Urban gifted education and African American students: Parent and teacher perspectives.

摘要

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain a better understanding of parents and teachers' perspectives on the schooling experiences of African American students in an urban gifted program. More specifically, the research examined the social, emotional, and academic challenges that contribute to the underrepresentation of African American students in gifted and talented programs. The study involved one urban middle school gifted program in Prince George's County in Maryland. Ten parents and ten teachers comprised the study sample. Four major themes emerged from the study; work ethics, self-confidence, transitioning to secondary gifted program, and camaraderie with peers. As a result, the negative influences that typically contribute to the underrepresentation of African Americans in gifted programs were not major factors in this urban gifted program.