Chapter 10 Education of the Gifted and Talented in Finland
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Abstract
The focus in this chapter is on the education of gifted and talented students in Finland. Firstly, we discuss historical and current developments in Finland’s educational policy in relation to the gifted. We show how the egalitarian Finnish educational system has not invested in education for these students, which depends on the initiative of individual teachers. Secondly, we focus on the educational experiences of Finland’s gifted and talented through empirical studies that identify family and inner drive as critical factors in talent development. Formal education seems to have a minimal role in these experiences. Thirdly, toward the end of the chapter we ponder further on the lack of understanding in the Finnish school context that gifted and talented students may be in need of support. We also introduce growth mindset pedagogy as one possible route to addressing the needs of these students.