A Small Country with Big Ambitions: Does This Include the Gifted?
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
A small country with big ambitions: getting it right for every child in Scotland (education-2455374)
Supporting students who are highly able/gifted and talented has long been the poor relation in education systems across jurisdictions. Therefore, this article is to be welcomed in addressing this complex and important aspect of inclusive education from the perspective of the Scottish education system. Key legislation and policy are examined effectively in relation to the Global Principles for Professional Learning. The conclusion arrived at – that Scotland has a strong basis from which to build inclusive and appropriate educational opportunities for gifted and talented/highly able learners [312-314] is supported by the material presented in the various tables contained in the paper. However, greater development of critical aspects and ideas presented in the paper would enhance this paper.
· The place of gifted education in inclusion, social justice and inclusive education needs to be developed and critiqued to a greater degree. This is a complex area which deserves greater deliberation in this paper, for example, how does giftedness ‘fit into’ the debate(s) on inclusive education? [42-51]
· The concept of equity needs to be further discussed and critiqued in greater depth where equity in relation to giftedness is considered. Currently, the discussion is rather narrow and dated. [86-88]
· Greater transparency required in relation to the research methods utilised, for example, information on the coding process etc.
· The issue of competence tests and valuing competences is very interesting [149-152] but is this the focus of this paper?
· In this paper, much of the salient information is presented in very long tables. The discussion of these tables should be developed to a greater degree and key points of learning presented.
· Is a deficit view of support applied in the Scottish education system? [253-255] Greater clarity required here.
· Referencing issue [145]
· Perhaps the opportunity to offer some solutions/ideas for improving the situation should be seized [359-360] in the paper.
· Revisit the article title- does the content of the paper address this –‘ A small country with big ambitions: getting it right for every child in Scotland’. Consider referencing the giftedness as this is the focus.
Author Response
Please see the attachment. The authors have responded fully to the comments in the attached file. They welcome the opportunity to strengthen the article.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
The study addresses a significant topic that is likely to appeal to the readership of this journal, including an international audience.
Abstract
Materials and Methods should be briefly specified.
Page 1 Lines 9/10 The reference was cited in the abstract. No need to cite in the abstract.
Page 1 Lines 16/17 Have you provided an explanation/example for the “more systematic approaches needed”? Please specify.
Introduction
The rationale should be elaborated on how and why this study is needed, required and significant in terms of Scotland. The reason for study should be explained better related to the contributions to the Scotland 's educational needs. The importance of this study is very clear in the article but the importance for Scotland is not that much clear. Having said that, literature review should be organized better in terms of this group of learners’ educational needs.
Page 1 Line 25 There is an extra space inserted. Please delete. In a similar vein, page 2 line 68 you do the same. Please consider this as a general remark.
Page 2 Line 45 Please use only three dots. Same as Line 91.
Materials and Methods:
If possible, selection criteria of the documents and also methods used should be added, this will help readers whether your documents represent the general and how the results were reached. Also, if any frame was considered to analyze, it also needed to be emphasized. In other words, providing brief information about the document selection or analyses process (such as considering gifted identification and education in Scotland).
It may be briefly and properly summarized with a schema, flow diagram or maybe a table to show the process. How review was narrowed, the filters included searches, publication years, criteria might be organized and presented better step by step.
More details should be provided such as: How documents were decided, selected, considered, analyzed? (Nationwide etc.)
Did any review form used to review or to analyze? If so please provide. If not please provide how the analyses were conducted to reach these results such as considering the existing theoretical framework or you reached them from the data.
It should be explained more how and why the 10 principles were used to interrogate the documentation, legislation and frameworks in Scotland.
Categories indicated in the result tables should be linked with Methods section.
Page 3 Lines 130/134 It was indicated that “Taking inspiration from the work of Jolly & Robins [32] the researchers independently coded the materials using the principles… researchers then met to discuss the coding noting agreements/disagree” Is intercoder agreement calculated? More explanation should be provided. Please provide information on how the validity and reliability was ensured. Such as inter-rater agreement in terms of reached themes or a detailed description, inclusion of excerpts etc. If any inter-rater reliability analysis was performed and the consistency should be provided.
Results
Tables can be edited in a way that makes it easier to follow visually.
Discussion and conclusion
The rationale conclusion should be elaborated in terms of Scotland and this group of learners’ educational needs. so, for discussion it is expected more what was the meaning behind.
Author Response
Please see the attachment. The authors have responded fully to the comments in the attached file. They welcome the opportunity to strengthen the article.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
The paper describes an important topic. However, it is very hard to follow and to understand the need for this research. While reading through the paper, it is hard to know when there is talk of legislation that benefits the professional education of teachers, the development of curriculum, or of the organization of schools, classrooms, and educational situations. I believe the paper would greatly benefit from a clear and consistent purpose statement, specific research questions and major revisions to have a clear structure and rational.
Some small remarks:
- No citations in the Abstract
- Delete "This special issue journal invited contributors to “address the current challenges and 20 opportunities in identifying and supporting gifted students in schools and early child- 21 hood education (ECE) settings”"
- When talking about the “continuous nature of gifted education” recent research is needed. Also when it is described that in Scotland the term “highly able” is more commonly used, it should have a recent proof for this.
- Sometimes no Oxford Comma is used
- Use APA for writing numbers
- Table 1 is very confusing: Why are some sentences written in cursive? Why are there different bullets for the lists used? It is hard to see which opportunities belong to which principle
- There is no connection from the text to the tables
- The descriptions of the tables are not sufficient
- Table 2: please restructure, maybe making first column smaller? It is not readable
- Sentence on line 68, seems to miss a word after "Support for comprehensive"
- Please add a short section addressing the 10 principles.
- The sentence "The Global Principles for Professional Learning in Gifted Education [1] have been used to understand how legislation can support the education of teachers of gifted children. " [line 154] is unclear. Is it meant that the legislation itself educates teachers of the needs of gifted pupils and thus prompts correct handling of gifted pupils in school (teachers/schools have new responsibilities, and must conform), or that the legislation creates need for professional education on areas of gifted education regarding how to accomplish what the law requires (teachers/schools have a need for new competences, so the professional education must conform)?
Author Response
Please see the attachment. The authors have responded fully to the comments in the attached file. They welcome the opportunity to strengthen the article.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 3 Report
I thank the authors for adressing all my comments, and find the reviewed paper both consice and sufficiently informative, with a clear and meaningful contribution to further reseach in gifted education both in Schotland and internationally.
