Review article
DETECTING AND WORKING WITH GIFTED STUDENTS IN A MUSIC SCHOOL
Zrinka Šimunović
; Osnovna škola Ivana Mažuranića Vinkovci, Hrvatska
Abstract
The detection of musical giftedness occurs before the child's sixth year of age. However, it is not rare that musical talent is not detected within the primary school system. The latest approaches to encouraging giftedness place a bigger responsibility on the teacher regarding the development of gifted students. The aim of the research was to investigate in what ways the musical instrument teachers in a music school recognise gifted students, what difficulties they encounter in their work, what the cooperation with parents of gifted students is like, and what they would change in the educational system to improve that process. The same questions were given to the teachers of lower primary school students in a grade school, due to the fact that they are the first, following the child's family, who are given the opportunity to recognise the early signals of musical giftedness. They are the ones who, in case of family neglect, may propose further musical education for the gifted child.
The teachers were interviewed by means of a questionnaire which consisted of six questions referring to recognition, understanding, work with the students, cooperation with parents and the overall satisfaction with the educational system in the context of working with gifted students. The obtained results demonstrated a very good familiarity of the musical instrument teachers with musical abilities, as well as the understanding of the general concept of musical giftedness. Equally, the lower primary school teachers demonstrated a sufficient knowledge of musical giftedness and are aware of the important role they have in its recognition. Both groups suggested some guidelines with regard to work with gifted children.
Keywords
musically gifted students; musical education; musical ability; musical instrument teachers; lower primary school teachers
Hrčak ID:
121410
URI
Publication date:
13.6.2013.
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