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Metacognition is an umbrella term that encompasses many related constructs about the knowledge and regulation of one's own thinking processes. Metacognitive knowledge about memory and attention has been found to correlate with intelligence levels and has been viewed as one component of giftedness. In this paper, definitions of both metacognition and giftedness are explained and situated in context so that the relationship between the two may be explored further. I also describe traditional and nontraditional methods of identifying children as gifted. While previous studies of metacognitive differences between gifted and nongifted children have been based on students traditionally identified as gifted, my study employed a non-traditional identification method, the DISCOVER assessment. In the study, I examine metacognitive knowledge about three elements: memory, attention, and decision making, in gifted and nongifted second-graders through an interview. The two main purposes of the study were to explore metacognitive knowledge about decision making, which had not been studied previously, and to see if varying the method of identification for giftedness would affect the metacognitive advantage for gifted children found in prior studies. No significant differences were found among the types of metacognitive knowledge studied. Statistically significant differences were found between the scores of gifted and nongifted children, with gifted children demonstrating greater ability to articulate their metacognitive knowledge. A qualitative discussion of students' responses illustrates areas in which the two groups of children differed in their understanding of their own thinking. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Research examining the cognitive characteristics of gifted children is limited. Not much is known about the underlying cognitive mechanisms that lead to gifted performance, which confines the educator in the attempt to develop the potential excellence in all learners through enriched instruction. The purpose of the present researcher was to examine executive functioning as a possible cognitive characteristic of giftedness. The process for identifying students for an enrichment program within a specific district in New York was examined. The participants, including second grade students that were screened for but found ineligible for the enrichment program (n = 17), and second grade students that were found eligible for the enrichment program (n = 37), were administered a measure of cognitive ability (WJ III BIA) and a measure of executive functioning (TOL). The first proposed hypothesis asserted that there would be group differences on the measure of executive functioning, specifically, students in the gifted group would score significantly higher. The second hypothesis proposed that there would be group differences on the measure of IQ, specifically, students in the gifted group would score significantly higher. The third hypothesis posed that executive functioning would be a significantly stronger predictor of group membership when compared to IQ. Results supported the second hypothesis, in that students in the gifted group scored significantly higher on a measure of IQ (p = .03) than students in the non-gifted group. Additional exploratory analyses examined the effect that subjective teacher recommendations may have upon the screening process. Results support the lack of knowledge about the underlying cognitive mechanisms that may lead to gifted performance. Future researchers should examine alternative subfunctions of executive functioning, as well as additional cognitive and behavioral characteristics, in an attempt to narrow the definition of giftedness. Implications for school psychology and related disciplines within the domain of education include more effective identification and programming for gifted students, as well as the possibility of developing curriculum that will allow for the enhancement of these abilities in all learners. In addition, there are implications for training programs for school psychologists, as well as those for other professionals within education. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This dissertation reports a study of racial/ethnic representation in gifted education and its relationship to the identification methods used in a large, school district in the southeastern Unites States. The data consisted of the results of five ability and/or achievement tests used to determine gifted eligibility for second graders in 2004-2005 and subsequent third graders in 2005-2006, totaling approximately 5,000 students. Test scores generated from the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT), Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test (PACT), and/or Performance Tasks for Gifted Education (PTT) were studied. Race/ethnicity was defined based on a consolidated version of the ethnic codes found in the data file provided by the school district. For the purpose of this study, five distinct racial/ethnic classifications were used. They were white, black, Asian, Hispanic, and students classified as other races/ethnicities. The study found that race/ethnicity and identification methods were related when certain tests were administered. Overall findings indicated a significant relationship between race/ethnicity and giftedness regardless of identification methods. When CogAT was the only identification method used, overall findings indicated a significant relationship between race/ethnicity and giftedness. When various combinations of the CogAT, ITBS, MAP and PACT were examined, overall findings indicated a significant relationship between race/ethnicity and giftedness. When overall findings were significant, the study presents results of follow up test analysis to determine comparisons between various races/ethnicities. Finally, when combinations involving the PTT were studied, findings showed that race/ethnicity and classification as gifted was not significantly related. As seen in earlier findings, however, the study also indicated that, while the PTT increased the number of typically under-represented races/ethnicities in gifted education, its overall impact in addressing continued disproportionality in the gifted education program in the selected school district was limited due to fewer numbers of students being administered the test. