**4. Discussion**

#### **4.1 Student A's points of excellence throughout this lesson**

Hannah & Shore (1995) showed that the metacognitive performance of 2E students resembled that of gifted students without disabilities more than that of learning-disabled students. When filling out the worksheets for predicting how substances would heat up, Student A considered temperature changes and how much time elapsed, while drawing complicated diagrams using colour classifications, arrows, and so on, and was able to neatly represent his detailed predictions. Student A carefully summarized observed changes, such as temperature differences between the top and bottom of the metal rod, how much the temperature changed, and so on, in detail. In addition, Student A made six predictions regarding how the metal plate or water would heat up, and each time, not only did Student A properly summarize his thoughts but when recording explanations, he was also able to describe his reasoning and expressed great confidence behind each prediction.

Student A verified the experimental methods and made new discoveries during the demonstration experiments, always standing right next to the teacher and listening while mumbling his own impressions and learning the lessons with extreme enthusiasm. Student A also eagerly participated in the group experiments and observations, proactively preparing and putting together each experiment's instruments and enjoying the process of learning.

During the construction activity, not only did Student A verify the properties of heated air by building a hot-air balloon, as soon as the hot-air balloon floated, Student A also built a pinwheel, making Student A the only student in the class to successfully construct two objects. Student A was also the first student to start affixing thermal tape to a hot-air balloon as part of an activity to verify air temperature and often thought of new problems while enthusiastically participating in activities.

#### **4.2 Effects this lesson is thought to have had on Student A**

It is necessary to change our present paradigm and go from a deficit to a growth paradigm in an inclusive education (Cline & Hegeman, 2001). This study focuses on nurturing the strengths of 2E children in science lessons. The innovation of using worksheets enabled the children to represent a variety of different ideas. The use of a variety of methods to meticulously and accurately record predictions, including those that are difficult to convey in presentations just using words, made it possible for Student A to skilfully summarize these predictions. Although Student A did not often make presentations or attempt to convey these ideas to other students, what Student A did think of when making predictions was recorded in an easy-to-understand fashion. In the self-evaluation review sheet as well, Student A scored high marks for items related to skills and expression.

As shown in Figure 14, Table 1, and Table 2, it is evident that 2E Student A enjoyed the lesson very much, recognized his high competence and his own progress in science, and increased his self-efficacy and self-esteem through the lesson. He achieved more in all four strands than Student B did, and his score was much higher than the average for the class. The science teacher made special note of many aspects of Student A's learning that went

Hannah & Shore (1995) showed that the metacognitive performance of 2E students resembled that of gifted students without disabilities more than that of learning-disabled students. When filling out the worksheets for predicting how substances would heat up, Student A considered temperature changes and how much time elapsed, while drawing complicated diagrams using colour classifications, arrows, and so on, and was able to neatly represent his detailed predictions. Student A carefully summarized observed changes, such as temperature differences between the top and bottom of the metal rod, how much the temperature changed, and so on, in detail. In addition, Student A made six predictions regarding how the metal plate or water would heat up, and each time, not only did Student A properly summarize his thoughts but when recording explanations, he was also able to

Student A verified the experimental methods and made new discoveries during the demonstration experiments, always standing right next to the teacher and listening while mumbling his own impressions and learning the lessons with extreme enthusiasm. Student A also eagerly participated in the group experiments and observations, proactively preparing and putting together each experiment's instruments and enjoying the process of

During the construction activity, not only did Student A verify the properties of heated air by building a hot-air balloon, as soon as the hot-air balloon floated, Student A also built a pinwheel, making Student A the only student in the class to successfully construct two objects. Student A was also the first student to start affixing thermal tape to a hot-air balloon as part of an activity to verify air temperature and often thought of new problems while

It is necessary to change our present paradigm and go from a deficit to a growth paradigm in an inclusive education (Cline & Hegeman, 2001). This study focuses on nurturing the strengths of 2E children in science lessons. The innovation of using worksheets enabled the children to represent a variety of different ideas. The use of a variety of methods to meticulously and accurately record predictions, including those that are difficult to convey in presentations just using words, made it possible for Student A to skilfully summarize these predictions. Although Student A did not often make presentations or attempt to convey these ideas to other students, what Student A did think of when making predictions was recorded in an easy-to-understand fashion. In the self-evaluation review sheet as well,

describe his reasoning and expressed great confidence behind each prediction.

beyond "Fully Satisfactory," as in Table 1 and Table 2.

**4.1 Student A's points of excellence throughout this lesson** 

**4. Discussion** 

learning.

enthusiastically participating in activities.

**4.2 Effects this lesson is thought to have had on Student A** 

Student A scored high marks for items related to skills and expression.

Although in previous lessons, Student A was not enthusiastic during activities involving the recording of predictions or results in notes or worksheets, thanks to the use of coloured pencils to classify temperature and the summarizing of changes over time, Student A was able to concentrate on the work from the beginning to the end of the activity time.

The introduction of a variety of different experimental tools, such as glass rods with thermal tape applied, stopwatches for measuring the passage of time, and so on, inspired Student A to participate in the experiments and observations even more proactively. Student A's group spent less time preparing for the experiment than any other group, and by cooperating and sharing responsibilities with other group members, Student A was able to skilfully and accurately carry out the experiments.

#### **4.3 Points for other teachers to keep in mind when implementing this lesson**

The lessons of this unit were introduced with an activity that involved observing how a frying pan heats up. This gave the impression that it is important to enhance learning by taking advantage of the everyday experiences of children.

