A Study of a Teaching Plan for Gifted Students in Elementary School Mathematics Classes

일반학급에서의 초등 수학 영재아 지도 방안 연구

Currently, our country operates gifted education only as a special curriculum, which results in many problems, e.g., there are few beneficiaries of gifted education, considerable time and effort are required to gifted students, and gifted students' educational needs are ignored during the operation of regular curriculum. In order to solve these problems, the present study formulates the following research questions, finding it advisable to conduct gifted education in elementary regular classrooms within the scope of the regular curriculum. A. To devise a teaching plan for the gifted students on mathematics in the elementary school regular classroom. B. To develop a learning program for the gifted students in the elementary school regular classroom. C. To apply an in-depth learning program to gifted students in mathematics and analyze the effectiveness of the program. In order to answer these questions, a teaching plan was provided for the gifted students in mathematics using a differentiating instruction type. This type was developed by researching literature reviews. Primarily, those on characteristics of gifted students in mathematics and teaching-learning models for gifted education. In order to instruct the gifted students on mathematics in the regular classrooms, an in-depth learning program was developed. The gifted students were selected through teachers' recommendation and an advanced placement test. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the gifted education in mathematics and the possibility of the differentiating teaching type in the regular classrooms were determined. The analysis was applied through an in-depth learning program of selected gifted students in mathematics. To this end, an in-depth learning program developed in the present study was applied to 6 gifted students in mathematics in one first grade class of D Elementary School located in Nowon-gu, Seoul through a 10-period instruction. Thereafter, learning outputs, math diaries, teacher's checklist, interviews, video tape recordings the instruction were collected and analyzed. Based on instruction research and data analysis stated above, the following results were obtained. First, it was possible to implement the gifted education in mathematics using a differentiating instruction type in the regular classrooms, without incurring any significant difficulty to the teachers, the gifted students, and the non-gifted students. Specifically, this instruction was effective for the gifted students in mathematics. Since the gifted students have self-directed learning capability, the teacher can teach lessons to the gifted students individually or in a group, while teaching lessons to the non-gifted students. The teacher can take time to check the learning state of the gifted students and advise them, while the non-gifted students are solving their problems. Second, an in-depth learning program connected with the regular curriculum, was developed for the gifted students, and greatly effective to their development of mathematical thinking skills and creativity. The in-depth learning program held the interest of the gifted students and stimulated their mathematical thinking. It led to the creative learning results, and positively changed their attitude toward mathematics. Third, the gifted students with the most favorable results who took both teacher's recommendation and advanced placement test were more self-directed capable and task committed. They also showed favorable results of the in-depth learning program. Based on the foregoing study results, the conclusions are as follows: First, gifted education using a differentiating instruction type can be conducted for gifted students on mathematics in the elementary regular classrooms. This type of instruction conforms to the characteristics of the gifted students in mathematics and is greatly effective. Since the gifted students in mathematics have self-directed learning capabilities and task-commitment, their mathematical thinking skills and creativity were enhanced during individual exploration and learning through an in-depth learning program in a differentiating instruction. Second, when a differentiating instruction type is implemented, beneficiaries of gifted education will be enhanced. Gifted students and their parents' satisfaction with what their children are learning at school will increase. Teachers will have a better understanding of gifted education. Third, an in-depth learning program for gifted students on mathematics in the regular classrooms, should conform with an instructing and learning model for gifted education. This program should include various and creative contents by deepening the regular curriculum. Fourth, if an in-depth learning program is applied to the gifted students on mathematics in the regular classrooms, it can enhance their gifted abilities, change their attitude toward mathematics positively, and increase their creativity.

본 연구의 목적은 정규교육과정 내에서 초등학교 일반학급 수학 영재아를 위한 효율적인 영재교육 방안을 탐색해 보고, 영재의 특성을 고려한 심화학습 프로그램을 개발하여 실제로 일반학급의 교수 학습 환경에 적용한 후, 그 효과를 분석하는 것이다. 문헌연구를 통해 초등학교 일반학급 수학 영재아 지도를 위한 복식수업 형태의 영재교육 방안을 제시하였고, 수학영재 심화학습 프로그램을 개발하여 초등학교 1학년 한 학급 6명을 대상으로 적용하여 그 효과를 분석하였다. 연구의 결과 첫째, 일반학급에서 복식수업 형태로 수학 영재교육을 실시하는 것은 수학 영재아 측면에서 매우 효과적이었다. 둘째, 수학영재 심화학습 프로그램은 수학 영재아의 수학적 사고력과 창의성 계발에 매우 효과적이었다. 셋째, 수학 영재아 선발 과정에서 교사의 추천과 영재성 검사는 둘 다 매우 중요한 것으로 나타났다. 이 연구는 영재교육이 방과후 교육 형태의 특별교육으로만 운영될 것이 아니라 정규교육과정 내에서 보다 효율적인 방법으로 운영함으로써 수학 영재아의 요구에 부합되면서도 영재교육의 효과를 극대화할 수 있음을 제안하고 있다.