Meeting the needs of highly able readers in the primary classroom: teachers’ perceptions in China and Scotland

ABSTRACT This study explored regular classroom teachers’ perceptions of highly able readers and their actual practice of gifted education in the educational contexts of China and Scotland. This study is qualitative in nature and questionnaires and interviews were used to gather data in Chinese and Scottish public primary schools. The analysis indicated that many teachers in both countries believed that compared to their similar-aged peers, highly able readers could demonstrate advanced linguistic, cognitive and socioemotional abilities, and additional support was needed to develop reading ability. However, divergence emerged in terms of the role of school education. While Scottish teachers believed that highly able readers could be developed by school education, Chinese teachers believed that the role of school education was to provide basic education rather than enriched and additional education for highly able students. Chinese teachers regarded family education as the main source to extend highly able children’s learning experience. A concern for lacking professional knowledge for properly identifying and addressing the needs of highly able children was revealed between Chinese and Scottish teachers. The findings suggest that teacher training for gifted education and the flexibility for planning differentiated instruction should be provided to teachers in both countries.