HomeMy WebLinkAboutHandout - Gifted and Talented THE NATIONAL
RESEARCH CENTER
ON THE GIFTED
AND TALENTED
The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented (NRC/GT) is funded under
the Jacob K.Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act,Institute of Education
Sciences, United States Department of Education.
The Directorate of the NRC/GT serves as an administrative and a research unit and is
located at the University of Connecticut.
The participating universities include the University of Virginia and Yale University, as
well as a research unit at the University of Connecticut.
University of Connecticut
Dr.Joseph S.Renzulli,Director
Dr. E. Jean Gubbins,Associate Director
Dr. Sally M.Reis,Associate Director
University of Virginia
Dr. Carolyn M. Callahan,Associate Director
Yale University
Dr. Robert J. Sternberg,Associate Director
Copies of this report are available from:
NRC/GT
University of Connecticut
2131 Hillside Road Unit 3007
Storrs, CT 06269-3007
Visit us on the web at:
www.gifted.uconn.edu
The work reported herein was supported under the Educational Research and Development Centers
Program,PR/Award Number R206R000001,as administered by the Institute.of Education Sciences,U.S.
Department of Education. The findings and opinions expressed in this report do not reflect the position or
policies of the Institute of Education Sciences or the U.S.Department of Education.
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Issues With Math and science Instruction
While the students in a study of talented teenagers (Czikszentmihalyi et al., 1993)
recognized gh level of challenge and clear goals in their math and science classes,
they complained about the_n-g-I d 11 y of the structured eurricu uin and the reluctance of
teachers to deviate from highly stncturedprograms._They complained of'little
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opportunity for choice,especially with regard to the pace of instruction. Independent
work, engaged teachers, and extracumcalar experiences has been found io be important
to the talented mathematician (Bloom, 1985).
Given the documented over-extension of breadth of study incorporated into AP
Programs (NAS, 2002), the likely scenario may be for teachers to focus on "covering,"
through lecture and teacher-guided discussion, the vast content of the course syllabi
rather then to provide opportunities for students to interact with the content as co-
learners.
Advantages and Disadvantages of AP and 1B Noted in the Literature
In a student-written review of the International Baccalaureate (Choudbury, 1994),
the list of advantages include practicing learning skills such as note taking and lab write-
ups, feeling less stressed by college, having the ability to think critically, the flexibility,
and emphasis on learning by discovery. Among the disadvantages listed by students
taking Advanced Placement Programs is the emphasis on the exam and a false sense of
preparedness for college courses (Hellerman, 1994).
The student sentiment that warns against a false sense of preparedness is echoed
by the Center for Undergraduate Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and
Technology (1999) and the National Academy panel studying AP mathematics and
science courses (NAS, 2002). No systematic research documents the equivalence of AP
and IB Programs to college courses, and the literature does not present evidence that
exam scores predict success in upper-level college courses or that these courses provide
the depth of understanding equivalent to that of introductory college courses (NAS,
2002). Further, in reviewing the mathematics and science curriculum offered in AP and
IB Programs, the National Academy panel (NAS, 2002) concluded that there were
shortcomings in these curricula in terms of the development of key ideas of the
disciplines and metacognitive skills, and delineation of prior knowledge required.
Finally, based on a self-report study of experienced AP science teachers, Herr(1992)
concluded that AP teachers introduce a wider range of topics(than teachers in honors
classes do) and cover them in greater detail,but they also adopt a predominately lecture
format, fast pace of instruction, and don't respond to student interests because of the
demands of coverage.
The offering of AP classes may result in a reduction in enrollment in other
challenging science classes,particularly when schools offer extra grade point credit for
AP Programs (Commission on Life Sciences, 1990; Herr, 1993). The Commission on
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