Influence of curriculum characteristics on empowerment of talented secondary science students

Influence of curriculum characteristics on empowerment of talented secondary science students Ton van der Valk (FIsme) In cooperation with Hetty Grunefeld, Quintijn Sissingh Meijer and Albert Pilot (IVLOS Institute of Education) E-mail to [email_address]

Outline
The research issue
Theoretical framework
The context: Junior College Utrecht
Research methods
Results: Learner Empowerment
Influence of curriculum
Interpretation
Discussion
Conclusions and recommendations

The research issue
Talented secondary students should be empowered by science education
Regular education does not offer them enough challenge
So, adaptation of education to this group
Which curriculum characteristics contribute to the empowerment of talented secondary science students?

Theoretical framework: empowerment
Empowerment: students feel challenged and competent to accomplish their tasks and feel their effort really matters
Three components:
Meaningful
Competent
Impact
(Frymier et al. 1996; Thomas and Velthouse 1990)

Theoretical framework: curriculum characteristics
Talent curriculum characteristics:
School culture valuing differences between students
Teaching approach geared to talented students
Talented students meet and cooperate in doing learning tasks
Compact curriculum; accelerated pace
Enrichment topics beyond syllabuses
Open assignments and investigation
Heller e.a. (2002) Internat. Handbook of Giftedness an Talent

The context: Junior College Utrecht
Utrecht University + 26 partner schools
2 years of ‘enriched’ science education
50 grade-11 and 50 grade-12 students
Maths, physics, chemistry, biology, NLT
Lessons on Monday and Tuesday
4 cohorts (160 st.) have passed national examinations
>80% opt for science study in university

JCU curriculum characteristics
JCU atmosphere
- student participation; social activities
Approach by teachers
- Tuned to interests and capacities of students
Talent meets talent
- Students share passion for science/ maths
Accelerated pace
- Syllabuses done in 60% of time
Enriched programme
- Subject matter beyond syllabuses
Research oriented
- Assignments like pre-thesis and JCU-thesis
Align with talent curriculum characteristics

Research methods
Learner empowerment measure
Digital questionnaire (26 items; alpha .86) based on Frymier e.a. 1996
focused JCU, not on home schools
Questionnaire appeared reliable
Effect of curriculum characteristics
Digital questionnaire relating 3 dimensions to 6 characteristics (18 items)
Interpretation with qualitative data
Q: (dis)advantages in participating in JCU?

Research group and response
49 grade-11 JCU-students
48 grade-12 JCU-students
Digital questionnaires
Response 75 (77%): 44 boys; 31 girls
Open questionnaires
Response 100%

Results 1
Mean scores ± s.d.
empowerment 3.85 ± .40
competence 3.91 ± .62
meaningfulness 3.88 ± .51
impact 3.70 ± .51
No significant differences between groups except competence: girls< boys
No significant differences in marks between boys and girls
 JCU students feel empowered on all 3 dimensions
 girls less empowered on Competence, but not less competent

Results 2
Mean effect of all 6 characteristics on empowerment: 3.71
Meaningful 3.90*
Competence 3.73
Impact 3.50*

Effect of characteristic on empowerment
Accelerated curriculum (3.46 + .60)
+ Students acknowledge and appreciate acceleration
But to some students the pace is too high (in particular maths; physics):
Talent meets talent (3.60 + .66)
+ Students appreciate meeting talented peers
But to some it results in too high expectations
Negative influence on Competence indicate why these characteristics contribute relatively little to empowerment

Effect of characteristic on empowerment - 2
Research oriented (3.68 + .69)
Highlights are research activities: thesis and CERN excursion
Students ask for more research activities
Teaching approach (3.70 + .54)
Students appreciate discussions in lessons
suggest more freedom for making choices
Enrichment (3.77 + .54)
Much appreciated
To some: focus too much on maths/phys; to others: on life sciences
These charact. add to empowerment, but the Impact dimension can be reinforced
 Even a selected group of gifted students needs differentiated curriculum

Effect of characteristics on empowerment - 3
JCU atmosphere (4.05 + .63)
Student like the social climate in and out classes
Students experience freedom, challenge, respect for their contributions
Students feel empowered by the JCU setting as a whole

Conclusions
Education that meets the ‘talent curriculum characteristics’ result in empowered learners
All ‘talent characteristics’ contribute to learner empowerment
The most to Meaningful
The least to Impact
School culture / atmosphere is the most important
Accelerated pace and Talents meet talents can turn out ambiguous
‘ Differentiated curriculum’ is missing in ‘talent curriculum characteristics’

Recommendations
To empowerment research
Follow development of empowerment
Comparison of groups
To science education for talented students
Apply talent curriculum characteristics
Different tasks to different students
Discuss (dis)advantages of acceleration
many opportunities for investigations / student contributions
To regular science education
Pay attention to a stimulating atmosphere
Enrichment for talented students
Resulting in ‘products’ that can be shown
Pay equal attention to all students

Influence of curriculum characteristics on empowerment of talented secondary science students

by Junior College Utrecht

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