4.3 Challenges of teaching gifted learners
4.3.1 The level of the quality of the activities of gifted learners
One of the challenges that was highlighted by most teachers and Heads of Departments in the Foundation Phase was the inability of them developing relevant activities that are age appropriate to the gifted learners. Teachers felt that they have had difficulty in assisting gifted learners appropriately and creating activities that should match the level of the cognition of gifted learners. This was captured by Ms Lion who commented thus:
It is easy to identify them….they shine from the beginning. However, my struggle now is just keeping them enriched in tasks that would keep them on the task for the rest of the period like other children. Coming up and developing such activities is indeed a struggle for me.
(Ms Lion teacher of Banana Primary school).
While Ms Lion perceived the challenges of teaching gifted learners as a struggle, Mr Apple also expressed his frustration and said:
I have tried hard to find activities that are appropriate for grade two learners, which will get them thinking including critical thinking, but sometimes the gifted would just do the task which you would have thought it is difficult in one second. It is just not easy to come up with activities and maybe it is because one is incompetent to deal with gifted learners.
(Mr Apple of Peaches Primary school).
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One of the participants complained and blamed the school for not providing challenging materials, resources and activities for their gifted learners. She said:
Well, I have 10 gifted learners in my classroom. I have no relevant materials to use with them. For example, our grade three reading books are very easy for the gifted learners. So, trying to find materials that are appropriate for them is difficult. I have talked to the Head of Department about this, and there was nothing she could do.
(Mr Pula teacher of Banana Primary school).
Teacher participants also alluded to the fact that one of the characteristics of gifted learners is that they tend to finish their activities more quickly than the rest of the learners in class even if it is practical exercises. Mr Apple commented:
When I introduce a new lesson to the learners, I start by reflecting back to the previous work. But I find that the gifted learners have already grasped the content of the work.
In addition, when I give them new activities they quickly finish that and I end up ignoring them, because I would still need time to focus on other learners as well.
(Mr Apple teacher of Peaches Primary school).
Similarly, Ms Lion shared a similar opinion during the focus group discussion when she said:
The gifted learners are quick to grasp the content of the lesson you are teaching. Their work is always ahead of others, because they finish their work quickly. It is a challenge because I have to give them more work in order to occupy them whether it is relevant to their grade or capacity it really doesn’t matter as long as they are doing something.
(Ms Lion teacher of Banana Primary school).
65 Mrs Pula added this:
As my colleagues have previously mentioned, gifted learners are very fast in thinking and I have realised that if you don’t give them more work, they become easily bored and then begin to disturb other learners or be disruptive in different ways.
(Mrs Pula teacher of Banana Primary school).
The teacher participants also mentioned their encountered challenges in preparing the lessons for the gifted learners. Participants felt that they needed to prepare for questions that might be posed by gifted learners during the teaching and learning process which becomes hard as it is difficult to guess the kinds of questions that they might ask. Ms Gele mentioned that:
For me what I have experienced is that it is a challenge to have gifted learners in your classroom. You have to prepare your lesson in such a way that you consider them at the back of your mind. This is more so because, if you prepare your work in the same level for all learners, you might have a learner asking you a question that you are unprepared to answer. Therefore as a teacher they keep you on your toes as well.
(Ms Gele teacher of Banana Primary school).
Mr Apple shared advice:
You have to be ready to accept questions and lots of why’s that they bring. Sometimes the lesson topic would be so interesting to them and they might know everything about that topic while you don’t. You have to be very open to their questioning and be accommodating to their inquisitiveness.
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(Mr Apple teacher of Peaches Primary school).
Teachers have also experienced a challenge in the behaviour of gifted learners in class. They mentioned that valuable teaching time is often wasted on handling the disruptive learners.
Participants asserted that gifted learners could become problematic in class, particularly if they do not receive appropriate stimulation. Mr Apple shared the following:
I give challenging tasks to gifted learners, so that I keep them occupied. They need to be taught exciting topics every time. Failing to occupy them, they become difficult especially in the Foundation Phase they have more energy and are very active and creative at this stage of development.
(Mr Apple teacher of Peaches Primary school).
Teachers admitted their crucial role in the teaching of gifted learners but acknowledged their inability to create appropriate activities that match the level of the gifted learners. Apart from the challenge of inability to develop appropriate activities for gifted learners, teachers mentioned other challenges like the number of learners in classes as a barrier to do justice to all learners equally.