Abstract
There is increasing recognition of the need to encourage students of diverse educational levels to develop independent and creative reasoning. Teachers are therefore fundamental mediators in the planning of teaching strategies intended to develop these competencies. Taking these assumptions as a reference, a study1 was developed with the aim of investigating the interactive dynamics used in a Brazilian school to work with a high ability/gifted student, as well as to identify how this student’s relations with other subjects at school (colleagues, teachers, deputy head teacher (pedagoga)) are established. The qualitative research method was used, collecting data based on semi-structured interviews, focusing on a case study. The study involved one gifted student, his parents, six teachers and one deputy head teacher (pedagoga). The study showed that despite getting on well with his teachers, he has difficulty in making friends with students of his age. With regard to his involvement at school, he performs mental calculations easily and expresses himself mathematically in a creative manner, proposing differentiated ways of solving problems in the classroom. Nevertheless, the study confirmed that some teachers still have difficulty in working with gifted students. On the other hand, despite the difficulties, some teachers have made efforts to develop teaching practices based on social interaction, enabling the sharing of knowledge and skills among students, in addition to encouraging students to seek meaning in what they study. These practices are similar to the quest for meanings that Vygotsky (1997, 2004, 2008, 2009) emphasizes. The conclusion is reached that encouraging and developing creative activities are fundamental elements for performance and the incorporation of meanings with regard to contents taught at school.
Highlights
Education issues continue to be widely discussed at the national and international level
The time spent waiting for the rest of the group can cause annoyance and boredom, resulting in them losing interest in school. Considering this context, this article seeks to discuss factors relating to creativity, interactive and creative teaching practices developed in the classroom with a student diagnosed as having high abilities/giftedness in the area of logic and mathematics, as well as to identify how this student’s relations with other subjects at school (colleagues, teachers, deputy head teacher) are established
Given that our study had interactive relationships as its main focus, it was developed in line with the theoretical and methodological principles of the Cultural-Historical perspective, based on the contributions of Vygotsky (2004, 2010). These contributed to the preparation of the questions used in the semi-structured interviews, both with the student on whom this study is based and with the other people with whom he interacts.Apart from the student’s home, the interviews were conducted in two state schools: one in which the student studies and another where he receives specialized attention in a resources room for students with special education needs characteristic of giftedness
Summary
Education issues continue to be widely discussed at the national and international level. Notwithstanding, and in agreement with Alencar (2001), it can be seen that the Brazilian education system has diverse weaknesses in its proposals for education One of these is the failure to foster the development of creative skills in its students. The time spent waiting for the rest of the group can cause annoyance and boredom, resulting in them losing interest in school Considering this context, this article seeks to discuss factors relating to creativity, interactive and creative teaching practices developed in the classroom with a student diagnosed as having high abilities/giftedness in the area of logic and mathematics, as well as to identify how this student’s relations with other subjects at school (colleagues, teachers, deputy head teacher (pedagoga)) are established
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