Gifted and Displaced: Navigating the Challenges and Aspirations of Gifted Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon

Abstract

Gifted Palestinian refugee students in Lebanon are an underrepresented group of students in education, despite exceptional academic and artistic potential. Their experiences are shaped by displacement, legal exclusion, socio-political instability, and limited institutional support, which can hinder the identification and development of their giftedness. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to explore how gifted Palestinian refugee students at the secondary level narrate their experiences, focusing on how they navigate challenges and envision their future aspirations. A narrative qualitative design was employed. Storytelling interviews were conducted with 11 gifted Palestinian students identified through teacher nominations and portfolio reviews. Findings from these interviews were analyzed using a narrative analysis approach guided by the Contextual Narrative Interpretation Model. The study revealed that students face a number of challenges, such as financial hardship, professional restrictions, exposure to camp instability, and limited access to opportunities. Despite these challenges, students demonstrate remarkable agency, self-motivation, and resilience by resorting to coping strategies, personal strengths, familial support, community networks, and religious faith. Their aspirations were a motivating force that led them to view their education as a pathway to success, dignity, and financial uplift. The findings of this study contribute to the limited literature on gifted refugee students in Lebanon by showing how giftedness coexists with adversity. It challenges deficit-oriented narratives surrounding refugee students by amplifying their voices, strengths, and aspirations. The results can interest policymakers, teachers, and school counselors working with refugee populations by highlighting the need for responsive identification practices and supportive environments to nurture their gifts and talents.