Le Tuiga: Samoan constructs of giftedness and talent within a Samoan bilingual educational context

Abstract

This research study explores the notions of cultural concepts of giftedness and talent within a Samoan-specific context. The focus of this article is on Samoan teachers of children who were enrolled in a bilingual education setting. It presents the perspectives of Samoan teachers around Samoan giftedness and talent and how these perspectives might be nurtured through Samoan bilingual education. The strong connections between education, language, and culture are explored and discussed. This study highlights the components of Samoan cultural forms of giftedness and talent and how these may be transferred from the home domain into a culturally sustaining school learning environment for enhanced student outcomes.