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Various diagrams and models have been removed: Figures: 1.1 (page 16) 2.1 (page 26) 3.1 (page 58) 3.2 (page 60) 3.3 (page 61) 3.4 (page 63) 3.5 (page 66) 3.6 (page 67) Various appendices have also been removed: A (page 254) I (page 282) www.brookes.ac.uk/go/radar O (page 382) P (page 383) S (page 393) T (page 398) U (page 403) When referring to this work, the full bibliographic details must be given as follows: Leavitt, M. R. (2009). Giftedness, perceptions and practices of teachers in Lithuania PhD thesis. Oxford Brookes University. Directorate of Learning Resources Giftedness Perceptions and Practices of Teachers in Lithuania Monita Russick Leavitt, BA [Moravian College]. MS [Central Connecticut State University] Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment to satisfy requirements of Oxford Brookes University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy June 2009 Disclaimer I declare that no material contained in the thesis has been used in any other submission for an academic award. I declare that in preparing this thesis all sources used have been acknowledged therein. Monita R. Leavitt June 2009 Leavitt, M. R., 2009. ABSTRACT i Abstract In the context of political and cultural educational change, this research examined how a professional development programme in gifted education was effective in changing the perceptions and practices of Lithuanian teachers to utilise more comprehensive criteria for the identification of gifted children. The research addressed two main research questions: (1) How have the perceptions of giftedness changed for Lithuanian teachers following a professional development programme in gifted education at Kaunas Technological University? (2) How did the teachers at a Lithuanian basic school who attended the professional development implement a gifted student identification procedure at their school? The objective of the professional development programme was for Lithuanian teachers to collaborate on a definition and list of characteristics of giftedness in order to design a gifted student identification process. Qualitative evidence for perceptions of giftedness, gathered from pre-and post-surveys, interviews and questionnaires, indicated that these Lithuanian teachers changed their thinking about giftedness and the identification of gifted learners. Mind Mapping was used to illustrate these conceptual and thematic changes. NVivo was then employed to validate the findings, analyse and code the data. Ninety one percent of Lithuanian teachers changed their thinking about giftedness after the professional development programme. The second study used Fullan’s Four Stage Model of Educational Change to analyse the change process at a case study school. The case study school teachers who attended the professional development implemented a gifted student identification process. Qualitative methodologies involved observations, discussions, interviews, and study of written records and documentation. Journaling, audio and videotaping were used to record information. The case study school screening committee identified 26% of pupils as ‘gifted’ from parent-, teacher-, peer-, and self-nomination. Teachers said that they felt empowered to differentiate the curriculum for gifted pupils at their school. This research presents one of the first North American perspectives on gifted education in post-Soviet Lithuania. Leavitt, M. R., 2009. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii I am always doing that which I cannot do in order that I may learn how to do it. – Pablo Picasso Acknowledgements This study is dedicated to Lithuanian teachers who, during educational reform, voiced the need for a system to identify one of their nation’s most valuable resources, its gifted pupils. This step was not taken alone; rather, it was supported by the affirmation of family, friends, and Lithuanian teachers to whom I owe a deep gratitude for their help and inspiration. Particular thanks go to my supervisors at Oxford Brookes University: Professor John Geake for mentorship and Dr. Tatiana Bachkirova for academic support; Associate Professor Dr. Brone Narkeviciene, Kaunas Technological University, for initiatives of pedagogical training in gifted education in Lithuanian; Vaiva Vebraite, co-creator of APPLE (American Professional Partnership of Lithuanian Education), for visionary leadership that provided American teachers with opportunities to train teachers in at the onset of Lithuania’s educational reform; Regina