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Shifting discourses on giftedness in Swedish newspaper media – what’s the problem represented to be?
Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Education.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6413-6538
Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Education.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2911-922X
2024 (English)In: Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, ISSN 0031-3831, E-ISSN 1470-1170, Vol. 68, no 7, p. 1555-1567Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

The purpose of this article is to explore how public discussions on giftedness and gifted students are framed in two of Sweden’s leading newspapers over a 25-year period (1995-2019). We explored discourse within 72 articles, using a time-sensitive analysis combined with a ‘What’s the problem represented to be?’ approach. The results show that the concept of giftedness became established during the period, although there were also counter-discourses questioning what ‘giftedness’ means and how schools should be organised. There is a lack of more in-depth discussions about how social class, ethnicity, or gender can affect how students are regarded in school, or how teaching can affect intellectual development. Instead, there is a strong stance in favour of individualised teaching.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Routledge, 2024. Vol. 68, no 7, p. 1555-1567
Keywords [en]
Giftedness, gifted students, public discussions, egalitarian school system, discourses
National Category
Pedagogy
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-214703DOI: 10.1080/00313831.2023.2259930ISI: 001071529300001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85172113803OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-214703DiVA, id: diva2:1799982
Available from: 2023-09-25 Created: 2023-09-25 Last updated: 2025-01-13Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Särskild begåvning i en förskola och skola för alla
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Särskild begåvning i en förskola och skola för alla
2023 (Swedish)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Based on four articles, this compilation thesis analyses different actors’ constructions of giftedness and ideas about meeting gifted children’s needs in preschool and early childhood educational settings. Previous research has highlighted gifted children’s need for early educational adaptations and support for their continued development and maintained desire for learning. Because children’s early educational experiences influence their continued cognitive, social and emotional development, constructions of giftedness at different societal levels surrounding the child were important to explore. Questions addressed included how pre- school personnel, principals and parents of gifted children talk about giftedness, how the construction of giftedness changes over time in Swedish daily press, and what meanings talk about giftedness have for gifted children’s provided education in preschool and school. The theoretical framework underpinning the entire thesis is social constructivism. In addition, special educational perspectives, Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory model, and discourse analysis were used to analyse the respondents’ understandings. Empirically, the thesis is based on material collected in four studies conducted between 2019-2021. These include an on-line questionnaire to preschool personnel (n=78), interviews with preschool teachers (10) and principals (5), interviews with parents (16), and an overview of Swedish newspaper articles about giftedness (n=72). Results show that constructions of giftedness create tensions by generating diverse ideas about the offered teaching in practice, alongside different views of hindering factors for providing an adequate education, organizational thresholds or lack of education about giftedness. Dilemmas included planning an education that meet the needs of all – as well as individual children’s needs. Another dilemma was naming someone gifted in a strong tradition of an egalitarian education. How preschool staff, principals, parents and newspaper debates construct giftedness is vital for making conscious choices and treatment of giftedness in a preschool and school for all.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Umeå: Umeå universitet, 2023. p. 94
Series
Akademiska avhandlingar vid Pedagogiska institutionen, Umeå universitet, ISSN 0281-6768 ; 131
Keywords
giftedness, gifted education, preschool education, early childhood education, school for all
National Category
Pedagogy
Research subject
education
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-215301 (URN)978-91-8070-172-3 (ISBN)978-91-8070-173-0 (ISBN)
Public defence
2023-11-10, Humanisthuset, Hörsal D (Hum.D.220), Petrus Laestadius väg, Umeå, 10:00 (Swedish)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2023-10-20 Created: 2023-10-16 Last updated: 2024-07-02Bibliographically approved

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Silfver, EvaEkesryd Nordström, Malin

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