Abstract:

This study presents in a comparative perspective the similarities and differences between teacher education programs for pre-service and in-service teachers for gifted and talented in several countries. During the last decade of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century this field has developed in different ways due to ideological and political agenda of those involved. Institutions of higher education in Europe, the US and Australia have attempted to create high quality teacher education programs for teachers of gifted and talented by balancing between globalization on one hand and preserving local indentity on the other. This study compares between programs at different levels (BA, teachers' certificate, MA, PhD and EdD) in the field of education for gifted and talented both on campus and on line. The target population, the curriculum structure and content and the teaching methods are analyzed and compared. The findings indicate there is a wide variety of paths chosen by different countries and different institutions in the same country in their efforts to prepare professionals who would educate gifted and talented students according to their specific needs. The adoption and implementation of standards in the field is presented and discussed, and the article ends with recommendations for future research.

Keywords:

Comparative education, teacher education for gifted and talented, curriculum, standards.