The public primary schools curriculum: Its responsiveness to the needs of the exceptionally gifted children.
Abstract
This study is entitled "The Public Primary Schools Curriculum: Its responsiveness to the
needs of the Exceptionally Gifted Children. It was established through literature review
that exceptionally gifted children need a rich, varied and challenging curriculum because
they have broad and numerous interests, a high level of abilities, curiosity, insatiable
desire to learn and are by definition mentally advanced for their years.
The main objective of this study was to gain insight into the curriculum content used in
public. primary schools and to investigate whether or not it responds to the needs of the
exceptionally gifted children
Qualitative data were obtained through personal interviews with three headteachers and
nine class teachers. These data were analyzed and presented using qualitative analysis
and presentation.
The study found that the curriculum does not encourage the exceptionally gifted children
to think, reason and generalize beyond the prescribed task while the content is not
diversified and therefore does not challenge the high conceptualization level of the
exceptionally gifted children. Thus the curriculum does not Penn it the exceptionally
gifted children to search for more knowledge and facts from the encyclopedia, make up
games and invent puzzles. It does not have adequate topic coverage for the bright
children and does not provide for extra time and work schedules for them.
On core aspects of the curriculum delivery process and responsiveness to the needs of the
exceptionally gifted children, the study found that the curriculum does not permit
exceptionally gifted five-year-old children to skip one or more standards if they have
been judged to be capable. It decides not allow grouping of the exceptionally gifted children
and does not allow them to do more advanced work. The teachers are not mandated to
modify the curriculum to suit the needs of the bright children and due to the advent of
free primary education, the teachers increased workload exacerbated the attention that
ought to have been given to the exceptionally gifted children.
The study also established that there are financial, material, human and policy constraints
that hinder the response to the needs of the exceptionally gifted children, through the
curriculum.
Based on these findings the study recommended that as a matter of urgency, the Kenya
Institute of Education and the Kenya Institute of Special Education should develop an
accelerated curriculum that responds to the needs of the exceptionally gifted children.
Citation
M.A (Rural Sociology and Community Dev.) Thesis 2008Sponsorhip
University of NairobiPublisher
Faculty of Arts, University of Nairobi
Description
Master of Arts Thesis