Tilpasset matematikkundervisning for evnerike elever

Abstract

This study is about adapted education in mathematics for giftedpupils in the upper primary level. The aimis to revealfive teacher ́s knowledge on adaptions for this particular group of pupils. The study ́s research question is: What knowledge and practices exists among Norwegian teachers that address gifted pupils and the teaching adapted for them?In the review of theory and research, it appears thatmany different terms are used to label this group of pupils and that a lot of available knowledge is not rooted in empirical studies. An overviewcovering the different terms will be presented and will explain the meaning of a gifted pupil in mathematics.Furthermore, the testing that identifies this group of pupils in school and different ways of adapting the teaching will be described.In addition, international research will be described, focusing on adaptions within teaching and task types that can be used to meet gifted pupils. Through data from qualitative interviews and observations of five teachers, different features that the teachers find within gifted pupils, and the adaptation that they do in their teaching, will be described. The features within the gifted pupils that the respondents describe are categorized by several characteristics from a model called The Three Ring Conception of Giftedness by Joseph Renzulli (2012). The model has three main categories of characteristics withingifted pupils; pupils above average, task engagement and creativity. In addition to these features that the model presents under each category, there are also mathematic-specific knowledge categorized in an extended model that will be presented in the chapter about method. When it comes to the adaptions in teaching that the respondents mention, these categories are under the three adaptions that are recognized within the research. These are acceleration, level adaption and enrichment (Jøsendalutvalget, 2016).The results show that the five teachers are familiar with many features within gifted pupils in all three areas; skillsabove average, task engagement and creativity. Four out of five teachers do not know about any formal testing that can be used to identify gifted pupils. When it comes to adaptions in teaching, the teachers vary between different ways to adjust. All together the teachers show practices within all three categories of adaptations; acceleration, level adaption and enrichment. Acceleration is used the most. The teachers specify many different things they consider to beimportant in order to adjust for gifted pupils. What they mention is similar to the assumptions that gifted pupils should get adjustments, as described in a Norwegian research summary (Børte et al., 2016).The conclusion shows that the skills from the two categories creativity and task engagement, takes a certain setting in order to appear. This can be reached by using enrichment as a mean of adjustment, through working with rich tasks and problem solving tasks. These skills can result in the pupil experiencing positive emotions. Enrichment is also an adjustment that can be used in a classroom with pupils on different levels and should be combined with acceleration or level adaption. This is to ensure that the gifted pupils will get the best adjustment possible (Szabo, 2017).