The Journal of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children

Conclusions
The World Council for Gifted and Talented Children
PDTG program had some impact on teachers of both cultures attending it for two years.
There is no doubt that they have gained knowledge about the difference between teaching in a
pullout program and a regular school, particularly from the point of view of the teacher’s role. By
being exposed to various aspects of gifted education, teachers felt better equipped and prepared to
teach gifted students. Still, there is a doubt whether they have processed what they have learnt,
forming inter-connections and connections to their prior knowledge.
Implications
Certification program designers need to strive for the incorporation of observation and
practicum in the PDTG program. The observation and practicum can take place in pullout centers for
gifted available within program proximities. Another option would be guiding PDTG teachers on how
to design pullout programs or resource centers for gifted and excellent students within regular
school. Program coordinators, experienced in teaching gifted students, will monitor and assess
teachers’ progress, using evaluation tools based on US standards, revised and adapted to local
needs. The program needs to be be closely monitored and evaluated for several years until it is
stabilized. Such evaluation will supply solutions to various problems encountered by different types
of programs, or other local difficulties. It will enhance PDTG program impact and create a conceptual
change in teachers’ minds, changing the perception of teacher’s role in the education of gifted
students, and enable constant improvement.
Program designers are additionally advised to raise their awareness of teachers’ cultural
orientations, trying to design a program sensitive to teachers possessing collectivist orientations,
accustomed to more conventional ways of teaching. This is mainly true for the coming years, when
many more Jewish and Arab pullout center teachers are about to attend PDTG program, which will
become a pre-requisite for teaching gifted students in Israel.
Study significance
The significance of this study is three fold. First, it can serve as a resource for professionals
in the examination of direct and indirect impact of teachers’ professional development programs for
teaching gifted students. Second, the study opens a new line of research relating to cultural
differences among teachers. And finally, it establishes the international relevance of the American
standards for teaching gifted students by employing them for the assessment of PDTG impact.
Study limitations
The current study examined teachers’ perceptions concerning knowledge acquired
represented in the teaching-learning situation in pullout programs, characteristics of teachers of
gifted students, and self assessment of knowledge and competencies. As it is known from the
literature that self assessment of knowledge and competence is not similar to these dimensions
being measured by objective tools (Ackerman, Beier & Bowen, 2002) such an evaluation might be
insufficient. As certification program in Israel is in its initial stage and faces various difficulties, such
evaluation of knowledge and competencies seemed irrelevant at that point. Teachers’ answers for
open-ended question were brief and mainly expressed in phrases and points.
A further examination of program outcomes by deep interviews with PDTG teachers can
shed light on knowledge and competencies acquired, as well as, satisfaction with program design
and relevance. An indirect assessment of PDTG teachers’ conceptual change might be
accomplished by analysis of video or written case representations. An assessment of teachers’
knowledge and competences acquired could be carried out by final exam and classroom
observations of PDTG graduates. A comparison of certification programs in different parts of the
world could shed light on similarities and differences related to cultural orientations, program design
and structure, knowledge acquired, and teachers’ perceptions of their roles as educators of gifted
students.
158 Gifted and Talented International – 26(1), August, 2011; and 26(2), December, 2011.