Three conceptions have emerged from the data, which have contrasting views, which are: enrichment vs acceleration, acceleration is adequate pedagogy, and qualitative differences regarding teachers’ role. The structure of awareness for each conception allows better view of understanding to arrive, since the internal relation from the earlier levels is also intertwined with the background horizon of the participants. It seems better to describe the internal and external horizon in a visual demonstration, showed in figure (3) as follow.
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Figure (3): Internal and external horizon/ Conception of enrichment vs acceleration (Cope, 2004, p. 11; Marton & Booth, 1997, p. 87).
As displayed above, the external relationship determines reasons behind why participants locate certain parts related to acceleration within the focal point of their awareness. In which turn to make meaning of their experience, to understand why they choose this way of serving diverse students' needs. Here, this conception addressed social competence and cooperation in their focal point when dealing with acceleration. Therefore, establish a connection with their background horizon that located outside the participants' focus but intertwined with it to deduce a decision. The background horizon of this conception includes features such as: Values, Human Right, Equity, Inclusion, and Ethics. Accordingly, teachers' responsibility, attitude, pedagogic–choice, and profession are aligned with the external horizon. The following excerpt highlights the external horizon for this conception and deal with it as a priority.
“I think the purpose of basic education is to let the child to grow in a safe environment as a human being and to think about the well-being of the child, and think a lot about the ethical, moral growth of the child. Then the basic skills and knowledge that you need to achieve.” Tulip
External Horizon Human Right Ethics / inclusion Socializing Equity / Equality Values Internal horizon
Social interaction, child development, bulling, stress,
free time, socio-emotional impact
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Figure (4): Internal and external horizon/ Conception of acceleration incorporation (Cope, 2004, p. 11; Marton & Booth, 1997, p. 87)
As it shown in figure (4), this conception took another direction by delimiting acceleration as a part of teachers’ responsibility, especially in term of individualization. The external horizon determines that acceleration is a relevant pedagogy to serve divers students' needs. While the existing reality is different, therefore, the variation between what the participant believe is a relevant way and what is recently carried out at school, drive the participants' motive toward a desire to make a change. Consequently, features such as Egalitarian Society, Excellency, and Institutional Realities are located in the external horizon but intertwined with the internal domain to give meaning to the experience.
Different from the previous conception in term of the internal and external relationship. Within the internal horizon, the participants focus on the obstacles that prevent students' superiority to excel at school, in terms of: School culture, Teachers' pedagogical skills, Teachers' attitude, and Motives to Change.
The following excerpts give an indication about the external horizon.
'Recently, I’ve been thinking about what is being done here in Finland, what are the attitudes of Finnish people towards gifted education. At the same time because I have background in doing research in (……) and knowing something about that
School culture, teachers' pedagogical skills, teachers' attitude, motive
to change
Egalitarian society Excellency
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culture. It’s also interest me quite a lot. Perhaps to compare and see the similarities between the (……) system and the Finnish system and the way that the society structures are quite egalitarian. How can you find openings to do gifted education, raise awareness and skills of the teachers to address those needs. It’s something that has been on my mind quite a lot recently.' lavender
Concerning the third conception, qualitative differences among teachers’ responsibility. This conception is related to the previous two conceptions. Therefore, differences among teachers appeared regarding their role, since teachers' role is aligned with participants' backgrounds. Unsurprisingly, it seems obvious to understand why teachers' role vary between the two conceptions even the purpose of basic education is mostly similar among them. Teachers’ role in the first conception is to maintain safe environment for the child regarding the principle of inclusion and ethics. While the second conception focus on the teachers’ lack of skills to meet the educational demand for academically able students. This conception will be discussed with concrete examples in the following chapter discussion the findings.
With regard to what is margined in each conception, it seems true to say what is thematic in the first conception (enrichment vs acceleration) is margined in the second conception (acceleration incorporation), and what is thematic in second conception (acceleration incorporation) is margined in the first conception.
All conceptions and realities are keenly linked to serve diverse students' needs, including the academically able students. In which constituted the outcome space for this study in table (4).
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Table (4) presents the outcome space.
Preliminary Groupings or Pool of Meaning First level categories of description Second level categories of descriptions (first move) The outcome space
Basic education Holistic view
for child development in basic education Qualitative differences among teachers regarding their role Conceptions and realities to serve diverse students’ needs in Finland professional duty/excellency
professional duty /school environment Acceleration is not desirable
/differentiation is enough
Contradicting views
regarding acceleration Acceleration is desirable/ differentiation is
not sufficient
Acceleration hinders the socio emotional growth of the child
Acceleration, no proof to hinder the socio emotional growth
School culture limits the successful implementation of acceleration Challenges and Motives to Change Acceleration is adequate pedagogy Teacher' eagerness toward incorporating
acceleration
Acceleration limits learning to formal learning Comparable stance between Differentiation vs Acceleration Enrichment vs Acceleration Differentiation widen the idea of learning to
informal and formal
Tools mediated acceleration hinder the holistic growth
Tools mediated differentiation promote the holistic growth of the child
Differentiation provide a sense of relief Acceleration provide a sense of stress Accessible forms of acceleration within
differentiation Safe solution for
implementing acceleration Technology
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