The Extent, Nature and Effectiveness of Planned Approaches in ...

5. Ensure the student is equipped and supported in these independent activities;6. Include open-ended activities, opportunities for problem-finding and creative problemsolving,and for higher-level thinking;7. Include within the programme opportunities for students to work together with others of likeability and/or interest; and8. Expose students to moral and ethical issues and issues of social responsibility (pp. 364-365).Potential Strengths• In an inclusive classroom, several strategies for differentiating the curriculum for giftedstudents work well, for example: the use of advanced content, higher level questioning skills,curriculum compacting, independent study, tiered assignments, and flexible grouping (Reis,Westberg, Kulikowich, & Purcell, 1998).• When given the opportunity to work with a curriculum that challenges them, gifted studentsdevelop a sense of accomplishment and achievement (Ryan & Geake, 2003).• A differentiated curriculum that encompasses advanced academic rigour and pace allowsgifted and talented students to work more in tune with their learning styles, according to theirreadiness and ability (Ryan & Geake, 2003).• In a regular inclusive classroom, teachers have the choice and flexibility to decide whichlessons lend themselves to heterogeneous cooperative learning groups and which tohomogeneous cooperative learning groups and then based on their professional decisions canplace the students accordingly (Fiedler et al., 2002).Potential Weaknesses• Educating gifted and talented students in the regular classroom depends on the attitude andability of the mainstream teacher to create a challenging learning environment to ensure thatthe highest quality learning and teaching across the curriculum enables the special abilities ofchildren to be manifested (McAlpine, 1996, p. 69).• Potentially the practice of ‘teaching to the middle’ could prevail or a standard “one size fitsall” curriculum be delivered (Tomlinson, 1995; Delisle, 1999).• Teachers need to be alert to the difficulties related to pace and to the management of teachertime.• Changing the regular classroom environment to meet the needs of gifted and talented learnersis not an easy task. It involves many factors, such as, strong leadership, quality professionaldevelopment, follow-up support, and collaboration among teachers, administrators and thecommunity (Johnsen, Haensley, Ryser, & Ford, 2002).• Some students can get frustrated if the nature of learning in a regular mixed ability classroombecomes repetitive (Keen, 2001).• Difficulty could arise in guarding against teacher subjectivity, cultural and genderstereotyping, and ethnocentricity, in the identification of gifted and talented students in regularclassrooms (Bevan-Brown, 1993; McAlpine, 1996).• Possibly the “one size fits all, be it in shoes or in academic options, pinches everyone where ithurts and impedes the forward progress of those whose pace is different in speed or style”(Delisle, 1999, p. 83).69