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This manuscript-style dissertation presents four essays that provide theoretical and empirical insights on a systematic theme of cultural perspectives on talent development and parenting. Topics addressed include Western and Chinese perspectives on concepts of giftedness and talented performance, cultural issues related to nature and nurture, and parenting influence on talent development. The first essay reviews both Western and Chinese literature on giftedness and introduces a preliminary Chinese model of talented performance. One important feature to emerge from the literature is a de-emphasis on giftedness as an innate ability and an emphasis on the concept of talented performance from the Chinese perspective. Such a finding is congruent with a Confucian cultural outlook that encourages effort rather than the identification of giftedness, which is a focus of the next paper. The second essay presents a reflective review of Confucian philosophy on learning and achieving, examines its influence in China and other Asian countries, and discusses its implications for the education of gifted and talented children. The third essay explores the influence of parenting beliefs and practices on children's talent development through a specific perspective of Chinese American families with gifted children. Research questions focused on parents' beliefs and practices concerning how to nurture high achievement among children. Findings of this study include evidence of a sense of responsibility for parenting, a high level of confidence about children's future, and a mixed strategy of parenting which combines traditional Chinese practice and adopted Western ideas of parenting. The last essay investigates parenting beliefs and practices of a small group of individuals who have achieved an extreme level of talented performance: winning a Nobel Prize. Analysis of the interviews revealed that these Nobel laureates have common as well as unique experiences and beliefs about parenting, which may provide valuable information and implications on how to better help the young population achieve talented performance. A summary of the four essays with a focus on the links between the topics among these essays will be presented at the end of the dissertation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

A healthy understanding of a stewardship of self that is a gift of God's grace, will both promote a healthier lifestyle and help people to avoid making decisions that lead to risky behaviors by empowering them to have a more positive self image, not only as individuals, but also within the communities in which they live. This Doctor of Ministry project includes a four part study series that utilizes bible study and discussion to lead the participants, both youth and adults, to a greater understanding of stewardship and self care. Part one, "Our Baptismal Identity," guides the participants to see themselves as baptized children of God who are named and claimed as God's own. Part two, "Belonging to God," guides the participants to recognize that everything they have and everything they are belongs to God, and that stewardship of creation includes stewardship of self. In other words, caring for self is not selfish; rather it is God's will for the lives of all God's children. Part three, "Our Unique Giftedness," guides the participants to understand that all gifts, talents, and abilities come from God, given for the common good and to be used to God's glory. These gifts, talents, and abilities are not to be wasted or squandered, nor are they to be used for one's own gratification or glorification. Part four, "A Journey Toward Healthier Living," guides the participants as they put together all they have learned, understanding that no matter how hard they try, everyone will encounter twists and turns, hills and valleys, as well as breakdowns on the journey. Still, in the midst of it all, the good, the bad, and everything in-between, God is with God's people, God loves them, and no matter what, they are named and claimed by God, each one is a child of God. Through Holy Baptism, the children of God are sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever, and that is enough. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Currently, a thorough description of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other personal characteristics (KSAOs) that distinguish an exceptional surgeon does not exist. This knowledge is pertinent to the development of selection, training, and performance assessment methods that can be used to develop high performing surgeons. Expert surgeons from around the country were recruited to participate in an interview to discuss the KSAOs (i.e., the competencies) needed to be exceptional in the field. A smaller number of novice surgeons were also interviewed. The expert interview data were distilled into a competency model that consists of ten competencies and patterns within the data that distinguished between the expert and novice results were examined. Results revealed ten competencies essential for distinguishing between outstanding and typical and surgeons: Dedication to Patient Care, Integrity, Tireless Work Ethic, Preparedness, Intellectual Giftedness and Curiosity, Humility, Compassion, Devotion to Field, Rapid Decision Making, and Passion for Teaching. These results suggest that surgical training would benefit from focusing on the development and enhancement of character-based competencies. Once validated, Industrial-Organizational psychologists can use the present model to assist surgeons in creating instruments that measure and track residents' acquisition of these competencies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The overall purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between two recently revised measures of intelligence (Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability, Third Edition and Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale, Fifth Edition) and three shortened measures of intelligence (Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability, Third Edition Brief Intellectual Ability