‘Less Than We Should’. Norwegian Teachers' Perceptions of Adapting Education for Gifted Students and the Impact on Professional Integrity, Ethics, and Teacher Well-Being
ABSTRACT
In Norway, there are few funded programmes focusing on students with high learning potential, and students are taught in ‘regular’ schools and classes, alongside their age peers. Therefore, every teacher is potentially a teacher of gifted children and students. International research activity in the field of gifted education often has a focus on the gifted child or on programme interventions and evaluation, but little research explores teacher well-being and confidence to teach gifted students. This study focuses on teachers’ own experiences and practices in the context of gifted education. Further, we seek to explore how Norwegian teachers’ well-being and professional integrity are linked to their perceptions of their own competence and pedagogical practices in the field. The research questions are: How do Norwegian teachers describe their competence and pedagogical practices in the context of gifted education? How might this influence their occupational well-being? The study is based on a digital survey of teachers from grades 1 to 10 in a small Norwegian municipality, with 432 teachers from 17 schools, and includes responses to open questions. The analysis approach is content analysis, and survey data was interrogated for data that especially aligned with teacher professional practice.
In Norway, there are few funded programmes focusing on students with high learning potential, and students are taught in ‘regular’ schools and classes, alongside their age peers. Therefore, every teacher is potentially a teacher of gifted children and students. International research activity in the field of gifted education often has a focus on the gifted child or on programme interventions and evaluation, but little research explores teacher well-being and confidence to teach gifted students. This study focuses on teachers’ own experiences and practices in the context of gifted education. Further, we seek to explore how Norwegian teachers’ well-being and professional integrity are linked to their perceptions of their own competence and pedagogical practices in the field. The research questions are: How do Norwegian teachers describe their competence and pedagogical practices in the context of gifted education? How might this influence their occupational well-being? The study is based on a digital survey of teachers from grades 1 to 10 in a small Norwegian municipality, with 432 teachers from 17 schools, and includes responses to open questions. The analysis approach is content analysis, and survey data was interrogated for data that especially aligned with teacher professional practice.
Publisert i 2026
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