The uses of technology in gifted education: a systematic review

Abstract

This study focuses on the ways that technology is used in the field of gifted education. The aim of this research is to collect evidence-based data related to the integration of technology in the education process of gifted and talented primary students. Although many studies have examined the role of technology in education, there is limited research focusing directly on technology and gifted learners. For this reason, a systematic review of the literature was conducted to collect data on the ways that technology is applied in the field of gifted education, focusing on highly able students aged from 5 to 12 years old.

This review offers evidence-based data from different studies that focused on this topic and met the inclusion criteria. The studies that met none of the exclusion criteria were examined in-depth. Three main categories emerged from the in-depth review and were analysed further. These categories were focused on the curriculum and instruction planning, the professional development of the gifted students’ teachers, and the development of this group of learners and their learning environment.

Although the focus of the study was the gifted and talented students, was noticed that the uses of technology in the field of gifted education do not differ a lot from the integration of technology in general education. However, more research should be conducted in order to create a more challenging curriculum for the gifted learners by using technology tools. Moreover, it would be beneficial to focus on developing more efficient ways to utilise technology in gifted education and examining the gifted learners’ attitude toward educational technology.