Teachers Attitudes towards Giftedness — A Comparison Between American and Israeli Teachers

Abstract

47 American and 66 Israeli teachers were asked to state their opinion on the following topics included in a check list questionnaire, which consisted of statements related to the education of the gifted: Significance of cognitive abilities; Preferred educational setting; The role of the parents; Heredity vs. environment; The competence of teachers to identify the gifted, and to prepare special programs for them; The need for special training; There were no differences between teachers who taught in regular classes, and those who taught the gifted.

The Israeli group related more significance to the cognitive abilities; the power of heredity; the competence of the teachers to identify gifted, and to prepare special programs for them. They preferred to include the gifted in the regular classes. The American group related more significance to hard work, and believed, more than their associates, in the modifiability of human characteristics.

In general it may be concluded that the Israeli teachers are more concerned with the class, while the American ones — with the individual.