Page 116 - Kukanja Gabrijelčič, Mojca, and Maruška Seničar Željeznov, eds. 2018. Teaching Gifted and Talented Children in A New Educational Era. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
P. 116
ra Pejić Papak, Jasna Arrigoni, and Željka Ivković
wards the factor Educational-development dimension of science with re-
gards to the size of the residential area in which the respondents are living.
Teachers living in larger areas (more than 10,000 inhabitants) are more ac-
cepting of the Educational-development dimension of science than teachers
living in smaller areas (up to 10,000 inhabitants) (t = –2.539, p = 0.012).
Conclusion
Science content is often abstract, invisible to the naked eye, and not suffi-
ciently related to children’s experience, which leads children to develop a
negative attitude towards the content they do not understand and have dif-
ficulty adopting. Therefore, materials prepared for preschool children (e.g.
Rothschild, Daniels, 1999) are much needed so as to guide the development
of the first attitudes towards nature and the laws of nature through very sim-
ple activities and experiments. Some sources point to the combination of sci-
entific research and their results and existing practice, highlighting thereby
how to use research results so as to improve the immediate educational prac-
tice in the work with gifted and talented pupils in science. Teachers’ attitudes
towards gifted pupils and the possible forms of their education are crucial in
organizing systematic care for the gifted, because they are the first direct cre-
ators of pedagogical situations, and their acceptance of the attitude of gifted
education depends on the further implementation of the program.
Factor analysis of teachers’ attitudes towards science, survey method con-
ducted in the Republic of Croatia among primary school teachers, extracted
four factors: Educational-developmental dimension of science, Science as a
driver of social development, Positive feelings towards science and Nega-
tive feelings towards science. Results indicated that these factors are statisti-
cally significantly related to the constructed index of school excellence, the
length service of teachers, and the size of the place of residence and place of
growing-up.
Teachers in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County evaluated the educational prac-
tice of their school as more positive towards encouraging excellence than
teachers in the other two counties, and teachers from Lika-Senj County ex-
pressed more negative emotions towards dealing with science content in
their work than their colleagues. Teachers from larger places of residence
(more than 10.000 inhabitants) accepted the factor Educational-develop-
mental dimension of science more than teachers from smaller places of res-
idence (up to 10.000 inhabitants). Teachers who grew up in smaller areas
accepted the factor Negative feelings towards science more than teachers
who grew up in larger areas.
114
wards the factor Educational-development dimension of science with re-
gards to the size of the residential area in which the respondents are living.
Teachers living in larger areas (more than 10,000 inhabitants) are more ac-
cepting of the Educational-development dimension of science than teachers
living in smaller areas (up to 10,000 inhabitants) (t = –2.539, p = 0.012).
Conclusion
Science content is often abstract, invisible to the naked eye, and not suffi-
ciently related to children’s experience, which leads children to develop a
negative attitude towards the content they do not understand and have dif-
ficulty adopting. Therefore, materials prepared for preschool children (e.g.
Rothschild, Daniels, 1999) are much needed so as to guide the development
of the first attitudes towards nature and the laws of nature through very sim-
ple activities and experiments. Some sources point to the combination of sci-
entific research and their results and existing practice, highlighting thereby
how to use research results so as to improve the immediate educational prac-
tice in the work with gifted and talented pupils in science. Teachers’ attitudes
towards gifted pupils and the possible forms of their education are crucial in
organizing systematic care for the gifted, because they are the first direct cre-
ators of pedagogical situations, and their acceptance of the attitude of gifted
education depends on the further implementation of the program.
Factor analysis of teachers’ attitudes towards science, survey method con-
ducted in the Republic of Croatia among primary school teachers, extracted
four factors: Educational-developmental dimension of science, Science as a
driver of social development, Positive feelings towards science and Nega-
tive feelings towards science. Results indicated that these factors are statisti-
cally significantly related to the constructed index of school excellence, the
length service of teachers, and the size of the place of residence and place of
growing-up.
Teachers in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County evaluated the educational prac-
tice of their school as more positive towards encouraging excellence than
teachers in the other two counties, and teachers from Lika-Senj County ex-
pressed more negative emotions towards dealing with science content in
their work than their colleagues. Teachers from larger places of residence
(more than 10.000 inhabitants) accepted the factor Educational-develop-
mental dimension of science more than teachers from smaller places of res-
idence (up to 10.000 inhabitants). Teachers who grew up in smaller areas
accepted the factor Negative feelings towards science more than teachers
who grew up in larger areas.
114
