ABSTRACT This article focuses on research findings from multiple evaluation studies on the teacher use of differentiated practices for gifted learners that have implications for best practice in gifted education internationally. Research questions centered on what specific differentiation practices were employed with gifted learners and distinctions found between levels of teaching and content areas. Using the Classroom Observation Scale-Revised (COS-R) with 329 teachers in six different school districts in four states in the Eastern United States, we report data on differentiation practices that suggest that teachers of the gifted as well as regular classroom teachers underutilized these practices, did not match them to instructional purposes, and failed to implement them as effectively as possible to have an impact on gifted student learning. Moreover, the lack of consistent use of flexible grouping practices to support instructional goals was apparent in the majority of regular classroom contexts. Findings also suggested that teachers who were using differentiated practices were using them at least somewhat effectively, suggesting that some teachers were successful in implementing best-practice strategies. The results of these multiple studies also revealed that middle school classrooms were less effective in the use of differentiation for the gifted than either elementary or high schools. A comparison of results by subject area showed that math classrooms were the most successful in implementing differentiation practices for the gifted. Overall, the study suggests that differentiated practices are underutilized in the majority of gifted program sites studied. Implications from the study suggest that more careful attention needs to be paid to the use of specific differentiation practices, found in the research literature and taught in model university gifted education training programs.

中文翻译：

---

天才学习者教学的差异化：教师课堂实践的整理评估研究

摘要 本文侧重于多项评估研究的研究结果，这些研究结果对教师对天才学习者的差异化实践的使用对国际天才教育的最佳实践有影响。研究问题集中在天才学习者采用的具体差异化实践以及教学水平和内容领域之间的差异上。使用课堂观察量表修订版 (COS-R)，在美国东部四个州的六个不同学区的 329 名教师中，我们报告了差异化实践的数据，这些数据表明天才教师和普通课堂教师没有充分利用这些实践，没有将它们与教学目的相匹配，并且未能尽可能有效地实施它们以对天才学生的学习产生影响。此外，在大多数常规课堂环境中，缺乏一致使用灵活的分组实践来支持教学目标是显而易见的。调查结果还表明，使用差异化实践的教师至少在某种程度上有效地使用了它们，这表明一些教师成功地实施了最佳实践策略。这些多项研究的结果还表明，与小学或高中相比，中学课堂在为天才儿童使用差异化方面的效果较差。按学科领域的结果比较表明，数学课堂在为天才实施差异化实践方面最为成功。总体而言，该研究表明，在所研究的大多数天才课程网站中，差异化实践并未得到充分利用。