Interdisciplinary expansion of conceptual foundations: Insights from beyond our field

The field of gifted education is very complex, covering broad and deep conceptual terrain. Insights about giftedness and talent are available from diverse academic disciplines and at multiple levels of analysis. These levels are captured in an interpretive framework that moves from the macrolevels of broad sociopolitical, cultural, and economic contexts through the levels of the immediate classroom context and psychology of the individual to the microlevels of organic structure, microbiology and the subatomic realm. From each level, examples of insights of possible relevance to gifted education are provided as illustrations of the potential an interdisciplinary and interlevel search has for expanding the conceptual foundations of the field.     

Effective high school teachers: A mixed investigation

The researchers conducted a sequential qualitative–quantitative mixed analysis of the characteristics of effective high school teachers as perceived by 615 college students, predominantly Hispanic, at two Hispanic-Serving Institutions. Qualitative analyses revealed the presence of 24 themes: Caring; Communication; Creative; Disciplinarian; Fairness; Flexible; Friendly; Fun; Knowledgeable; Listening; Manages Classroom; Uses Different Modalities; Involving; Motivating; Organized; Passion for Teaching; Patience; Builds Relationships; Shows others respect; Challenges; Service; Teaches Well; Good Personality; and Understanding. These themes were quantitized and statistically analyzed to determine whether differences were present as a function of gender, ethnicity, student status, and generational status. All possible subtests discriminant analyses revealed statistically significant differences in dominant themes in these areas. In addition to providing a model of mixed analysis, implications are discussed.     

Implementing and sustaining educational reforms: the case for little “r”

The increasing importance of schools and learning in the changing patterns of work and society is widely recognized. However, implementing and sustaining educational reforms pose major problems in all countries. This paper briefly: (1) summarizes conceptual trends in implementing educational change, (2) reviews the complexities of educational policy and the changing patterns of educational governance and management common to many countries, (3) discusses the evolving roles of researchers in this shifting environment, and (4) makes an argument for the utility of certain kinds of research and evaluation or what the author calls ‘little r,’ with particular attention directed toward the contribution of little r in developing schools as learning organizations.