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Pre-service Teachers’ Awareness of Gifted Students’ Characteristics

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Mathematics Teaching and Professional Learning in sub-Sahara Africa

Part of the book series: Research in Mathematics Education ((RME))

Abstract

Gifted children in general and mathematically gifted children in particular represent a valuable societal asset in the twenty-first-century knowledge-based economy. Educating gifted students should be a priority for teachers and the education systems in order for society to tap on such students’ potential so that they can contribute to an economical and sustainable future. This can be achieved if teachers are able to identify gifted students’ characteristics. However, most of the tertiary institutions in South Africa do not cater for gifted education nor provide opportunities for pre-service teachers to get abreast with the characteristics of the mathematically gifted child. This chapter reports on a study that investigated pre-service teachers’ awareness of the characteristics of mathematically gifted children. The research was informed by the need to introduce a module on gifted education in mathematics education program at the Central University of Technology (CUT), in South Africa. The study followed a qualitative and quantitative approach in which purposive sampling was used to select 66 pre-service teachers. The results revealed that pre-service teachers have limited acquaintance regarding the characteristics of gifted students in mathematics. Thus, the inclusion of modules on gifted education in the mathematics training program is needed.

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Acknowledgments

This project is supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) through the Thuthuka Project, TTK150721128642, UNIQUE GRANT NO: 99419. However, the results, conclusions, and suggestions expressed in this study belong to the authors and do not reflect the views of the NRF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein, South Africa

    Lukanda Kalobo & Michael Kainose Mhlolo

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  1. Lukanda Kalobo
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  2. Michael Kainose Mhlolo
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Correspondence to Lukanda Kalobo .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Mathematics Education, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

    Kakoma Luneta

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Kalobo, L., Mhlolo, M. (2021). Pre-service Teachers’ Awareness of Gifted Students’ Characteristics. In: Luneta, K. (eds) Mathematics Teaching and Professional Learning in sub-Sahara Africa. Research in Mathematics Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82723-6_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82723-6_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-82722-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-82723-6

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