XN000022-1996-02-07 — Page 56

(b)

(c)

· 38 ·

In the past three years, the research team conducted studies on suitable assessment tools for the identification and assessment of academically gifted pupils. On the basis of these studies, the research team recommended the following assessment tools:

a behavioural rating scale for completion by parents;

a behavioural rating scale for completion by teachers;

the Hong Kong Attainment Tests on the three basic subjects i.e. Chinese, English and Mathematics;

the Hong Kong Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children or equivalent standardised intelligence tests administered by psychologists; and

the Hong Kong Torrance Tests of Creativity administered by psychologists.

Academically gifted children were identified through behavioural rating scales completed by teachers and parents who had received the required training from the research team. These children were then assessed by the team's psychologists or personnel with training in assessment and interpretation of test findings. No problem was encountered in the assessment process.

Of the 81 schools which had participated in the research study referred to in para (a) above, 19 volunteered to participate in a three-year Pilot School-based Programme for Academically Gifted Children commencing in September 1994.

Training in gifted education has been provided to teachers of these 19 schools by the Education Department (details at Annex). Educational psychologists of the Education Department also make regular visits to the schools in the pilot project to give the teachers the necessary support.

There is no formal pre-service teacher training programmes on gifted education. The Education Department has made suggestions to teacher education institutions to include gifted education as one component in their teacher training courses. Nevertheless, the Department of Education of the University of Hong Kong has incorporated gifted education in its in-service teacher training programme. In 1994/95 and 1995/96, the School of Continuing Education of the Hong Kong Baptist University conducted two training courses on "Identifying and Helping Gifted Children", each attended by 25 teachers.