Abstract:
This study investigated the perspectives of acceleration as a strategy for gifted education in Indonesia, in addition to exploring the possible challenges and solutions for its sustainability. Full-year acceleration or grade-skipping is the focus of this study, as Indonesia had experience of that provision. The study utilised a qualitative approach and gained the data through administering semi-structured interviews to twenty four participants; namely nine students, nine parents, and six teachers in three different cities in Indonesia. The Indonesian government had terminated acceleration provision the year prior to this study. This action provided the impetus to investigate participants’ viewpoints on the advantages of acceleration, possible challenges of acceleration implementation and some possible solutions to those challenges. There is the possibility that acceleration may be reintroduced in Indonesia in the future. Findings from this study showed that participants tended to have more positive perspectives of acceleration as a strategy for gifted education in Indonesia rather than concerns. Inadequate resources were perceived as contributing challenges; teachers’ knowledge and attitude were mentioned as factors, as well as the government policy. This study reported participants’ suggestions on how to improve resources and the importance of prior planning for acceleration provision.
