Preservice General Education Teachers' Knowledge and Experience on Differentiation

• In Event: AERA Graduate Student Research in Progress Roundtable Session Two
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Preparation: Abolitionist Praxis, Learner-Centered Pedagogy, and Social Issues and Action (Table 15)

Abstract

"The purpose of the study is to raise awareness to the lack of support and information pertaining to gifted and talented students given to preservice teachers. Specifically, we are looking at how preservice teachers experience, anticipate, and perceive differentiated instruction in the context of gifted and talented education. We believe that the future of gifted student's success is dependent on a revival of how gifted education is taught within undergraduate teacher preparation programs. The current study takes a mixed methods approach, the qualitative and quantitative data shows the lack of knowledge of current research, policy, and teaching methods in gifted education within the preservice teacher population. This study recommends implementing intentional training on differentiation, acceleration, and enrichment to preservice teachers in order to see the needs of the gifted and talented students being met.
Keywords: Pre-Service Teachers, Differentiation, Gifted Education, Teacher Preparation Programs, Gifted Training"

Author

• Hannah Davis, Baylor University
  Presenting Author