Graduate Research Papers

Availability

Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Keywords

Gifted children--Education (Middle school); Interdisciplinary approach in education;

Abstract

This review reflected on literature from gifted education and the middle school movement. Its purpose was to look for common beliefs as a basis for collaboration on interdisciplinary curriculum/instruction. Sources of information include personal observations and experiences, university library materials, and ERIC and World Wide Web searches.

A shared enthusiasm for interdisciplinary instruction and many of its benefits offers an encouraging sign for collaboration. Gifted education and the middle school movement share an understanding of the nature of interdisciplinary instruction and share the belief that students will benefit from higher achievement, increased connections, and strengthened learning concepts. However, caution is encouraged in being sure that definitions and objectives are agreed upon from the start.

The author concluded that the primary barrier to effective collaboration is the conflict between the position of middle school advocates on total heterogeneous grouping and gifted education's insistence on the importance of individualized differentiated curriculum. Exclusion of the following benefits sought by gifted ' education--challenge, student discovery of key concepts, and student ability to follow interests in depth--indicates that some stumbling blocks may impede effective collaboration.

Year of Submission

1996

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Education

Department

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

First Advisor

William Lee Waack

Comments

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Date Original

1996

Object Description

1 PDF file (37 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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