Confronting Dogmatism in Gifted Education

Concepts and definitions in the field of gifted education have been unsettled and contested for many years, and interest in clarifying notions of high ability has been growing. While discussions and arguments are ongoing, most of them don’t go deep enough or range broadly enough to reveal the dogmatism that limits the perspectives of professionals, policymakers, and other stakeholders in gifted education. This book looks beyond the predominant conceptual frameworks that dominate thinking about giftedness and talent. Leading thinkers in the field of gifted education question fundamental assumptions about high ability and probe the larger contexts that influence gifted education.

The first section of the book includes explorations of big-picture issues pertaining to fundamental assumptions about giftedness and talent. The second section addresses ways in which economic and academic contexts in today’s globalized world can affect otherwise gifted minds. Section three explores the effects of these contextual influences on curriculum and instruction in the education of the highly able. Finally, a synthesis chapter analyzes patterns in the other contributions and makes recommendations for refinement of gifted education.