What are other countries’ beliefs about giftedness and gifted education?
Cramond: I don’t think other countries are apologetic about providing different curricular experiences for students based upon the students’ achievements. Part of that may come from their very different ideas about giftedness. For example, Asians put much more emphasis on effort and less on natural ability. So, they believe that the students who do best are those who work the hardest. Therefore, there is nothing unfair about providing a more challenging curriculum to them. VanTassel-Baska: The beliefs among countries vary. For example, Australia focuses heavily on acceleration and grouping for gifted children. They believe that pacing and advanced coursework for their brightest students provide the best options for student gain and the cultivation of potential. England, on the other hand, believes that gifted education should impact all classroom practices, and teachers must be well-equipped with the pedagogy and content-knowledge necessary for working with gifted students. Korea consi
