Perceptions of Science and Art Centers’ Teachers about a Nature and Science Camp Designed for Gifted and Talented Students

Education and training for gifted and talented (GT) students have had slow growth rate in Turkey. The aim of this study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions about the effectiveness of a nature science camp including the nature of science activities on GT education. Action research was used to carry out the study. The sample of the study included 10 voluntary teachers working in Science and Arts Centers (SAC). As the participants, they were observers in the nature and science camp. Focus group and semi‐structured interviews were used for data collection. The results showed that teachers indicated that the nature and science camp had positive effects on students’ skills and their perspectives of the nature of science. Further, it was found that most participants were not sufficiently trained in gifted education, although all of them worked in the SACs. Therefore, they stated that they needed this kind of programs and various science activities to improve GT students’ skills.