Is Academic Excellence in School Children Based on IQ: A review of private schools in Dubai regarding the gifted and talented
Loading...
Files
Date
2010-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The British University in Dubai (BUiD)
Abstract
Dubai has earned the repute of being ahead in every respective field from financial services to education and life style. Yet an important area in the education systems in Dubai, needs attention: assessments, acknowledgement and provisions for the gifted and talented students studying in private schools go unnoticed most of the times. This research paper was conducted to gain a firsthand account regarding the presence of gifted children in Dubai’s private schools. Furthermore a research is conducted to find out that, what are the assessments and provisions for the gifted children studying in the private schools of Dubai. With the help of Raven’s Progressive Matrices, 2 small populations of 15 students were tested; once from grade 5th and once from grade 6th, to analyse the relationship between IQ scores and scholastic achievement. On getting a positive co relation, the high IQ children were observed on a checklist by the researcher, their class teachers were interviewed, their parent were interviewed too, regarding the policies for their children. It was found that these children had formal assessments from outside the school, formal assessment centres and they did stand among the high IQ group of children. Checklists were filled by teachers and parents to get further knowledge regarding their abilities. Ten schools were selected, on basis of their curriculum, and each school obtained questionnaires filled by the principal, 2 teachers, 2 social workers working in those private schools. Extensive research was able to generate data and research that pointed in just one direction, “the urgent need for acknowledgement, assessments, and provisions for the gifted and talented children studying in Dubai’s private schools”. This will not only reduce the commercialization aspect that is a major problem felt by KHDA head, Dr. Abdullah Al Karam but also introduce more specialization and better care for the children studying in the private schools of Dubai.
Description
Keywords
academic excellence, school children, IQ, gifted and talented, Dubai, education system, assessment