The Perception of Gifted Science Teachers Regarding a Individualized Instruction for Scientifically Gifted

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to figure out how much gifted science education teachers in charge of the class realize the necessity of individualized curriculum and program for scientifically gifted, to find out the problems of the gifted science educational institutions from exploring them in depth in the light of the reality in the gifted science educational institutions, and to draw implications about the applicable direction of more aggressive individualized curriculum and program for scientifically gifted. I chose 15 people with the incumbent teachers who have ever taught scientifically gifted and have a degree in the gifted education or science subject education as study participants and had a depth interview with them. According to result of the study, 14 of 15 study participants recognized the necessity of individualized education in science should understand the personal requirements according to the tendency of the gifted students and should be a study led by students themselves. Of the problems in gifted science education, teachers regarded the reduction in the financial support as the biggest problem and the vocation and professionalism of teachers were referred as a very important factor. With constraints of time and space, there were plenty of opinions that can't ignore the influence of educational environment associated with the university entrance examination. There were many opinions that there is excessive expansion of the agencies and the target for gifted students, no standardized measurement tools and programs and the lack of the system for the coherent observation as a teacher. Also, the unified curriculum of gifted science education institutions were pointed out as the problem and the individualized programs which were already under way have a lot of weakness and being offered marginally. Thus, from now on, to apply for individualized education of gifted science, teachers demanded optimized education conditions and consistent policy support, and expressed the opinion that there needs of a possible continuous observation system. Besides, the curriculum and programs matched the needs of the students should be taken priority the most, and there were another answers that fellow learning within the cooperative learning can be an alternative of the individualized. Along with that, there were lots of opinions that the treatment to overcome an inferiority complex according to the individualized should be followed. PU - The Korean Society of Earth Science Education