Assessing the State of Imagination, Creativity, and Innovation in Gifted Education in UAE Schools
Fostering a culture of Imagination, Creativity, and Innovation (ICI) for gifted students in the UAE is crucial for the nurture of national talent. This study, using a mixed-method research design, looked at ICI opportunities in mainstream classrooms from the educators' perspective, and mainly f...
محفوظ في:
| المؤلف الرئيسي: | |
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| منشور في: |
2025
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| الموضوعات: | |
| الوصول للمادة أونلاين: | https://bspace.buid.ac.ae/handle/1234/3246 |
| الوسوم: |
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| الملخص: | Fostering a culture of Imagination, Creativity, and Innovation (ICI) for gifted students in the UAE is crucial for the nurture of national talent. This study, using a mixed-method research design, looked at ICI opportunities in mainstream classrooms from the educators' perspective, and mainly focused on understanding ideal versus actual practices and challenges. The Renzulli ICI Index questionnaire was given to 72 teachers, along with semi-structured interviews with 12 educators and leaders across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah. The findings revealed a significant gap between the educators' high ideals for ICI-supportive practices and more moderate actual implementation. This discrepancy was primarily attributed to systemic challenges, including insufficient specialised teacher training, curriculum and time constraints, resource limitations, and standardised testing pressures, rather than a lack of value for ICI. Educators' personal commitment, however, was crucial in sustaining current ICI practices. Notably, no statistically significant differences in perceived ICI opportunities were found based on the school type, innovation focus, emirate, grade level, or subject, suggesting widespread challenges. The study underscores the need for targeted professional development, clearer policy implementation, and supportive leadership to bridge this ideal–actual gap. Key recommendations include enhancing teacher training in ICI pedagogies, fostering a creative risk-taking school culture, providing adequate resources and curriculum flexibility, and strengthening school–authority collaboration. Understanding these complexities can help create more effective environments for nurturing gifted students' creative potential, contributing to the UAE's knowledge-based economy. This research adds to the knowledge on gifted education in the UAE, offering practical implications for schools. |
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