Perceptions and experiences of sixth grade elementary school students’ mothers who volunteered to participate in the gifted schools’ entrance exam: A qualitative study

Introduction Demand for gifted schools has created intense competition among elementary students and their families. National Institution for Development of Gifted Students has responsibility for two of the major task of identifying and teaching gifted students. Gifted schools’ entrance exam, is an achievement test which each year nationally administrates to entry first and second courses of high schools. The aim of this qualitative study was to describe and better understanding the experiences of mothers of sixth grade students volunteered to participate in the gifted schools’ entrance exam. Method Phenomenological qualitative approach was used in this study. The primary method of data collection in this study was semi-structured interviews with 18 mothers of sixth grade students who were selected through purposive sampling. Data analysis was performed using Colaizzi method. Results In this study, three main themes and 11 sub-themes were extracted. The main themes are: the challenges of school choice, high quality instruction and exam preparation. Conclusion Gifted schools’ entrance exam has considerable effect on the families involved, and elementary school curriculums. Intense competition to pass this exam revealed families’ tendency to high quality and affordable education.