An evaluation of differentiated science activities for inclusion of gifted students

The purpose of this study is to develop differentiated science activities based on Grid Model for inclusion of gifted students in resource rooms and regular classrooms and examine their effects gifted and non-gifted students' perceptions of their self-regulatory learning skills and activities. This study employed the embedded mixed design from mixed research methods. This study was mostly based on quantitative method and deployed qualitative method to support quantitative. A quasi-experimental research design with pre-test and post-test control group was used for quantitative research method, while case study research design was adopted for qualitative one. The sample consisted of 79 students from four different classrooms selected from two private and two public schools. Two primary school teachers conducted the activities in the 2016-2017 academic year in the city of Amasya,Turkey. While determining 4th grade classrooms as a sample of the study, the criterion each classroom must have a gifted student defined by Guidance and Research Centers was exploited. "Motivating Strategies in Learning Scale", "My Classroom Activities", "A Semi-structured Interview Form", "Analytical Rubrics for Document Analyses" were used to collect to data. ANOVA, dependent sample t-tests and descriptive statistics were used for the quantitative data, whereas descriptive analysis were utilized for the qualitative one. Post-test scores showed that gifted students in the experimental group outperformed in majority of dimensions in the motivation and self-regulation strategies. Further, it was found that differentiated science activities positively improved cognitive, resource management and metacognitive strategies of non-gifted students as compared with the existing curriculum. Interview protocols revealed that most of the gifted and non-gifted students in the experimental group used various self-regulatory strategies in learning a new subject and had more learning enthusiastic. The document analyses it pointed that the gifted students fulfilled their tasks in support room as well as most of the tasks in regular classrooms. Indicated a positive perceptioans of the differentiated activities of the gifted and talented students qualitative findings. Morover, it was found that the existing curriculum no effect on improving gifted and non-gifted students' self-regulatory learning skills. In light of the findings of the study, it was deduced that the differentiated Grid Model positively increased gifted students' motivations and improved their strategies towards self-regulation. Also, the differentiated science activities for inclusion of the gifted students with low socio-economic statue were successful in enhancing their motivations and developing their strategies towards self-regulation. Hence, it can be concluded that the differentiated science activities via Grid Model is generally effective in making the gifted and non-gifted students achieve self-regulatory learning skills, which are needed in the early periods of life. Various trainings about differentiated teaching practices via Grid Model can be organized to primary school teachers and implementation differentiated teaching in other units of science lesson can be suggested.