Investigating Teachers’ Awareness of Gifted Children and Resource Accessibility for their Learning in Tanzania

Abstract

Background: Gifted Children are among learners who have potentials to show a higher performance in comparison with other students in term of skills. Objectives: This study investigates teachers’ awareness of gifted children and availability of learning resources to meet learning needs of children identified as gifted in public primary schools in Tanzania taking a case of Tabora municipality. The study was guided by the following objectives. To determine the level of teachers’ awareness of gifted children among pupils in government primary school in Tabora. To explore the role of teachers trained in special education in government primary school in Tanzania. To examine strategies used by teachers in teaching gifted children in government primary schools in Tabora. Materials and Methods: The study employed mixed paradigms. A number of 50 teachers were involved in the study. The study adopted cross-sectional survey methods designs. Data was collected by using questionnaires and interview. Research instruments were piloted validated and reliable; the result showed a C alpha equal to 0.81 which is establishing that research tools are reliable and acceptable to be used in the study. Purposive sampling techniques were used in this study where in-depth interviews were employed. The data were analysed thematically based on the study objective. Results: results shows that the level of Teachers’ awareness of gifted children and the availability of learning resources among pupils in government primary schools in Tanzania is low.  Furthermore, results from the field revealed that trained teachers play a significant role in the education of gifted children in school contexts; some of their role is to develop teaching and learning resources, creating a warm and conducive classroom, providing guidance and counselling to the learners.  The findings of this study show that the most and well known strategy that teachers use to teach gifted children in primary schools was grouping strategy, enrolling gifted children in to the upper class, use supplementary reading sources to teach the gifted children in their classes, as well as  individualizing teaching strategy in their instructions Conclusion: Findings revealed that majority of teachers have insufficient awareness about gifted children in public primary schools in Tanzania. The study suggest that in order to develop a clear awareness of gifted children in public primary schools, teachers should be trained in order to teach gifted learners. Professional development for teachers about gifted education should be conducted frequently. Moreover, to enhance effective learning, a teacher requires to significantly recognize with learners’ concerns and try to understand things from the learner’s perspective and choose the suitable way of instruction.