Score, Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale, Fifth Edition Abbreviated IQ, and the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test IQ Composite). Specifically, this study examined the accuracy of the three shortened scores in their ability to predict giftedness based on children's scores on the two full measures, with the intention of examining the implications of using shortened measures in a screening process for gifted identification. Participants were a group of 202 third-grade students enrolled in a suburban school district located in the Midwest. These students were selected for the study based on high achievement and/or cognitive scores on a state standardized test. The participants ranged in age from 8 years, 4 months to 10 years, 11 months and were assessed during the spring of their third grade year in 2003 and 2004. These children were administered the three measures over a two day period in a counterbalanced order. A set of univariate and multivariate procedures were used to examine hypothesized relationships between full and shortened measures. Significant positive relationships were observed between all five measures examined, although the highest correlations were produced between the full measure scores and their short forms. Discriminant function analyses were conducted to determine the accuracy of the three shortened measures in their prediction of giftedness based on five separate criteria using two full scale measures of intelligence. The results of all five multivariate discriminant function analyses were significant, indicating that the three shortened measures were able to group children accurately as compared to full scale scores, with classification rates ranging between 76.7 and 90.6. These analyses further revealed that the WJ III COG BIA was best able to predict giftedness in most cases, regardless of the criteria used. These results are intended to provide educators with information about the accuracy of three different shortened measures of intelligence so that informed decisions can be made regarding the use of these measures in selection processes for gifted programming. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The present study investigated the role of the school environment in determining what adolescent populations value. The characteristics that were investigated included academic brilliance, studiousness, and athletic ability. The conceptual framework of this study was derived from A. Tannenbaum's 1962 study of adolescent attitudes as well as from the literature examining the effects of giftedness, gifted programs, as well as the effect of school environments on adolescent attitudes. Students from two suburban high schools on Long Island, New York completed questionnaires. One of these high schools had an International Baccalaureate Program, while the other high school did not. The questionnaires were based upon the questionnaire Tannenbaum used in his 1962 study. Each student was asked to read a set of eight paragraphs each representing an "imaginary pupil." Each paragraph included a sentence describing the pupil's athletic ability, level of academic brilliance, as well as his/her study habits. Each student was asked to rate each paragraph representing how he or she believed each pupil would be valued in his or her present academic environment. It was hypothesized that across both academic settings adolescents will value athleticism over non-athleticism. It was also hypothesized that students in the high school with the International Baccalaureate Program would value brilliance over average ability, and studiousness over non-studiousness. Additionally, it was hypothesized that the students in the high school without the International Baccalaureate Program would favor average ability over brilliance and non-studiousness over studiousness. The data were submitted to a repeated measures analysis of variance. However, in order to test each of the hypotheses of interest, a "custom contrast" of each of the paragraph's means was conducted. The data supported the hypothesis that students in both academic settings would value athletic abilities over non-athletic abilities. Data also confirmed that students in the school with the IB Diploma program favored studiousness over non-studiousness and academic brilliance over average abilities. However, the data did not confirm that students in the school without the IB Diploma program would favor average abilities over brilliance and non-studiousness over studiousness. In fact, the results were statistically significant in the opposite direction. The students in the school without the IB Diploma program favored studiousness over non-studiousness and brilliance over non-brilliance. Implications of the findings, limitations of the study and directions for future research were discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The under-representation of ethnic minorities in gifted education programs is a persistent problem in the American educational system. Outstanding in popularity among possible solutions to this problem is the recommendation to use multiple-measure identification procedures to increase ethnic diversity. The purpose of this study, set in a suburban school district in the northeastern United States, is to investigate group differences, between fifth and ninth grades, among students identified for participation in honors classes through the use of a multiple-measure identification process administered in the fifth grade. The questions being investigated focus on whether, in a culturally diverse setting, the adoption of a more pluralistic approach to identification of gifted learners leads to a more diverse gifted population, and will the newly-identified students find similar rates of academic success as they enter their high school years? Data were collected from student records at the district level, with the variables being studied being specifically related to the identification of giftedness and academic success. Chi Square Analyses were performed to investigate four of the five research questions, with employment of ANCOVA procedures to investigate the final research question. Through the analyses, it was found that the introduction of the multiple-measure identification procedure did not increase the ethnic diversity of the program. Notwithstanding the fact that, overall, diversity was not increased by this new protocol, it was found that minority students identified were more likely to make it into the gifted program by virtue of the new protocol, not in the traditional single-measure way, which relied on standardized test results alone. Additionally, it was found that students in both protocols experienced similar academic success rates, retention rates in honors programs in high school, and similar academic gains as reflected standardized test scores. While this particular multiple-measure identification methodology did not increase the participation of minority students in honors courses in general, it did identify students who persevered in honors courses at the same rate as their traditionally identified counterparts. This finding is meaningful as we search for ways to identify students who will benefit from special programming for gifted learners over the long-term. