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Chapter 9
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-5799-9.ch009
ABSTRACT
The highest level of educational quality can be achieved with teachers’ awareness of their fundamental
responsibilities in teaching gifted and talented students, knowing their capacities and characteristics and
their diferent needs. The chapter presents research on teachers’ self-assessment of their competencies,
efcacy, and attitudes towards gifted students in Slovenia. Such students should have the opportunity to
develop their skills not being limited by the class average. A selection of appropriate teaching person-
nel is needed to accomplish such achievement. The obtained results are presented in relation to three
research questions and expose that teachers in Slovenia are usually inadequately informed on work-
ing approaches with gifted students; they tend to have low self-esteem in identifying children personal
characteristics and commonly choose inappropriate teaching strategies. The study discusses diferent
options that would allow teachers to ensure as best education for the gifted children.
INTRODUCTION
A high-quality education begins with competent teachers involved in education at all levels. In gifted
education competent teacher is one who contributes positively to the learning environment by provid-
ing unique personal characteristics, energy, strong interest in students and extraordinary strengths in the
following roles: subject expert, pedagogical expert, Communication skills, Mentoring, Systematic and
formative assessment. Chapter starts from the premise, that only those who are competent, effective and
Analyzing Teachers’
Competencies in Regular
Classroom Practice With
Gifted Students in Slovenia
Mojca Kukanja Gabrijelčič
University of Primorska, Slovenia
Sonja Čotar Konrad
University of Primorska, Slovenia