Naima Kayal 

We often talk about "gifted students," but let's dig deeper. Do our teachers truly have a solid grasp of what giftedness really is? The answer to this question directly leads us to some critical self-reflection: Do educational institutions, in reality, possess the necessary training and knowledge for the effective identification of gifted students?  Furthermore, do educators genuinely hold the belief that gifted students are already present within their classrooms? And perhaps most importantly, is there an understanding that gifted students exhibit unique needs that require specific support and resources, not just more of the same? 

In today’s competitive world, innovation, problem-solving, critical thinking abilities, and creativity serve as catalysts for the advancement of any nation. Gifted students are considered assets of nations, the leaders of tomorrow, and contributors to innovations, economic growth, and the overall progress of society. Lebanon, a country that has been hit with a multitude of crises since its inception, sadly lags behind other Arab nations in its effort to unlock the potential of gifted students. Often unidentified and unsupported within our school systems, Lebanese gifted students find themselves trapped in classrooms where the curriculum is mismatched with their abilities, denied enriching opportunities to reach their full potential and thrive, thus depriving our nation of invaluable contributions. This reality is supported by research conducted on giftedness in Lebanon, notably by Al-Hroub and Al Khoury (2018).

Let's delve deeper and examine a crucial question: Do our teachers truly understand what giftedness is? This inquiry naturally leads us to consider whether educational institutions possess the necessary training and knowledge for the effective identification of gifted students, whether educators genuinely believe that gifted students are present within their classrooms, and whether there is an understanding that gifted students exhibit unique needs and therefore require specific support and resources.

Understanding Giftedness

The definition of giftedness has been debated by scholars and philosophers for generations. Early perspectives equated giftedness with intelligence, narrowing its identification solely to psychometric IQ tests. Over time, broader perspectives emerged, and giftedness is now viewed as a rich and multifaceted concept encompassing a diverse spectrum of human abilities and talents. That’s why, until now, there is no single definition that is universally accepted. Gifted students are those with high ability, motivation, and creativity; they are students who have abilities that go beyond academics and encompass domains like creativity, leadership, and musical talent. These students are the leaders of tomorrow, the prominent actors, writers, artists, social contributors, and future Nobel Prize winners.

This expanded perspective opened the door for a more inclusive identification process that goes beyond psychometrics. Renzulli's model offers an insightful lens to understand giftedness as a diverse entity that can be manifested in a multitude of forms, not only the traditional academic excellence. Renzulli proposes that gifted behavior emerges from the dynamic interaction of three crucial traits: (a) above-average ability, (b) task commitment, and (c) creativity. Renzulli invites the schools to become an environment where gifted behavior could emerge. Renzulli's Schoolwide Enrichment Model provides a comprehensive approach to embedding enrichment in schools, employing the current curriculum as a basis for developing and exploring students' interests.

The first and most crucial step toward gifted education is, without any doubt, identification. As educators, we have this crucial role in identifying those students and nurturing their unique abilities. However, how can we possibly nurture the potential that is remaining hidden?

Identification is far from a checklist that we need to tick off. It is a process combining formal and informal tools to attempt to identify students who possess high ability or have the potential to develop high ability, creativity, and task commitment. Identification is a process that will challenge us to broaden our knowledge in this field, building on the experiences and available tools and approaches in the field while adapting them to the unique context of Lebanon.

Renzulli advocates for identification as a continuum, using dynamic approaches that invite schools to use a combination of tools to capture the multifaceted nature of giftedness, such as teacher nominations, parent nominations, peer nominations, product evaluation, and teacher rating scales.

As educators, it’s undeniable that our perception of giftedness greatly influences how we define, identify, and choose to support our students. But what about asking ourselves: are our perceptions unbiased and accurate? Do we sometimes unintentionally hold unconscious biases that prevent us from recognizing students' potential?

Research conducted in Lebanon, such as the important work of Al-Hroub and Al Khoury (2018), Maya Antoun and Plunkett (2023), and Sarouphim (2015), sheds light on the prevailing perceptions of Lebanese teachers, highlighting both common understandings and areas where misconceptions exist.

Al Hroub and Al Khoury's work reveals that some teachers equate giftedness with high academic achievement across all subjects, while others recognize that giftedness can manifest in specific areas and isn't always reflected in top grades. Their study also uncovered that some teachers struggle to see gifted students as leaders, despite acknowledging their leadership qualities. However, creativity is consistently seen as a key characteristic of giftedness. They also found that social intelligence is considered important and is linked to cultural concepts. 

 Antoun and Plunkett's research highlights the Lebanese culture's tendency to overemphasize academic achievement, which can lead to overlooking students' underlying abilities and the needs of underachieving or twice-exceptional gifted students. Antoun's work further emphasizes that Lebanese culture values outward success and social status, influencing how giftedness is perceived.  Sarouphim's studies corroborate these findings, noting that a lack of clear understanding of giftedness hinders the development of effective gifted education programs. She identifies misconceptions such as the belief that giftedness is solely linked to mathematical ability and the idea that gifted students don't need support to succeed. 

 Overall, the research indicates that a narrow focus on academic achievement and a lack of understanding of the multifaceted nature of giftedness are significant issues in Lebanese teachers' perceptions. This deprives many students with potential that goes beyond academics, as well as underachievers and students with learning difficulties, from being identified. All findings highlight the importance of raising awareness among Lebanese teachers regarding giftedness.

Renzulli’s model proposes a distinct and interconnected type of enrichment within the context of the entire school community:

Renzulli’s Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) offers a dynamic framework for fostering a love of learning and developing advanced skills. It does this through a tiered system of enrichment activities. First, General Exploratory Activities broaden students' horizons by exposing them to diverse topics and experiences beyond the standard curriculum, sparking curiosity and a lifelong passion for learning. Building on this foundation, Group Training Activities then cultivate essential skills such as higher-order thinking, critical analysis, problem-solving, and research methodologies, alongside personal and social development. Finally, at the advanced stage of the model, Individual Investigations of Real Problems empower students to become independent researchers, pursuing their own interests and delving deeply into real-world issues that ignite their passions.

What I find most practical about the SEM is its emphasis on creating a dynamic, responsive, and intellectually stimulating learning environment for every student. It's not about creating isolated programs. Instead, it's about cultivating a school-wide culture of enrichment, challenge, and intellectual excitement, where every student feels valued, supported, and inspired to reach their full potential. In Lebanon, Renzulli's model found fertile ground through the pioneering work of Ms. Nidal, who co-founded Al Rahma High School within the Al Mabarrat Association Schools. For sixteen years, until September 2017, she was the school principal. During her tenure, she established the first inclusion program in the region, providing support for learners with disabilities, and pioneered the development of one of the very first programs for gifted students.

It's important to note that while the program was inspired by Renzulli's Model, its initial implementation did not fully replicate it due to limitations in adequate training and resources. Instead, the model was thoughtfully adapted to the specific context and available resources at Al Rahma High School, aligning with Renzulli's own encouragement for educators to modify the model to suit their unique circumstances. 

After only three years of starting her gifted program, Ms. Jouni hosted the first enrichment fair, showcasing amazing products of gifted and talented students. Ms. Jouni persevered in her journey of identifying students that teachers never thought of, paving the way for more schools to delve into this journey of untapping students' potential. Al Rahma High School's journey demonstrates a continuous growth in its ability to incorporate more activities and approaches from the Renzulli Model, highlighting the vital lesson that institutions can start and evolve their chosen models gradually and improve them incrementally, alleviating the feeling of being overwhelmed by the need for immediate full implementation.