engleski

The gifted in the educational system of Croatia

The authors start from the consideration of giftedness as a complex social phenomenon. Specifically, the contextualization of gifted children /students, of their overall social, cognitive and emotional development is the result of everything that is happening in society and is placed within their subjectivised everyday life. Therefore, a socio-pedagogical research and interdisciplinary survey were conducted in spring 2009. A research sample was structured into two main categories, with preschool educators and with teachers who were at that time employed in Split elementary schools. The objectives of the research included the examination of the respondents' attitudes and opinions about the characteristics of gifted children /students, as well as perspectives for the development of their giftedness, as well as their socialization in general. Research results confirmed that the gifted children in each segment are perceived as ''different''. Parents have a key role, besides the experts in educational institutions, in the socialization process of their children. The entire educational system does not develop a favourable climate for their development which often leads to frustration of gifted children. In this context the authors emphasize that social care for such children should be build on the foundations of knowledge and responsibility with a lot of positive energy, optimism and enthusiasm. Therefore, the training of experts in institutions becomes necessary, as well as their stronger and intensive interaction and collaboration with parents.

giftedness, social phenomenon, empirical socio-pedagogical research, interdisciplinary survey, social contextualization

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