For children to be able to think for themselves of experimental material and methods and to come up with their own strategies, it is first necessary for the teacher to predict what will happen to a certain extent, and to research teaching materials while verifying safety. During this experiment regarding how a metal plate heats up, investigatory methods using the melting or hardening of egg whites, butter, ice, and so on were introduced. Although a variety of different substances will melt when heated, some substances also quickly start to burn, smoke, or emit a smell, and this is why sufficient prior research of teaching materials is necessary. The hot-air balloons used during the construction activity are made by sticking plastic bags together with cellophane tape or sealers, and unless they are as thin as approximately 0.01 ㎜, they will not float properly. If a thick plastic bag is used, since an extremely large balloon must be constructed, it will be necessary to find a place other than the science room for the activity. In addition, when a hair dryer was used to heat up the plastic bags, even after they expanded and grew very large, it was necessary to continue heating them up for two to five minutes before they would start floating.

Finally, when students were split into groups, it was evident that some consideration should be given to the configuration of group membership during observational experiments and other such activities. Besnoy (2006) proposes "Provide peer modelling." This approach permits 2E students to see how a fellow student might implement learning strategies. The inclusion of individual activities is effective, as was the case with the construction activity part of this unit's lessons. In addition, one student in the same group, who clashed several times with Student A during the lesson and who changed the comments for Student A on the mutual evaluation sheet from "Did Well" to "Poor" also filled in places where Student A worked hard and did well during the experiments. Student A, on the other hand, did not write very much. Vespi & Yewchuk (1992) note that while 2E students do not have extremely successful relationships with peers, these students are not rejected by peers and teachers in the same way that learning disabled students are. Although Student A did not write very much about the good points of fellow group members, through the exchange of review sheets, it is expected that the students will be able to realize their own ability to make improvements while building confidence at the same time.

Meeting the Needs of Twice-Exceptional Children in the Science Classroom 173

This research is partially supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research. I am grateful to Mr. Atsushi Miki for implementing science lessons at primary schools and to Dr. Nobutaka Matsumura, Ms. April Daphne Hiwatig, and Mr. Joel

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Besnoy, K. D. (2006). *Successful Strategies for Twice-Exceptional Students*, Prufrock Press, ISBN

Brody, L. E., & Mills, C. J. (1997). Gifted children with learning disabilities: A review of

Buttriss, J., & Callander, A. (2005). *Gifted and Talented from A-Z*, David Fulton Publishers,

Cline, S., & Hegeman, K. (2001). Gifted children with disabilities. *Gifted Child Today*, Vol. 24,

Cooper, C. R., Baum, S. M., & Neu, T. W. (2005). Developing scientific talent in students with

Dole, S. (2000). The implications of the risk and resilience literature for gifted students with learning disabilities. *Roeper Review*, Vo. 23, No. 2, pp. 91-96, ISSN 0278-3193 Hannah, C. L., & Shore, B. M. (1995). Metacognition and high intellectural ability: Insights

Hartnett, D. N., Nelson, J. M., & Rinn, A. N. (2004). Gifted or ADHD? The possibilities of misdiagnosis. *Roeper Review*, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 73-76, ISSN 0278-3193 Japan Association of the Special Educational Needs Specialist. (Ed.). (2007). *Theory and* 

Jeweler, S., Barnes-Robinson, L., Shevitz, B. R., & Winfeld, R. (2008). Bordering on

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*research on students with special educational needs in regular classroom (in Japanese)*,

http://www.mext.go.jp/b\_menu/shingi/chousa/shotou/018/toushin/030301i.htm

**6. Acknowledgments** 

**7. References** 

0022-2194

Bernal Faustino for giving helpful suggestions.

ISBN 1-4129-0432-3, California, USA

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Syuppan, ISBN 978-4-7724-0961-2, Tokyo, Japan

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#### **5. Concluding remarks**

Japan's special-needs education has added children with so-called "mild developmental disabilities" to the scope of programs, and although progress has been made in the detailed classification of disabilities as well as in theoretical, empirical, and practical certification, educational research involving finding the details of areas where these students excel has been lacking. It may be possible to closely tie research aimed at attesting to areas of excellence in children with learning difficulties with research aimed at compensating for weaknesses in gifted children. As Robinson (1999) stated, 2E students provide educators with an opportunity to examine school learning that addresses both strengths and needs. This is because some of the actions characteristic of children with learning difficulties actually overlap the actions characteristic of gifted children (e.g., Brody, 1997; Hartnett & Nelson, 2004; Leroux & Levitt-Perlman, 2000). For this reason, this research aimed at studying 2E children in science can serve as a seed that will grow into new educational research and practices to meet the diverse needs of children.

Suggestions for enriching the individual strengths and capabilities of students who either have trouble learning science or who show talent in science are summarized as proposals for lesson development below. These proposals are not just for students who tend towards 2E, but are also valid for regular students, including students who are gifted in science.


Based on survey results regarding gifted styles in the area of science (Sumida, 2010), there is no significant difference between the ratios of students with and without LD/ADHD/HA in the gifted learning styles of science. In other words, when it comes to giftedness in science, the same opportunities are equally open both to students who have and do not have LD/ADHD/HA. This means that science lesson can help students realize their high potentials and provide in which they can take advantage of their abilities. Rather than including these proposals in every single lesson, it is advisable for teachers to consider incorporating the proposals where possible within a single unit, or within units where possible within a single semester, or within the learning activities of a single year. Finally, I would like to continue further researching into nurturing giftedness in science and into other areas. It is possible to achieve improvements in cross domains where children tend to stumble in terms of learning (in areas such as Japanese or arithmetic) and behaviour (in areas such as inattention, AD/HD, interpersonal relationships, and obsessiveness).
