Infusing Talent Development Strategies into the Regular School System in Nigeria: Enrichment Clusters as a Starting Point

Abstract

Developing talents has been a great concern in education. New conceptions of intelligence are revolutionizing educational practices. Because giftedness can occur in certain people at certain times and under certain conditions, (Renzulli & Reis, 1985), it is necessary to extend the pedagogy for the gifted to regular classrooms. The enrichment cluster was chosen for this study for multiple reasons. This study used qualitative case study design to investigate the use of enrichment clusters as a starting point to infuse talent development strategies into the school system in Nigeria. The sample was made up of 27 boys and 33 girls between the ages of 13 and 19 years in Senior Secondary School (grades 10 to 12) drawn from different socio-economic backgrounds but from educated parents. Their common denominator was their interest in the cluster topic — an essential ingredient in any pupil programme. The study found that a lone enrichment specialist in a regular school without programmes for the gifted and talented can expose students to high-order thinking skills and high-end learning through the use of Renzulli's Type I, II & III enrichments in an enrichment cluster. Parents and members of the community were found to be very helpful in conducting the enrichment cluster. The possibility of these people being advocates for programmes for talent development and mentors is discussed. Based on the findings, recommendations were made for further research.