The Readiness of Teachers of Gifted Female Students toward the Application of Differentiated Education

Abstract

The current study aims to identify the readiness of teachers of gifted female students toward the application of differentiation education and its methods by unveiling the perceptions of teachers` needs for the gifted in the study area of Saudi Arabia. As such, the study adopted qualitative approach using semi-structured individual interviews as a tool. Open-ended questions were initially designed for this purpose. Twelve teachers from schools in the eastern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) were interviewed. Qualitative data were analyzed via coding and classification processes. The results revealed two major categories and subcategories of teachers` perceptions of the issue. The primary perceptions included attitudes and awareness of educational practices that support differentiation. The subcategories also had similar perceptions of those domains. The results also revealed that the needs were divided into three major categories: training, educational environment, and organizational. In light of the analysis of the results, the researchers presented several recommendations that might be used to upgrade teachers` readiness to apply differentiation. The foremost of these recommendations is the need for continuous and intensive professional development directed to all workers in the field of gifted caring and to support scientific research conducted in the domain of education.