Nurturing Teachers Excellence in Gifted Education - Results, Experiences, and Challenges
Vida Drąsutė, VšĮ "eMundus" (Lithuania)
Rūta Kuodienė, Academy "Alfa kids" (Lithuania)
Abstract
Ensuring the realization of the full potential of every student in alignment with their individual abilities is imperative for the sustainable development of any society. As per the education policy framework of the European Union (ET 2020), a paramount objective is to establish effective educational methodologies to enhance productivity and foster ongoing innovation. The education of gifted and talented students is particularly vital, as they have the potential to emerge as groundbreaking innovators in the future (Subotnik & Rickoff, 2009). Various factors contribute to potential underachievement and the presence of psychological, social, or not diagnosed learning difficulties. In response to these challenges and issues observed in 2021, the project "GATE: Teachers Training Programme to Support Gifted and Talented Students" was initiated under Erasmus+ programme.This initiative brought together partners and experts focused on the education of gifted pupils, STEAM education for advanced students, and special needs education as gifted pupils education in classroom should be supported by additional experts and assistance.
This article presents the results, experience and challenges in GATE project, underlying cultural particularities while adapting gifted pupils testing, education and good practices gained from Israel partners. For two years now, there has been an intensive international exchange of information and methodologies, training, practical adaptation and dissemination of good practice in all four countries. A teacher training programme for gifted education is being finalized, as well as extensive methodological material for gifted pupils teachers that will be translated into four languages. The article presents how the project has helped to broaden and deepen the debate on gifted education from family, school and education system level.