| This study examined the role of teachers' choices of curriculum and teaching methods and their effect on gifted students' self-perceptions.;The study extracted the data from teacher survey items about teachers' choices of curriculum and teaching methods and examined the rationales for their selections. A corresponding examination extracted the data from student survey items that related to gifted students' self-perceptions of their interest and abilities. Based on the results from the surveys, open-ended student interview questions were formulated to further examine the relationship between teachers' choices of curriculum and teaching methods and their effect on gifted students' self-perceptions.;The results found that teachers' choices varied in six areas of inquiry: curriculum, differentiated elements, content, organizational structure, grouping patterns, and student preferences. The participating teachers' choices for selected curriculum and teaching methods showed a preference for instructional strategies that spilled over to benefit all learners. The students' survey responses to their teachers' selection of lessons reflected that these lessons met their interests and abilities. The open-ended student interviews reflected three slight variations in the collective responses related to challenge, self-perception, and gender. |
