An explanatory history of gifted education : 1940-1960.

This study provides an explanatory history of the field of gifted education from 1940–1960. The study focused on the overall context of these years, the individuals who influenced the field, the streams of research and educational practices in the field, and the changes that occurred during this period. Each of the four areas was addressed using a framework developed to view and interpret the data. The framework consisted of four lenses, which included legislation, educational practices, gifted education publications, and advocacy efforts. These four areas, with the overarching context as a backdrop, combined to provide an explanation of what was occurring in the field of gifted education during 1940–1960. Using primary and secondary sources, in addition to interviews, the study offers an overview of the field of gifted education during the two-decade period. These materials served as data that were categorized into the framework and reviewed for both similarities and differences. Identifying how the pieces fit together helped provide a narrative account of the field of gifted education during the period between 1940–1960.