A Gifted Pupil in Czech School: Primary School Teachers’ Perspective on Education of Gifted Pupils

Abstract

The paper summarizes the results of a research that focuses on teachers’ views on the education of gifted pupils. Our research questions are: What does the term “gifted pupil” mean according to teachers? What are primary teachers’ attitudes to teaching gifted pupils? What obstacles do teachers come across when educating exceptionally gifted pupils in a regular classroom? First, we studied the concept of a gifted pupil in general, or specifically in mathematics, both in foreign and Czech literature. Then we defined this concept for our needs. We wanted to map the demands on and attitudes to gifted pupils of teachers in the Czech Republic. To do this, it was necessary to find suitable tools for quantitative research. We were inspired by the study (Machu, 2019) and decided on a questionnaire survey and the use of metaphor within it. By analyses of teachers’ metaphors, we obtained their views on having a gifted pupil in the classroom. We were also interested in the self-perception of pupils marked as gifted. In the paper we offer several pupils’ ideas taken from open interviews. To illustrate the situation which any teacher may come across in their classroom, we also present a story of an exceptionally gifted pupil. In the conclusions, we summarise what steps need to be taken in the area and also our first attempts to improve the situation.