Abstract:
Providing children with an opportunity to participate in an inclusive enrichment programme can lead to significant changes in academic self-concept and in teachers’ recognition of children with special abilities. Within this paper the links between the classroom environment, children’s academic self-concept and demonstration of behaviours are explained from Bandura’s theoretical perspective. The term “special abilities” is used in this paper, rather than the current term “gifted and talented” because this was the terminology used by the teachers who participated in the research study described below. Special abilities has been defined as an interaction between the three traits of above average ability, a high level of task commitment and a high level of creativity (Renzulli, 1986). Prior to outlining the details of the research study, the dimensions of academic self-concept and self-efficacy are introduced as these constructs contribute significantly to behaviour performance.
