The Status of Gifted Students During Covid-19 Pandemic Process

Abstract

Introduction: In this study, it is aimed to reveal the situation of gifted students during the Covid-19 epidemic from the perspectives of students, teachers and parents. This process need to be examined in the gifted students, one of the special needs group affected by the changing educational activities with the pandemic. The status of the gifted students during the pandemic needs to be evaluated on the basis of their characteristics. Method: Research data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis. For all the data collected within the scope of the research, content analysis was performed with an inductive approach. This study was designed as a case study, one of the qualitative research methods. The participants consisted of five students who were identified gifted, five parents with gifted child and five teachers working in the field of education of the gifted.Findings: The data were evaluated under three headings, including the themes of making sense, shaping life (academic and social) and future plans. Under the theme of making sense, the experiences of the gifted in understanding and adapting the process were examined. Under the theme of shaping life, students’ status of continuing their education and their sharing about their social lives were evaluated. Life styles which the pandemic process brought and the students’ plans for the future were examined.Discussion: Research findings have shown that gifted students can use their skills to turn the crisis that emerged with the pandemic into an opportunity. Moreover, the findings support the necessity of differentiating education programs for the gifted students.