Effects of Teacher Referral of Ethnic Minority Students to Gifted and Talented Programs

This qualitative case study addressed the problem of underrepresentation of ethnic minority students in gifted and talented programs in a local school district. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of teachers regarding their student referrals to gifted and talented programs and indices of culture and race as potential factors in underrepresentation. The theoretical framework was constructivism and the conceptual framework developed by Slocumb and Payne for identification of superior students guided data collection and analysis. A case study design was employed with a purposeful sample of 12 elementary teachers from a cluster of 5 diverse school. The research questions focused on the roles of teachers' attitudes and beliefs about the link between culture and intelligence and their personal experiences in recommending minority students in the referral process. Data were collected through in-depth interviews. Open coding, axial coding, and selective coding techniques were used to analyze the data based on components of the conceptual framework. Findings showed that without training in gifted characteristics across cultures, teachers do not always make informed referrals. More studies and programs are needed to identify and correct stereotypical thinking that influences referrals of racial and cultural minority students to gifted and talented programs. A recommendation for the district is to develop and implement teacher training in cultural awareness to improve gifted and talented student identification. The findings could affect social change when teachers are empowered through appropriate knowledge and referral processes to give formerly underrepresented groups the optimal level of learning experiences they need and that are appropriate for their abilities.