| CODE | EPE3007 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | High Potential, Emerging Abilities and Giftedness in Young Learners | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Early Childhood and Primary Education | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit seeks to introduce trainee early years educators to the field of gifted education with a focus on developing an awareness of the heterogenous nature of gifted and talented learners and the characteristics they need to look out for to enable them to cater adequately for their diverse needs. The main topics on the education and development of highly able and gifted young learners will be discussed including issues on definitions, the unique educational and socio-emotional needs of young able learners, the nature versus nurture debate, identification procedures in the early years and effective practices in the fields of gifted education and general education. Notions of high potential, emerging ability and giftedness in young learners will be explored. Through this study-unit, students will be exposed to sociocultural perspectives on learning, ability and intelligence, including the concepts of situated cognition and situated learning. The crucial role of school leaders and educators in acknowledging the need to provide a rich and stimulating learning environment and adopt a repertoire of effective strategies and schoolwide inclusive practices to provide challenge and novelty in early years classrooms will also be tackled. Motivation, underachievement and misdiagnosis in relation to high ability and giftedness will be debated as well as the significance of developing positive learner identities for talent development. Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit aims to expose undergraduate students training to work with young children in schools to the issue of meeting the diverse needs of highly able and gifted children in early years classrooms. It seeks to raise awareness on the prevalence of giftedness in the early years and presents an argument for effective pedagogical practices based on a right-based approach. It aims to develop students' theoretical knowledge and understanding on the topic through exposure to the major theories and models that inform the field of gifted education and high ability studies. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - appreciate different perspectives on giftedness and high ability based on various conceptions of the nature of intelligence, ability and giftedness and define giftedness in the early years; - develop awareness of the heterogenous nature of gifted and talented young learners; - appreciate the need to recognise and nurture the unique gifts and talents of highly able and gifted learners in the early years classroom; - reflect on the consequences of misdiagnosis or lack of adequate provision for children with high potential and emerging abilities; - value the role of the educator in developing positive learner identities to reduce underachievement, frustration and boredom and to facilitate talent development. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - describe various cognitive and affective characteristics of young gifted children; - identify high potential and emerging abilities in young learners; - recognise the diverse needs of highly able and gifted children; - create a stimulating learning environment that fosters the development of gifts and talents in young children through rich opportunities for play and exploration; - develop schoolwide inclusive practices that celebrate unique gifts and talents; - extend children's learning through the provision of challenge and novelty in everyday classroom activities and opportunities for play; - identify factors that may lead to underachievement or misbehaviour and come up with an action plan to reduce this risk; - plan activities that develop young children's problem-solving and thinking skills across the early years curriculum; - devise a project for independent study based on a child's interests and gifts. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Barab, S., & Plucker, J. (2002). Smart people or smart contexts? Cognition, Ability & Talent Development in an Age of Situated Approaches to Knowing and Learning. Educational Psychologist, 37 (3), 165-182. Available from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.474.5617&rep=rep1&type=pdf - Farrugia, R. (2017). An Enquiry into Young Children's Perceptions of Learning, Ability and Schooling as an Uncovering of a Teacher's Pedagogy and Practice. in Informing Educational Change: Research Voices from Malta. Available from https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/polopoly_fs/1.719333!/file/Bookv4_Final.pdf - Sutherland, M. (2012). Gifted and Talented in the Early Years: Practical Activities for Children Aged 3-6. (2nd Ed.) London: Sage Publications. - Wallace, B. (2002). Teaching Thinking Skills Across the Early Years: A Practical Approach for Children Aged 4-7. Oxon: David Fulton Publishers. Supplementary Readings: - Barab, S. & Plucker, J. (2005). The Importance of Contexts in Theories of Giftedness. Available from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287855183_The_importance _of_contexts_in_theories_of_giftedness_Learning_to_embrace_the_messy_joys_of_subjectivity - Gates, J. (2010). Children with Gifts and Talents: Looking Beyond Traditional Labels. Roeper Review. 32(3), 200-206. -Gross, M. (1999). Small Poppies: Highly Gifted Children in the Early Years. Roeper Review. 21(3), 207-214. Available from http://www.thinkingahead.com.au/Documents/Small_Poppies_Gross.pdf - Sutherland, M. (2008). Developing the Gifted and Talented Young Learner. London: Sage Publications. |
||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Independent Study | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
|
||||||||||||
| LECTURER/S | Maria Stephanie Bugeja Rosienne Camilleri Erika Micallef |
||||||||||||
|
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
|||||||||||||