An Encouraging Environment for the Development of Gifted Students within the Knowledge Society

Abstract

The aim of our paper is to conduct a theoretical and empirical analysis of the relevance of an encouraging environment in the development and progress of gifted students within the modern knowledge society. In order to ensure the highest level of sample representativeness, the research was carried out on a sample of 106 teachers working with specialized classes for talented students, and teachers who had worked with those students at their previous stage of schooling. The study was conducted in schools belonging to the areas of the City of Nis and Kosovska Mitrovica (Republic of Serbia)*, by using the scaling technique. Through factor analysis, the following 5 most prominent features (factors) of an environment that encourages the development of gifted students within the knowledge society were extracted: 1) differentiated curricula, 2) encouraging problem-based learning, 3) integrated approach to learning, 4) encouraging research-based approach to learning, 5) developing logical and creative thinking skills. This research also found that the level of schooling of gifted students significantly determines the differences in teachers’ perceptions of the characteristics of an environment that encourages the development of gifted students, while school location was not a deciding factor.