Activación de factorías de replicación y disparo de orígenes

As noted above, the onus is on the teachers to create an academic space where diverse learning abilities and needs are accommodated and to improve their own skills and knowledge in order to facilitate diverse learning needs and build learner confidence. Teachers are expected to facilitate, stimulate and challenge the curiosity of those learners with heightened abilities. Curriculum differentiation and enrichment in the mainstream classroom are necessary to accommodate the gifted learner in a meaningful way (Shaklee, 1997; Hutchinson & Martin, 1999). Curriculum differentiation does not mean equalizing education, but instead enhances the different learning styles and needs of all learners (Jewell, 2005; Van der Westhuizen & Maree, 2006) as laid down by the Guidelines for Inclusive Teaching and Learning (Department of Education, 2010). A recent study by Oswald and De Villiers (2013) found that South African teachers in primary schools rated themselves as inadequately trained to appropriately enrich and differentiate the curriculum for the gifted learner. However, research in high schools with this particular focus is limited.

From the data generated in this study, it became clear that the majority of teachers in the two high schools involved were not making any special efforts to accommodate the gifted learners. Very few teachers showed an awareness of their specific needs or provided the necessary support. Four participants, representing both contexts, indicated that most teachers lacked the ability to present their subjects in a creative and enthusiastic manner. They also lacked the authority or the ability to control disruptive learners in their classrooms (refer to Sections 4.2.1.1; 4.2.1.2; 4.2.1.4 and 4.2.1.5).

P – D: … and the other thing is teachers in general … you get those teachers that you have in class who have no control over the children, and I just feel that teachers like that who have no control over their classes can't really teach, because you are going to learn nothing in that class because nobody is going to listen to you because everyone is focused on the children who take over the class.

Two participants (one from each school) did however mention that there were one or two teachers who made some effort to differentiate and present their subjects in a well-prepared, creative and enthusiastic way. The literature suggests that teachers who are well-prepared, enthusiastic and available to learners can create stimulating and challenging environments for learners considered gifted (De Witt, 2009; Kokot, 2011). As noted in Section 4.3.1 when teachers neglect to provide stimulation to gifted learners, they may lapse into underachievement and other behavioural problems. Lack of motivation or academic frustration may result in a negative learning trajectory (Gross, 1998; Oswald & De Villiers, 2013) as was noted in the case of one participant (see Sections 4.2.4 and 4.2.1.4).

This particular subject was an example of the gifted learner who is loath to work hard in school to realize his potential. According to him, he fell into a negative pattern of procrastination. He did not find schoolwork stimulating or challenging enough to entice him to give of his best. He also lacked interest in most of his

subjects, except Science and Mathematics, but even in these he did not put in the effort to work to his optimal level. This behavioural pattern echoes the literature which holds that when an individual has experienced a "long duration of underachievement", as in Jan's case, as well as lacking interest in his course, this could result in negative "habit formations or cognitive style" (Peterson & Colangelo, 1996, p. 404). This is often the case with male learners. According to Rayneri, Gerber and Wiley (2003, p. 202), these negative patterns associated with underachievement are related to "incompatible forces within the school environment" that seem to "mould their perceptions and attitudes". As Jan explained, he sometimes experienced negative and conflicting relations with some of his teachers, his wittiness was misunderstood by his peers, and he struggled to cope with "discomfiting psychological conflict in the classroom" and the school environment, which further reduced his interest in realizing his potential (Rayneri et al., 2003, p. 202). Fehrenbach (1993) concurs and explains that conflicting relationships and inadequate educational provisions may result in 'weak' academic skills and poor self-motivation. It is therefore essential that teachers make every effort to identify and consider the uniqueness of each learner and his or her learning style and abilities, to plan instructional strategies accordingly, and to ensure the provision of effective environments conducive to learning and the realization of potential.

The participants from the school in the low SES context also saw their school's academic provision and class stimulation as not offering them sufficient challenges to develop and enhance their unique abilities. They voiced a concern over some teachers' ineffectual and time-consuming teaching styles which left insufficient time to properly and thoroughly explain the work, leaving the learners frustrated. As gifted learners, they felt that little support was given to their unique learning styles; instead, the teachers focused on those learners who found the work challenging (refer to Section 4.2.1.1).

P – A: If there is another thing that I would like to change, it is probably the way in which the subjects are offered … we have to write down the work until our books are full … last year we had to take extra classes … because the work became so much … because we had to do such a lot of writing … to catch up with the work … because there are many instances where we are behind other schools …

In contrast, one participant in the affluent community said that, due to the voluminous CAPS curriculum, some teachers rushed through the work at the expense of the academically slower learners. This caused him concern for their academic development and well-being (refer to Section 4.2.1.6).

According to the Guidelines for Inclusive Teaching and Learning (Department of Education, 2010), gifted learners may contribute to the joint learning experience of the other learners in class by sharing their particular strengths and interests (see Section 1.1). This did happen with all the participants, but to their detriment. They mentioned that they often had to help the other learners or explain work to them, at the cost of their own academic development. Often they lost focus and concentration (see Section 4.2.1, participants A, B, D and E). The literature suggests that gifted learners tend to become teachers' assistants, ending up helping the slower learners in class (Kokot, 2011). Two participants from each school confirmed this tendency.

In the school in the less affluent community, the overcrowded classrooms forced the gifted learners to become responsible for their own academic progress, as they could not rely on having additional support. They also expressed their frustration at having to wait for the slower learners to grasp the content of the academic work, which often led to boredom and to loss of interest in their own work. Another aspect which emerged from the data was that of teachers who humiliated intelligent learners in front of the class, a practice which is supported in the literature (Kokot, 2011). When learners are treated in this manner, they may withdraw, lower their academic standards, and abandon their academic goals and ideals (Kokot, 2011). A participant in the disadvantaged context shared her experience of teachers either making derogatory remarks about all the learners in class or specifically about those who achieved well academically. She found this behaviour both offensive and demotivating (refer to Section 4.2.1.2). A participant in the affluent school context concurred with the above comments, saying that the whole class was at times the target of degrading remarks from teachers, resulting in feelings of distress (refer to Section 4.2.1.5).

P – E: … we hear I don't know how many times in a week, "You are the A class, you are supposed to be more intelligent than the rest, you are supposed to have manners, you are supposed to hand in your assignments on time."

All the participants mentioned the extreme pressure to which the teachers subjected them. This pressure caused anxiety and stress in the majority of the participants (refer to Sections 4.2.1.1; 4.2.1.4 and 4.2.1.5). One of them explained as follows:

P – B: … everybody expects that I have to do my best … it's just that there is too much on me.

However, one participant claimed that she did not allow this pressure to act as a barrier to her academic progress. Instead, she used it to motivate her to do even better academically (see Section 4.2.1.3).