Arab Educational Information Network

Gifted education, defined as the schooling of students demonstrating some exceptional abilities, is relatively new in the education system of the United Arab Emirates (UAE); hence, research on gifted education in the UAE is limited. This study is the first to investigate the implementation of gifted education programmes at seven primary government schools in Dubai-UAE. The main research question of the study was: What programmes are offered for gifted learners in primary government schools in Dubai? And what is needed in order to improve the provisions of gifted education? The study adopted the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) gifted programmes standards as a framework. A sequential exploratory mixed-methods research design was employed with triangulation of data to test the validity of the findings. The methods used to collect the data include classroom observations, interviews and a questionnaire with teachers, a focus group with parents, and a review of official documents. The conclusions demonstrate that the provision of education for gifted students has progressed in Dubai-UAE in the last 10 years, However, more improvement is required in identification of gifted students and implementation of gifted policies and programmes. School administrators and teachers need to better understand and implement the policies prescribed by the Ministry of Education. Based on the findings, a set of recommendations is offered to better serve the gifted students of the UAE.(As Provided)