A Roadmap for Change: Charting the Course of Gifted Educational Provision in Lebanon

Abstract

This article reviews and further develops understandings gleaned from an investigation of public and private school teachers’ perceptions of talent development and their ability to implement specialized approaches for gifted students in a country without specific educational policies for this population. Through a discussion of findings from a previous study investigating the perceptions and practices of more than 280 Lebanese teachers, new insights to inform future policy are provided into how talent development is perceived and responded to within the Lebanese educational context. These understandings helped inform the development of a culturally appropriate conceptual framework, derived from Gagné's Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (2008). The resultant framework addresses how the broader socio-economic cultural context within Lebanon appears to have influenced teachers’ perceptions and practices and the choices made in terms of gifted provision in classrooms. This framework could assist educational leaders in Lebanon to implement changes that would not only benefit gifted learners but also have potential flow on benefits for the country as a whole.