The outcomes on multiple‐choice tests and performance‐based assessments for field‐independent and field‐dependent students were examined. A substantial interaction between cognitive style and assessment approach was found. Results suggested that performance‐based assessment tended to favor field‐independent subjects. Dependent on the purpose and intended use of assessment, this finding may raise concerns for validity based on either fairness or curriculum relevance.
EditorialStriving toward the best practice and providing evidences of effectiveness of gifted program are the most challenging issues in gifted education (Callahan et al., 2015;Van Tassel-Baska and Brown, 2007). For decades, enrichment program has been widely used in gifted education, but whether the enrichment meets the qualitative requirement has become controversial. Enrichment activities used in gifted education include topic speeches, field trips, independent studies, film appreciation, higher-order thinking skill training, interpersonal interactions, free creation, competitions, debates, product displays, and so on. The purpose of these activities is to provide students with a variety of learning content and processes to expand their vision and develop their talent. However, Worcester and Schaeffer (1956) pointed out that enrichment often appears sporadic, fragmentary, and superficial, and relatively lacking in the system. Stanley (1976) also mentioned that enrichment activities are mostly for providing some special subjects or activities, which are unable to meet the core goal of gifted education. Nevertheless, if the enrichment programs are well designed and accelerated properly, positive learning effects can be found (Kulik and Kulik, 1992). Thus, gifted education teachers are advised to provide systematic enrichment activities with "a specific purpose." For revitalizing the unique contribution of enrichment program, this special issue invites gifted educators to provide their insights regarding the evaluation and practice of enrichment program. Their main purpose, design, and evaluation model of enrichment programs are briefly described as follows.In the first article, Chan et al. (2020) introduce the Chinese University of Hong Kong Program for Gifted and Talented Students (PGT) and elaborate how the program was evaluated. PGT mainly adopts the Rimm's input-process-outcomes model and conducts formative and summative evaluation research annually. The annual reports are compiled to update strategic plans, to report on the annual program performances, and to inform the future development and operation.In the second article, Chen and Chen (2020) introduce two approaches of enrichment program for Taiwan's gifted; one with the programs following the Special Education Act, and the other programs initiated by local authorities, private organizations, and researchers. The authors suggest good evaluation can inform decision makers about programs' strengths and weaknesses, and also guide possible changes that enhance the services provided for gifted students. Besides, the responsive and heuristic criteria of designing and evaluating gifted programs for professional autonomy and development need to be measured by valid and reliable tools and strategies.In the third article, Tan et al. (2020) emphasize the fidelity of conceptualizing and implementing enrichment programs. As most enrichment programs are after-school
Differentiated instruction has been a framework of effective teaching and a main indicator of professional standards of gifted teachers in Taiwan. However, practically, there are significant disparities between the theoretical expectations and practical implementations regarding curriculum modification, teaching strategies, and demanded resources. Before the advocacy of the concept of differentiated instruction, attuned pedagogy was a very similar idea to differentiated instruction and has been a common language used to describe the goal of effective teaching in Taiwan and in the Chinese culture. Based on the perspective of the culturesensitive research paradigm, the purpose of this chapter is to delineate the ideal of attuned pedagogy and suggest attuned pedagogy as the artistry of differentiated
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