Date: 2024
Conference/Publication: Paper Presented at International Conference on Gifted Education (ICGE-2024)
Presenters/Authors: Ms. Kasturi Hapse, Dr. Devsena Desai
Abstract
In India, teachers tend to equate giftedness with academic performance and evaluation making it difficult to change this myth or work in systems where teacher beliefs are too strong. There is a lack of culturally relevant tools for assessing giftedness, specifically at classroom level for primary schools in India. Thus, the current study aimed to develop a gifted observation scale that would assist primary school teachers in identifying gifted students effectively. The Gifted Observation Scale consists of classroom observations that incorporate culturally relevant behavioral indicators pertaining to cognitive, creative, affective, leadership ability and motivation of the gifted. Researchers developed the Kaveri Gifted Observation scale (KGOS) for students from primary school (Grade: 1 – 4) by gathering inputs from gifted educators, primary school teachers, psychologists and special educators. After compilation of a comprehensive list of items, pilot study was conducted, followed by main study to understand the effectiveness of KGOS. Data was collected from primary teachers (N = 48), who completed the gifted observation scale for their respective class students (N=883). The collected data was analyzed to determine reliability and validity, resulting in curation of the final list of items. The findings indicate that effectiveness of teacher identification improves with consistent use of KGOS, as teachers become increasingly familiar with identifying high ability behaviors through the tool. Results also indicate that gifted observation scale ratings are subjective to the teacher’s observational competency which can be countered if the teachers are self motivated and adhere to specific observation guidelines. This gifted observation scale helps teachers identify students with high ability, track their progress and provide them with an enriched curriculum and activities to enhance their potential.
Hapse, K. & Desai, D. (2024). Gifted Observation Scale: A guide for primary school teachers in identifying gifted students in India. Desai, D., Watve, S., Hapse, K., Roy, P., Gokhale, M. & Jagtap, P. (Eds), International Conference on Gifted Education (234-245). Kannada Sangha.
