Within the 2nd Cycle (Master’s Studies) in the field of Inclusive education we perform:

1. EDUCATION OF STUDENTS AND Qualification and training of TEACHERS at the Faculty of Education Koper (FEK), Littoral University (LU)

2. The existing studying subjects within the programmes of Faculty of Education Koper providing education for work with talented pupils Within the 2nd Cycle (Master’s Studies) in the field of Inclusive education we perform: • Working methods for gifted and talented The head of the subject is: Ms. IvanušGrmekMilena, Dr. Sc., Prof.

3. Subject objectives: • Students get acquainted with theories and definitions for talent and for above average abilities, they learn about connections with learning styles and motivation, • they learn about the basics of talented pupils’ recognition and pupils with above average skills as well as about basic strategies for working with them.

4. They learn about self-regulation mechanisms in learning, about the significance and preparation of individualised learning programme as well as about the life long learning system as the grounds for career development. • They learn about recording procedures, identification and preparations for individualised programme for gifted and talented pupils and get capability for independent individual or team work with gifted and with above average capable pupils in different areas and different developmental stages.

5. ENCOURAGING CREATIVITY AND WORK WITH GIFTED STUDENTS AT FEK, LU IN THE AREA OF FINE ART

6. EDUCATION OF STUDENTS AT FEK • Students are getting accustomed to new methods and forms of work with gifted pupils in various ways, also by getting acquainted with alternative fine art techniques.

7. Combined fine art technique: • drawing with a ball, • collage and sewing the motive with coloured strings as well as brush painting • drawing with toy-car.

8. Combined fine art technique: painting and drawing with z coloured strings and collage.

9. Students get acquainted with gifted pupils through practice where they meet them via mentors. Findings and recognitions are written down in practice diaries. Through compulsory subjects they learn about the fine art development of children and recognise gifted pupils through the analysis of their fine art works.

10. During performances and their pedagogical practice students meet fine art gifted pupils, learn about them and apply contemporary methods and forms of work with them.

11. CREATIVITY ENCOURAGEMENT FOR STUDENTS OF FEK, LU • Creativity of all students is encouraged with practical workshops outside compulsory studies.

12. Permanent and temporary exhibitions of all students (also part time students) are organised in the premises of the faculty.

13. Students are getting accustomed to setting up their own exhibitions and to exhibiting pupils’ products as an important part of fine art culture.

14. CYCLE OF INDEPENDENT FINE ART EXHIBITIONS OF GIFTED STUDENTS AT FEK • Fine art gifted students are given a chance of independent exhibition with opening ceremony and promotion in the media, both in Slovenia and abroad.

15. In the academic year 2009/2010 the FEK started a cycle of presentations on our students’ creations with the first exhibition of one of our female student, since there is an opinion that Faculty of Education Koper is a treasure of students who have potentials also in the artistic area and are worth learning about them and giving them encouragement.

16. Thus, we established a cycle of exhibitions proving evidently to visitors of our faculty that persons involved in education in our programmes are much diverse and bring their creative ideas into the »soul« of the Faculty of Education.

17. RECOGNITION OF STUDENTS’ FINE ART WORKS FROM UNIVERSITY PROGRAMMES AT THE FEK • Works of fine art with special artistic value which were created during regular studies, and out of them, were selected for promotion at the level of the university (poster, greetings card.

18. CREATIVITY OF FINE ART SUBJECTS PERFORMERS • Lecturers transfer creativity onto students also through their own works of artistic creativity by way of independent and joint exhibitions in Slovenia and abroad. Lara Kobal, asistentka

19. Guidelines for further work and a view to the future • The findings of follow up analyses done by the National Education Institute of the Republic of Slovenia during the period of introduction and implementation of the Concept into Primary Schools (2001/2002, 2004/2005, 2007/2008) have shown that with the establishment and later on with the introduction of Concept in Slovenia started a new period of dealing with gifted pupils in Primary Schools:

20. the procedure of recognition of talented pupils was conceptually unified, • work with gifted pupils has been included into the Annual Working Plan of Primary Schools, • individualised programmes for identified gifted pupils have been implemented, • organisation and financing of gifted pupils’ activities have been provided by law.

21. The Concept was introduced to PS gradually in line with the introduction of nine year primary schools (75 % of PS started their nine year programme in school year 2003/2004). • The procedure of identification was introduced in schools in appropriate time sequence, in most of the schools from 2004 onwards.

22. At this point it is worth emphasising that in Slovenia we still do not have empirical data to help us understand and to explain more precisely the context and dynamics of work with gifted pupils; therefore, it remains one of the national priority areas in the future.

23. The follow up analyses done so far in the framework of National Education Institute have been aimed at monitoring the introduction and implementation of the Concept into PS (above all from its organisational aspect), and thus provide beyond that reach in terms of the extent and content only partial picture of the situation regarding dealing with talented pupils in Primary Schools.

24. The findings of those analyses and the practice of the recognised good impact of Concept implementation in the period of last ten years point also at certain technical and professional deficiencies in recognition and work with gifted pupils in PS which should in the future be eliminated.

25. Among them we can find in the foreground the questionable suitability of instruments for assessing talent, above all its validity and theobjectiveness of assessing scales for teachers (OLNAD07); • Also the teachers’ competences for talent assessment, the individualisation of work with gifted pupils as well as time consuming and administratively demanding procedures of identification, on behalf of actual pedagogical work, are disputable.