The teachers" perception of gifted education in a foreign language through their participation in a teacher training program
In the dearth of pre-service and in-service teacher education in gifted education, particularly in foreign language education, teachers have difficulty in learning theory and principle. This study describes the secondary teachers" perception of gifted education in foreign language after they participated in a teacher training program. The research questions are: 1) How did the teachers perceive gifted education?; and 2) Did the teacher training program influence the teachers" perception of gifted education? If so, in what ways did it influence the teachers? The data include surveys of the 21 teachers, their class assignments and observations. This qualitative case study indicates despite the teachers" initial negative perception of gifted education, the program helped them see it in a renewed perspective. Briefly, through the program, the teachers familiarized themselves with the basic theory and principle in gifted education. More importantly, they gained hands-on experience by discussing various issues in gifted education and creating class materials. The study concludes with pedagogical implications.