Parents' and teachers' differing views of group work with gifted students

• Main Author: Saunders, Katie, 1980-
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: McGill University 2004
• Subjects: Group work in education.; Gifted children.; Parents > Attitudes.; Teachers > Attitudes.
• Online Access: http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=81511

In a previous study by our research group, parents and teachers of gifted children disagreed about the importance of group work in the inquiry-based classroom, with parents rating group work as less important than did teachers (Syer & Shore, 2001). The purpose of the present study was to attempt to understand this difference of opinion. Parents (n = 15), teachers (n = 11), and a group who were both parents and teachers (n = 5) of gifted children responded to a researcher-designed telephone interview. Teachers perceived parents as competitive and grade-oriented. Parents themselves, however, reported that their opinions of group work were based on their children's negative experiences. Teachers reported that their opinions were affected by their pedagogical knowledge regarding group work. Although parents' and teachers' opinions differed, they were aware of each other's point of view.