sin matematikundervisning i skolan. För att uppnå studiens syfte har ett antal preciserade frågeställningar utarbetats, och som också har legat till grund för studiens empiriska undersökning. Frågeställningarna har hanterat såväl elevernas som deras föräldrars subjektiva upplevelser av barnens matematiska begåvning, hur den matematiska undervisningen för dessa barn ser ut samt hur föräldrarna upplever att skolan stimulerar och uppmuntrar särbegåvade barn. Examensarbetets metodologiska tillvägagångssätt har baserats på en kvalitativ undersökning där materialet har baserat på sex elever med matematisk särbegåvning och deras lärare. Dessa har intervjuats. En enkätundersökning har också getts till elevernas föräldrar där de har fått ge uttryck för sina attityder. Studien har haft fokus på elevens matematikbegåvning och matematikundervisningen i skolan.Av studiens undersökningar framkommer att det under 9 -12 årsåldern sker en förändring i elevernas matematikrelaterade uppfattningar. Dessutom visar de särbegåvade elevernas föräldrar missnöje med de olika former som matematikundervisning erbjuder / The aim of this study is to investigate the mathematically gifted children's experience of their mathematics education in school. A number of detailed question formulations have been worked out to reach the purpose of the study, and these formulations have also been the foundation of the empiric research of the study. The question formulations have dealt with the subjective experiences of the children's mathematical skills - both from the pupils' as well as their parents' point of view, what the mathematical education for these children look like and also the parents' experience of how the school stimulates and encourages specially gifted children. The methodological approach of the thesis is based on a qualitative research where the material is based on six mathematically gifted pupils and their teachers. These have been interviewed. A survey has also been given to the pupils' parents, where they have been able to express their attitudes. The focus of the study has been on the mathematical gifting of the pupil and the mathematical teaching in the school. The study shows that during the age of 9 -12, pupils’ mathematics-related perceptions change. The thesis also concludes dissatisfaction among the pupils' parents with the different forms of teaching methods that are available for their children

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the differences on gifted student&rsquo / s attitudes toward science and their preferred classroom climate during science classes based on gender and grade level. Two questionnaires, the Test of Science Related Attitudes (TOSRA) and the Individualized Classroom Environment Questionnaire (ICEQ), were used as survey tools in this study. A group of 163 gifted and talented students among four academic levels which are eighth grade, English prep class, ninth and eleventh grade were assigned to take part in this study. The data obtained from administration of measuring instrument were analyzed by using Two-Analyses of Variance (ANOVA). Result indicated that grade level of students had a significant effect on attitudes towards science. The study found, first, lower-grade students show more positive attitudes toward science than the students at higher-grade level. Secondly, there are significant differences were found among students in their perceptions of the science classroom environment based on their gender and grade level. Female students expected more personalization than male students, higher grade students preferred to have more independence and more differentiated classroom environment than lower grade students while they are learning.

Enligt Skollagen (SFS 2010:800) har alla elever rätt till en likvärdig och meningsfull utbildning. Det innebär att varje elev, oavsett fallenhet eller svårighet i undervisning har rätt till vägledning och stimulans för att nå längre i sin kunskapsutveckling. Elever som anses starka ska få individanpassad undervisning som utmanar eleverna utifrån deras kunskaper och förutsättningar. Men finns det risker med att denna rättighet, som borde vara en självklarhet, inte uppfylls av skolors verksamhet? Denna kvalitativa intervjustudie syftar till att undersöka och ge exempel på hur rektorer och lärare stödjer starka elever i matematik utifrån skolans uppdrag och ansvar. Intervjustudien grundar sig i det sociokulturella perspektivet och utgår från frågeställningarna: Hur planerar och genomför skolor arbetet med de starka eleverna i matematik? och Hur kan lärare i F-3 arbeta för att ge starka elever i matematik ledning och stimulans att nå längre i sin kunskapsutveckling? Studien visar att skolor saknar strategier på hur lärare kan hjälpa starka elever på bästa sätt, vilket kan medföra att denna elevgrupp blir sittandes i väntan på resterande elever. Uppdraget och ansvaret att anpassa undervisningen ligger idag hos läraren, ett ansvar som borde ligga på verksamheten eller hos regeringen. Studien lyfter dock ett arbetssätt för att individanpassa undervisning för starka elever i skolans ämnen. Detta arbetssätt innefattar en accelererande och berikande undervisning där eleven även får coachning och stöd genom hela sin skolgång för att få möjlighet att utvecklas så långt som möjligt. / Abstract According to Skollagen (SFS 2010:800), every student has the right to an equal and meaningful education. It means that regardless if the students have easy to learn or have learning difficulties, they have the right of guidance and stimulation to grow in their knowledge development. Students that are considered as strong learners must receive individualized education that challenges the students based on their individual needs. The question is if this right, that should be obvious, really is fulfilled in the schools´ education? This qualitative interview study aims to investigate and give examples of how principals and teachers support strong students in mathematics based on the school's assignment and responsibilities. The interview study is based on Vygotskijs’ socio-cultural perspective and assume the questions: How do schools plan and implement the work with the strong students in mathematics? and How can teachers in F-3 work to give strong students in mathematics guidance and stimulus to reach further in their knowledge development? The study indicates that schools lack strategies on how teachers can help strong students in the optimal way, which can implicate that this group of students is held back because of the remaining students. The assignment and responsibility to adapt the teaching today lies with the teacher, a responsibility that should lie with the organization or with the government. However, the study accents a way of working to individualize teaching for strong students in school courses. This approach includes an accelerating and enriching teaching where the students also receives coaching and support through the years in primary school to have the opportunity to develop in knowledge as far as possible. Key words:

