Gifted and Talented Children Growing their Learning in the School Garden : What is the potential of garden-based learning as a rich context for gifted and talented learners?

Abstract

New Zealand schools must cater for their gifted and talented learners, but it is challenging for teachers to do this in a classroom. There does not seem to be a definition of who our gifted and talented learners are and there is a lack of professional development for teachers to assist them to design and implement learning for these particular learners. School gardens are once again gaining popularity and research shows that learning in a garden context has many benefits for learners. Therefore, this research sought to bring these two issues together to explore how a school garden could be used as a potentially rich, authentic context for gifted and talented learners. This study employed an interpretive-qualitative research design with a case study approach. Semi-structured interviews and documentary data were used to analyse how three primary school teachers from one school planned and taught a unit of work based in the context of the school garden that aimed to cater for their groups of gifted and talented learners. Twelve children who were involved in three different projects also contributed their perceptions of their experiences. The data was analysed according to Braun and Clarke’s (2013) thematic approach. Findings showed that a school garden is a rich context when catering for gifted and talented learners. Observing the learners in the garden helped the teachers to identify Naturalistic Intelligence in their learners. Teachers used Renzulli and Renzulli’s (2010) Enrichment Triad Model to differentiate the learning, which catered for some gifted and talented learners’ learning characteristics. The teachers and learners all reported high levels of satisfaction and enjoyment at the conclusion of their projects. Many connections were built during these projects – between peers, learners and teachers, with parents/whānau, the school community and the local community. Learners’ connections to nature were also strengthened and enhanced. However, there were some challenges that needed to be overcome, such as resourcing in terms of funding, materials and availability of time.