Fulbright research aims for greater diversity amongst gifted children

The first recipient of a new exchange award offered by Fulbright New Zealand and Cognition Education Research Trust (CERT) hopes her research can help improve levels of educational achievement amongst high ability, culturally diverse and/or economically disadvantaged New Zealand students.

As the inaugural recipient of the Fulbright-CERT Scholar Award in Education Research, Jenny Horsley from Victoria University of Wellington will spend three months at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth in Baltimore, where she will investigate American models for increasing representation of ethnic minorities in programmes for gifted children.

International research has shown that culturally diverse students and students from low socio-economic areas are under-represented in programmes for gifted children. NZQA statistics confirm that Mäori and Pasifika students achieve at lower levels than their Päkeha counterparts, and that students of Decile 1 schools achieve at lower levels than those of Decile 10 schools.

The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth was established in 1979 to focus on the needs of students with exceptionally high academic abilities, and is a leader in supplying programmes that address the skill and knowledge gaps in under-represented gifted students. The Center is one of several similar organisations involved in the Next Generation Venture Fund, a programme which identifies high potential students from diverse backgrounds and provides training, advice and support pathways from their middle school years through to college.

Mrs Horsley, who herself has extensive teaching experience, will publish the results of her research after returning to New Zealand in late 2009, and looks forward to incorporating her findings into the teacher training she conducts at Victoria University of Wellington. Her research and teaching have emphasised a need for cultural inclusiveness in the classroom.

ENDS