Current Policies and Policy Efforts for the Education of Gifted Children in Turkey

Abstract

This study examines the existing policies and policy efforts in the field of gifted education in Turkey. A content analysis of the state policy documents and semistructured interviews with two policy actors were conducted to explore the strengths and weaknesses of the policies regarding the education of gifted children. The findings revealed deficiency and confusion in documented evidence and serious inconsistencies among various state documents and practices on issues pertaining to gifted education. Although there is a growing interest in serving the needs of gifted children, the organization and implementation of gifted programs and state support are still limited. In addition, general strategies recommended in policy efforts seem to fail because specific steps of implementation are absent.