Identification of mathematical giftedness and school mathematics education from the perspectives of parents of gifted pupils
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14712/25337890.6251Keywords:
parents of gifted children, characteristics of giftedness, giftedness identification, giftedness diagnostics, support in mathematics educationAbstract
This study presents findings concerning the experiences of parents of mathematically gifted children in relation to the identification, diagnostics of giftedness and the subsequent educational trajectory of their children. Investigating this issue is valuable not only within the Czech educational context but also for a deeper understanding of how parents perceive support for giftedness throughout their children's education. Numerous international studies have likewise emphasized the importance of examining this area, highlighting the crucial role of families in recognizing and nurturing the potential of gifted children. Parents are often the key initiators of the entire process—from first noticing signs of giftedness, through labeling and understanding these manifestations, to seeking professional assessment and making decisions about their child’s educational pathway. In the Czech context, there is still a lack of research focusing on how parents perceive the identification and assessment of their children’s giftedness and the subsequent support provided by schools. The aim of the study was to describe the experiences of parents of mathematically gifted children with the identification of giftedness and with the support provided in their children’s mathematics education. The study employed a qualitative research design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ten parents of mathematically gifted pupils and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that giftedness in early childhood and the early school years is often manifested not through elevated academic performance but through qualitatively different patterns of thinking and experiencing the world. In practice, the identification of giftedness is frequently delayed and unsystematic and is most often initiated by parents rather than by schools. A significant finding is the psychosocial function of giftedness identification, which serves to validate the experiences of both parents and children. The study further shows that the group most at risk of remaining unidentified and subsequently receiving inadequate support in the school environment consists of children who are quiet, compliant, and academically unproblematic. The transition to selective multi-year grammar schools does not emerge from the data as an elitist choice but rather as a response to systemic limitations in the timely identification and support of giftedness within mainstream primary education.
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