One of the things I value most about teaching in the Gifted Education program is the opportunity to connect research with what educators experience in their classrooms every day.
Associate Professor
What interests me most is understanding how we can better identify and develop talent and creativity in students. My research focuses particularly on gifted education, mathematical talent and creativity, problem solving, and equity and excellence gaps in advanced academics. I am interested in how schools and teachers can create opportunities for students from different backgrounds to develop their abilities to their fullest potential.
I teach because I enjoy helping students recognize their potential and develop the knowledge and confidence they need to make a difference in education. I especially enjoy working with educators because what they learn can ultimately influence many students beyond our own classroom.
One of the things I value most about teaching in the Gifted Education program is the opportunity to connect research with what educators experience in their classrooms every day. I encourage students to bring their own questions, experiences, and perspectives into our courses, because those conversations often lead to some of our most meaningful learning.
My teaching philosophy is that learning should be meaningful, challenging, and connected to practice. I believe students learn best when they are encouraged to question ideas, examine evidence, reflect on their own experiences, and apply what they learn to authentic educational settings. I also see teaching as a collaborative process in which I learn from my students as much as they learn from me.
I hope students leave my classes with both a stronger understanding of talent development, creativity, gifted education, and practical tools they can use with their own students. More importantly, I hope they become thoughtful advocates for recognizing and developing talent in students whose abilities may otherwise be overlooked.
I am originally from Turkey and have lived in the United States for many years. I enjoy opportunities to connect with people from different cultures and backgrounds, which has also shaped how I think about education and talent development.
A. Kadir Bahar, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Georgia. His research focuses on creativity and talent development, particularly mathematical talent and creativity, problem solving, gifted education, and equity and excellence gaps in advanced academics. His work examines the development and identification of advanced abilities and how educational environments, teachers, and schools can support talent development across diverse student populations.