Defining giftedness : a teacher’s perspective

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to unpack, question and discuss the concept of ‘giftedness’ as understood by Maltese teachers. A qualitative approach was adopted, which involved the participation of ten primary school teachers selected on a basis of convenience sampling. The study involved an in-­‐depth, semi-­‐structured interview with each participant, which enabled us to journey with each teacher as they critically engaged with their understanding of giftedness. The results obtained indicate that teachers’ perceptions of giftedness are shrouded in subjectivity and intimately linked to their understanding of the ‘average ability’ and the types of ability they add value to. This subjectivity also revealed the complexities and challenges involved in undergoing the task of defining a concept that resists a consensus, which caused each teacher to identify their lack of knowledge and training in the area of giftedness.