Sammendrag
This multiple-case study explores how two educational programs in Norway and California, USA, work towards meeting the educational and social needs of students with high learning potential. Gifted education has a long tradition in the U.S., while it is only in recent years that education provision for students who need extra challenges has been put on the agenda in Norway. These different traditions in providing education to students with high learning potential made for an interesting case study, comparing the two programs in their unique contexts. As the needs of these students are complex and different from regular students, this study serves the purpose of exploring how these students’ needs are met through the programs. The exploration is done through interviews with teachers and students in a Tech Program in a suburb in southern California and a Talent Center in a big city in Norway. The findings revealed that the programs largely meet the students’ needs, when looking at it through the theoretical framework and additional literature. Through an argument on acceleration, enrichment and provision of creativity training, the programs met the students’ educational needs, although it indicated that the Talent Center did meet the students’ needs to a larger degree than the Tech Program. Through social environments, preference for group work and meting similar minded peers, the programs met the students’ social needs in different ways. The informants reported invested families that contributed to the students’ participation in the programs, although the students in the Talent Center reported more pressure and stress when it came to their families and educational achievement. The differences between the programs in the ways in which they work towards meeting the students’ needs can be attributed to structural differences, gender and cultural differences. In providing special programs for these students, there should be some set standards for themes and social aspects, although the assignments and content should allow for fluidity according to students’ interests and personalities. This thesis sheds light on the subject of educational provision for students with high learning potential, which will hopefully inspire Norwegian legislation and improve the conditions for students in both programs. As the Norwegian literature has provided information on how the students with high learning potential’s needs not being met in the regular classroom, the results from this study differs from other research projects in the field. This study shows that students attending special programs suited for their needs are effective. This should argue for a stronger focus on these students, further research on and provision of special programs for students with high learning potential.