The purpose of this two year study was to investigate the implications of a high academic ability learning environment on the achievement scores of third grade gifted students who attended the Florida Brevard County Public School System. Learning environment was defined by the students’ academic ability level, whether high academic ability or heterogeneous academic ability, and for this study was the independent variable. Academic achievement, as measured by the 2011 and the 2012 Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test® 2.0 (FCAT 2.0) Mathematics and Reading Developmental Scale Scores (DSS), was the dependent variable. Other student data such as gender and socioeconomic status were also collected and used along with classroom structure to examine the extent to which third grade gifted students’ reading and mathematics performance could be predicted. Random samples of students were drawn from the third grade gifted student population attending Florida Brevard County Public School System in the 2010-2011 and the 2011-2012 school years. Using an independent samples t-test, analysis of the 2011 FCAT 2.0 Reading and Mathematics found a statistically significant difference in both the students’ FCAT 2.0 Mathematics and the students’ FCAT 2.0 Reading achievement test scores based on the classroom structure. Specifically, there was enough evidence to support the claim that third grade gifted students who learned in a homogeneous high academic ability learning environment scored significantly higher on reading and mathematics standardize tests than did third grade gifted students who learned in a heterogeneous academic ability learning environment. Approximately 14% of the variance in reading and mathematics scores could be accounted for by classroom structure. However, different results were found with the 2012 FCAT 2.0 iii Mathematics and Reading scores. The results from the 2011-2012 school year indicated that there was not a significant difference in mean reading and mathematics scores between third grade gifted students who learn in a homogeneous high academic ability learning environment and third grade gifted students who learn in a heterogeneous academic ability learning environment. The recommendations include that subsequent studies incorporate a wider range of grade levels, perhaps even include methods of instructional delivery, types of gifted services provided, and teachers’ years of experience. In addition, recommendations are that future studies address the academic performance of high academic ability non-gifted students who learn in homogeneous high academic ability classroom environments verses those who learn in heterogeneous academic ability classroom structures

The study aims to shed light on what strategies special needs education teachers in some primary schools use to detect gifted students and what support these students can receive in education. I have collected material through semi-structured interviews with four special needs education teachers and one special education teacher from the central student health care.  The theoretical approach in the study is based on Dewey's moral theory since it focuses on how all persons have a function in a democratic society.  The study shows that there is an increased need for strengthened management support in the work with gifted students in primary school. There is a need for a strategy plan for how gifted students are going to be discovered and their needs to be met. The results show that staff in primary schools need extensive competence development in the area of gifted students and that school management/municipality need to take the lead. The informants mean that the subject is important, but often neglected in everyday education. / Syftet med studien är att belysa vilka strategier specialpedagoger och speciallärare i några grundskolor använder för att upptäcka elever med särskild begåvning och vilken stöttning dessa elever kan få i undervisningen. Jag har samlat in ett material genom semistrukturerade intervjuer från fyra specialpedagoger/speciallärare och en specialpedagog från en central elevhälsa. Studiens teoretiska ansats utgår från Deweys moralteori eftersom den fokuserar på hur alla människor har en funktion i ett demokratiskt samhälle. Av resultatet framgår att det finns ett ökat behov av stärkt ledningsstöd i arbetet med särskilt begåvande elever. Det behöver dessutom utarbetas en grundlig plan för hur dessa elever upptäcks av personal i grundskolor. Vidare framgår av studien att personal i grundskolor är i behov av en omfattande kompetensutveckling inom området elever med särskild begåvning. Detta då studiens informanter är eniga i att ämnet är viktigt men tyvärr även åsidosatt.

This thesis is one of the first in the Czech Republic dealing with the theme of gifted students in geography. The main aim of the thesis is to define the character of gifted grammar school student in geography. This wide and interdisciplinary theme is then divided into several scientific subthemes and questions. The basic theoretical approaches to the definition of gifted students generally and gifted students in geography are discussed in the theoretical background. The research part contains of the content evaluation of the International Geography Olympiad and the outcomes of the structured guided interviews. The content of the questions of the International Geography Olympiad is evaluated through the own constructed structured evaluation and then these questions are compared to the official Czech requirements for the graduation exam in geography. The outcomes of the guided interview are organized and interpreted using the method of the framework analysis. Despite the few problems while getting and analysing the data, there are finally defined the main characteristics of the gifted grammar school student in geography in the summary of this thesis.