Motivation drives everyday school life. Learners are moved by a blend of intrinsic (interest, meaning) and extrinsic(rewards, recognition) factors. For talented learners, intrinsic levers are especially powerful: fun, belonging/content, choice (autonomy), care (recognition/mentorship), competence (mastery), progress (assessment), and purpose (meaningfulness), all underpinned by a strong educator–learner relationship.
Gifted education, as a stance, shifts how we teach: it goes deeper, asks questions rather than always giving answers, surfaces interests and strengths, and hands over responsibility to learners.
To implement individualisation credibly, the school must believe that development without explicit support for gifted and talented learners no longer meets learners’ needs. Three commitments follow:
Promote talent as a core purpose of school.
Treat talent development as a pedagogical disposition accessible to all educators.
Improve learning conditions so individualisation is possible.
Educators actively notice signs of giftedness in their classes and choose the model that best fits a learner’s needs; there is no one-size-fits-all route.
These methods support not only gifted learners but any learner with strong interests; they also benefit the whole class by allowing everyone to work at an appropriate pace, without others feeling “pushed” by the quickest learners.
A learning contract, negotiated between a class and the educator, or with individuals—supports individualisation and democratisation. Learners and educator co-draft, agree, and sign the contract (this takes time). Typical clauses cover: attendance, content (curriculum-aligned), methods, and assessment weightings (tests, participation, homework, etc.).
Learners’ experience: they feel taken seriously because responsibility is handed to them; communication happens “at eye level.”
Educators’ experience: only adopt it if you’re convinced; the workload is real and it won’t fit every class.
When to use: to build shared norms, make expectations explicit, and increase ownership—especially with motivated groups ready for more autonomy.
Compacting trims content already mastered (through cooperative decisions), freeing time for richer work; it’s also a chance for the educator to mentor learners not yet working to potential.
Enrichment presents the curriculum with greater depth, breadth, complexity or abstraction.
Acceleration matches ability/motivation with advanced content (e.g., grade-skipping, early entrance, dual-credit, subject acceleration).
How learners feel: most high-ability learners report satisfaction with acceleration; those less satisfied often wish they’d had more acceleration. A major plus is learning “not more of the same.”
How educators feel: largely positive; reducing boredom for highly able learners is a big advantage when teaching mixed-ability classes.
A flexible way to avoid demotivating redundancy. Learners who are “far ahead” can:
attend a higher-level class in a mastered subject (partial acceleration),
pursue an individual project in a special interest (enrichment), or
learn an additional language.
Projects typically run 4–6 weeks, with a log-book to document goals, methods, and progress, ending in a paper or presentation, a win-win for learner and class.
Learners’ experience: increased motivation, feeling “seen,” relief from boredom; many enjoy switching to a new project after a few weeks.
Educators’ experience: reduced pressure while advanced learners work independently, enabling more focus on the rest of the class.
Learners access core instruction at home (readings/videos/modules); class time is for application, experiments, and coaching. The four pillars: Flexible environments, Learning culture, Intentional content, Professional educators. Practical steps include assigning a reading/video, creating short videos, setting up a module, gathering feedback, using discussion platforms, engaging in application activities, and getting out of the classroom for authentic tasks.
Learners: many talented learners like the pace and autonomy; some still prefer face-to-face explanation, so clarity of instructions and varied resources matter.
Educators: often recommend it; success hinges on precise instructions and ample resources. Particularly suited to talented learners.
Portfolio-style tasks promote self-determined learning: instead of passively receiving knowledge, learners construct it and show practical competence. “Assignment” is similar (more common in gifted education) and usually focuses on one topic explored from multiple angles and assessed formally. Key aspects: self-organisation, responsibility for choices (methods, goals), and equal participation in the learning “system” (e.g., flexible attendance rules, contracting, feedback).
Learners: often enjoy working at their own speed and on topics of interest, whether gifted or average ability.
Educators: see gains in motivation and autonomy; main drawback is the marking/feedback load.
Diagnose & choose: notice strengths/needs; pick contracting vs. compacting/enrichment/acceleration vs. revolving-door vs. flipped/portfolio, fit the tool to the learner.
Design for autonomy: embed choice, clear goals, and visible progress (checklists, log-books, rubrics).
Protect relationships: mentorship and recognition are essential motivational levers for gifted learners.
Calibrate challenge: ensure tasks aren’t “more of the same”; use compacting to free time for truly challenging work.
These moves don’t just help the gifted. They create headroom for enthusiasts in any domain and reduce whole-class friction, because each learner works at a fitting pace and depth, not dragged or stalled by others.
WALLi is a timetable- and subject-independent elective course system for junior grades at BRG Wels Wallererstraße, introduced after years of preparation and presented as an innovation unique in its region.
Students choose WALLi courses from 2nd–4th classes (years 6–8) in the science branch and 2nd–3rd (years 6–7) in the sports branch.
The year is split into six course stages; at each stage, learners freely pick a course aligned with their interests and talents, with popular options repeated. Two stages include remedial courses in homework subjects. Every student completes six different courses per year, delivered in a weekly double unit on Wednesdays (3rd–4th period). Grade 2 courses run across classes; Grades 3–4 run across classes and years. Remedial classes are teacher-assigned rather than chosen.
A broad menu spanning humanities, languages, natural sciences, geography/history, IT, design/technology, new media, social studies, art & creativity, music, psychology/philosophy, sports, and more.
Regular choice points let learners pursue talents without locking into a single path, while cross-class grouping and targeted remediation keep doors open for those who need catch-up time.
Through playful, direct experience: workshops, science shows, and exhibit-based challenges encourage curiosity and questions. Resources, sensory stations, interactive exhibits, multimedia installations, films, texts, images, graphics, and pedagogically trained staff, support self-directed, discovery learning from kindergarten to vocational levels. Learners practice investigating phenomena, trying and adapting experiments, forming and testing assumptions, documenting results, collaborating, and presenting.
In partnership with Talente Upper Austria, Welios runs dedicated courses (e.g., mathematics, 3D printing, loudspeaker and electric-motor construction, colour-mixer builds, general physics). Workshops weave in exhibit use and worksheet-based “tricky tasks” to stretch thinking.