An International Study on the Education Programs for Gifted Children and Curriculum Differentiation

在这个项目中，我们对日本以及美国、英国（英国）、中华人民共和国、台湾、韩国、新加坡、印度等几个国家（地区）的资优儿童教育现状和趋势进行了全面而深入的调查。每个国家（地区）根据其人口规模、教育发展（特别是中学阶段）和社会对早期选择儿童的偏好，有各自的传统和独特的天赋和能力儿童计划实施方式。为了比较讨论的共同框架，我们列出了资优项目的几个方面，如：(1)目标和理性；(2)资优儿童的定义和识别；(3)选择程序和年龄；(4)课程；(5)班级组建；(6)教师培训；(7)评估。在调查的各个国家（地区）中，我们发现在定义、目标、目标人群……更多的选择程序和课程方面存在很大差异，同时我们也看到了一些类似的实施点。在任何情况下，都必须具备社会共识、选拔过程的公平性、降低成本的公共援助、失学儿童的后续制度等。一些亚洲国家强调寻找未来的顶尖科学家，而另一些国家则需要国家领导人。在西方国家，人们更多地关注处于不利地位的天才儿童，特别是城市地区或少数民族的天才儿童。在这个基金下，我们进行了三次国际访问，以获得这些国家（地区）资优教育项目的情况和最新数据的第一手资料，并与韩国（2004年7月）、英国（2005年7月）和台湾（2005年11月）的学生、教师和行政官员进行了访谈。我们举行了三次全体会议，讨论和交流与会者报告的资料。《美国资优教育》的作者、关西大学教授松村信孝教授于2004年9月应邀为我们做了特别演讲。共有11位与会者从不同角度就资优教育提交了论文，为最终报告做出了宝贵的贡献。少

In this project, we conducted a comprehensive and intensive investigation over the situation and trends of education for gifted and talented children in Japan and several foreign countries (regions) such as the United States, the United Kingdom(England), People's Republic of China, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore and India. Each country (region) has each tradition and unique implementation of programs for the children with talent and gifted abilities depending on its population size, educational development (especially in secondary level), and social preference for early selection of children.For a common framework for comparative discussion, we listed several aspects in gifted programs, such as (1)aims and rational (2)definition and identification of gifted children, (3)selection procedure and age, (4)curriculum, (5)class formation, (6)teachers training and (7)evaluation. Throughout the countries (regions) investigated we found wide differences in definitions, aims, target population, … More selection procedure and curriculums while we saw at the same time some similar points in implementation. In all the cases, the program must have social consensus, fairness in selection procedure, public assistance for lessen cost, and follow up systems for dropped out children. Some Asian countries had emphasis on finding future top scientists while others needed national leaders. In the Western countries, a more focus has been put on the disadvantaged gifted children especially in the urban area or in minorities.Under this fund, three international visits were made to have a first hand information on the situation and the latest data of gifted education programs in these countries (regions) and to have interviews to students, teachers, and administrative officers involved in South Korea (July 2004), England (July 2005), and Taiwan (November 2005). We had three general meetings for discussion and exchange of information from the repots of participants. Professor Nobutaka Matsumura, a professor of Kansai University, an author of the ‘Gifted Education in the United States' was invited to give a special speech for us on September 2004. In total eleven participants made precious contribution by submitting papers to the final report on the gifted education from various perspectives. Less