Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2003-4
Phenomenology and Its Implications for Gifted Studies Research: Investigating the Lebenswelt of Academically Gifted Students Attending an Elementary Magnet School
A phenomenological investigation of the lebenswelt (life world) of academically gifted students attending an elementary magnet school was conducted. The magnet school is housed in an elementary school that maintains 2 classes per grades 1–6, 1 gifted and 1 heterogeneous. Fifteen gifted students (2 per grades 1–3 and 3 per grades 4–6) participated in phenomenological interviews. The interviews, averaging 50 minutes in length, were recorded and transcribed. Data were analyzed via a 6-step thematic analysis process. The social milieu of the school was described by the students as the backdrop for the meaning of the experience of attending the magnet school for gifted students. Four themes emerged across the magnet school experience: Others, Role, Personal Development, and Time. Nuances and characteristics of the themes are reported.
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