Seskuviene, friend, translator, and for my first classroom connection in Lithuania (1989); and Laima Dainutiene, friend and interpreter for serving as my voice to network in a country where I did not speak the language. I am especially grateful for the help from two friends: Dr. Robin Jenkin, son-in-law, who provided invaluable technical and practical research assistance, and Joyce Singer, for her encouragement and editing support. Also, I would like to thank my friends for their help and encouragement: Dr. Yolande Bosman, Carol Donahue, Phil Dutkiewicz, Jim Jones, Jeri Wenkert-Larson, Peggy Phillips, Tom Poland, Ginny Porter-James, and Sharon Spencer-Smith. And, last of all, thank you to my parents, family, and children, Tamara Jenkin and Ryan Leavitt, who brought true gifts of creativity, compassion, and joy to my life, which provided the basis for all of my work with gifted children. Leavitt, M. R., 2009. TABLE OF CONTENTS iii Table of Contents Abstract ……………………………………………………….……….…………..… i Acknowledgements ……………………….……………………..…………….…… ii Tables of Contents …………………………………………………………………. iii List of Figures ………………………………………………….….………………. vi List of Tables ………………………..……………………….….……………...… vii Chapter 1: Introduction …...……………………………………………………….. 1 1.1 Introduction …………………………………………………………..….. 1 1.2 Rationale of this Research ………………………………..……………… 1 1.3 General Historical Context ……………….…….………………………... 2 1.4 Contemporary History of Lithuanian Education …………………..…...... 8 1.5 History and Background of School Education in Lithuania ...………..… 11 1.6 Post-Soviet Gifted Education in Lithuania …..….…….……...………… 14 1.7 Researcher Involvement .……………..………………………………… 18 1.8 Thesis Chapter Structure ……………………………………………….. 19 Chapter 2: Constructs of Educational Change in Lithuania …………....……... 21 2.1 Introduction ………………………………………………………...…... 21 2.2 Fullan’s Model of Educational Change ………..…….………………… 25 2.3 Systemic Educational Change in Lithuania ………..….…….…………. 36 2.4 Educational Change in Lithuanian Schools ………..….……………….. 38 2.5 The Need for Lithuanian Teacher Professional Development in Gifted Education ………………………………………….…………. 45 Chapter 3: International Perspectives of Giftedness ............………………….... 49 3.1 Introduction …………………………………………………………….. 49 3.2 Giftedness: A Problematic Term ……………..……..………………….. 49 3.3 Identification of High Intelligence ……..………….………………..….. 55 Leavitt, M. R., 2009. TABLE OF CONTENTS iv 3.4 The Identification of Gifted Learners: Models of Giftedness ….…….… 59 3.5 Identification of and General Provisions for Gifted Pupils .……………. 68 3.6 Development of Gifted Education in Lithuania …….…….……….…… 75 3.7 Current Gifted Educational Provisions in Former Soviet Republics ……………………………………………………….….…… 80 Chapter 4: First Study Change in Perceptions of Giftedness in Lithuanian Teachers ……….… 90 4.1 Introduction …………………………………….………………………. 90 4.2 Professional Development Programme Organisation …………..…..….. 90 4.3 Professional Development Study Methodology ……….………..……… 95 4.4 Professional Development Study Research Design ……….………..….. 99 4.4.1 Pre- and Post-Surveys …………………………………….…...…. 99 4.5 Professional Development Study Findings …………………….……... 101 4.5.1 Analysis Employing NVivo …………………..…………………. 101 4.6 Outcomes of the Professional Development Programme ..………….… 108 4.6.1 Outcomes: Survey Results ……………………………………… 112 4.7 Professional Development Study General Discussion …….……..…… 132 4.8 Professional Development Study Implications for Practice ………….. 138 Chapter 5: Second Study: Case Study of the Implementation of Gifted Education in a Lithuanian Basic School ……………………………………………………. 141 5.1 Introduction …..……..………………………………………………… 141 5.2 Background of Case Study School …………………..………………... 142 5.3 Case Study Methodologies ……………………………………………..144 5.4 Case Study Data Gathering .……..…………..………………….…….. 147 5.5 Issues of Validity ………….………….………………………………. 155 5.6 Research Ethics …..…..………………….……………….…………… 157 5.7 Case Study Description ………..………………………...……………. 159 5.7.1 Fullan’s Model: Initiation Stage ………..….………....…………. 159 5.7.2 Fullan’s Model: Implementation Stage ………..……….……….. 160 5.7.3 Fullan’s Model: Continuation Stage ….………………………… 166 5.7.4 Fullan’s Model: Outcome Stage …….………………………….. 168 5.8 Results ……………...……….…….……………………………..…… 169 Leavitt, M. R., 2009. TABLE OF CONTENTS v 5.9 Comparisons with Other Lithuanian Schools ..……………………….. 177 5.9.1 School #1 ………………………………..……………...……….. 178 5.9.2 School #2 …………….……………….……………………..…... 179 5.9.3 School #3 ………………………………………………..………. 179 5.9.4 School