An Exploration of Talented Performance: A Case Study of Chinese Teachers' Perceptions

This dissertation, "An Exploration of Talented Performance: a Case Study of Chinese Teachers' Perceptions" by H, Echo, Wu, 吳鴻雁, was obtained from The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) and is being sold pursuant to Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation. All rights not granted by the above license are retained by the author. Abstract: Abstract of thesis entitled: "An Exploration of Talented Performance: A Case Study of Chinese Teachers' Perceptions" Submitted by Echo H. Wu for the degree of Master of Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong in June, 2006 The purpose of this study is to investigate some important aspects of talented performance (TP) and giftedness from a Chinese culture and literature perspective, with the support of a case study on Chinese teachers' perceptions. Concepts of TP and giftedness, and factors that contribute to TP will be examined from a reflective review of relevant literature, and from the viewpoints of secondary school teachers in China, with a goal of using these perceptions as a basis for the development of a Chinese model of TP. It is hoped that the findings will provide useful information in better understanding the specific features of gifted education in China. It is also expected that the theoretical Chinese model of TP will bring forth some guidelines and stimulate further research interests. This thesis includes in total ten chapters within four parts. Part I, Introduction, provides firstly background to the study, which relates to historical and current research on TP, and then presents the problems and definitions of some key issues related to the topic. This part also explains the purpose and expected significance of the study, and provides an outline of the thesis. Part II, Theoretical Background, introduces separately the relevant Western and Chinese literature concerning gifted and talented education. Cultural backgrounds, concepts of giftedness and TP, and current research and studies in the area are discussed. Some Western and Chinese models or theories of giftedness and TP are summarized within the literature review. Part III, Methodology, first displays the assumptions for a theoretical Chinese model of TP and proposes a group of research questions. Following this, two qualitative research methods employed in this study, group interviews and individual interviews, are elaborated respectively with details that include design, procedure, analysis, and results. Data were collected with the collaboration of a number of secondary schools in China, and were categorized and analyzed using mainly qualitative data analysis, supplemented with a small part of descriptive quantitative analysis. Research findings are discussed to help build up a preliminary Chinese model of TP, which is subject to a continuous cycle of review and modification in the progress of data collection. In Part IV, Discussion and Conclusion, explores implications and limitations of the study. Before the conclusion, some suggestions for future studies are presented. The main results of this study are, first, as revealed in the literature and substantiated by the empirical case study, Chinese educators believe that the concept of TP is essentially different from that of giftedness. Second, they think that developmental factors are more important contributors to TP than innate abilities to learn. And finally, it is argued that key claims in the Chinese literature and findings from the empirical study can be incorporated into a systematic and comprehensive theoretical Chinese model of TP. DOI: 10.5353/th_b3624183 Subjects: Genius - China High school teachers - China - Attitudes