The Gifted Transition: A Phenomenological Case Study Examination of Preparation Strategies Utilized by General Education Inclusion Teachers

Author

Jawan Brown Alexander, Xavier University of LouisianaFollow

Date of Award

6-2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Division of Education and Counseling

First Advisor

Sloane Signal

Second Advisor

Renee Akbar

Third Advisor

Timothy Glaude

Keywords

Gifted, Inclusion, Resource, Differentiation, Phenomenology

Abstract

If the United States is going to remain globally relevant and competitive with other nations, educational leaders should consider investing in their brightest students. According to the National Association for Gifted Students (2018), education officials are not investing in gifted education at the same rate or to the same extent that they are financing other areas of special education. Public education policy provides special needs learners with required instructional support and accommodation through mandatory supplemental funding; however, gifted students on the other end of the special education spectrum, also requiring and benefiting from intervention and accommodation, do not receive the same level funding, and are often unable to acquire necessary support. This phenomenological study analyzed the possible unintended consequences resulting from state and local legislative decisions to reduce funding for gifted programs and students. More specifically, the research examined the impact that a shift in financial resources has had on the instructional practices of teachers at a K-8 public charter school and how regular education teachers have been prepared to teach gifted students in fully inclusive settings. Results of this study may help to determine what affects the legislative funding and policy changes had on gifted instructional approaches. This research looked closely at the perceptions of middle school teachers and their feedback related to the training provided as they prepared to teach gifted students in completely inclusive environments without the help of support resource teachers.

Recommended Citation

Alexander, Jawan Brown, "The Gifted Transition: A Phenomenological Case Study Examination of Preparation Strategies Utilized by General Education Inclusion Teachers" (2019). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation. 11.
https://digitalcommons.xula.edu/etd/11