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This dissertation employed qualitative ethnographic research with twelve human subjects, five female Chinese pastors and seven male Chinese pastors from the Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference, the Methodist Church in Malaysia (SCAC). The research seeks to appropriate a postmodern narrative therapy of Michael White and David Epston, Jill Freedman and Gene Combs in the pastoral guidance as a practice of pastoral counseling in SCAC. Wesleyan theology and Chinese cultural construct of SCAC were employed to critically reconstruct this therapeutic approach for its contextual application. This dissertation examines the theoretical, philosophical and ethical constructs of narrative therapy. It argued that narrative therapy may have the risk of propagating a postmodern individualism and emphasized personal agency of a customized self based on personal taste. Instead, the dissertation proposed a reconstruction affirming personal agency as giftedness of humanity with the telos of loving God and neighbor, seeking life fulfillment in the infinite possibility of God. Pastoral guidance taking this frame of reference could be considered as a means of grace empowering persons seeking help toward the telos. This research also suggested that externalizing of problems offers a possible platform for the deconstruction of shame faced by Chinese persons seeking help. It further argued that a narrative approach of pastoral guidance must seriously consider the Chinese cultural specifics of SCAC such as collectivistic-familial aspects, qing and guanxi (generally understood as relationship), of the Sarawak Chinese Methodists in order to be relevant for the local practice. This work foresees some challenges in the area of dealing with the systemic issues which persons seeking help continue to experience as they move beyond the counseling room. It is in this reconstruction and awareness that the practice of pastoral guidance taking the narrative frame of reference is made possible. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

This study examined the effects of an enrichment program that used Type III activities (Renzulli, 1997) which were targeted at an identified area of cognitive strength or domain-specific area of giftedness (visual-spatial skills) on students' leadership, social skills, and attention in the classroom. The premise of the study was that providing an enrichment program in an area of students' cognitive strength would positively impact their classroom behaviors. This empirical investigation used a pre- and post-test design with random assignment to an experimental group (n=12) and a control group (n=11) of 3rd 4 th, and 5th grade elementary school students in a school district with a large number of disadvantaged and minority students. Participants of the intervention were chosen on the basis of above average visual-spatial skills as measured by the Culture Fair Intelligence Test (Cattell, 1973) and were identified by their teachers as struggling with the traditional curriculum. The intervention was an after-school enrichment program that involved building a series of eight engineering projects. Teachers of the students completed the subscales for leadership, social skills, and attention problems from the Behavior Assessment Scale for Children, Second Edition (Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004) at three measurement dates (pre-test, post-test, and post-control intervention). A multivariate covariate analysis (MANCOVA) was conducted after the experimental group completed the enrichment program that compared the changes in behavior between the experimental and control groups. There was no significant measured effect noted in the experimental group, when the experimental group was compared to the control group after the intervention. However, there was a significant change in the measured behaviors of the control group following their participation in the intervention, including an increase in the behaviors associated with leadership, and a reduction in attention problems. The inconsistency of these results may be attributable to differences between the two groups and supports the need for additional research to determine the effects of domain-specific interventions. The results of this study suggest that interventions that are targeted at students' cognitive strength may help them develop better problem-solving skills, and also improve their engagement in the classroom. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

When Congress approved the Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in November of 2004, IDEA acknowledged the needs of twice-exceptional children for the first time. Gifted students with disabling conditions remain a major group of underserved and under stimulated youth (Cline, 1999). There are many obstacles to the identification of G/T learning disabled students. The first barrier to identifying gifted students who are learning disabled is that many of them are able to maintain achievement at or near grade level. Gifted students who are learning disabled may be particularly difficult to identify because their disabilities often mask their abilities. Conversely, they may have developed certain abilities to an exceptionally high degree in order to disguise or cover up their disabilities. Consequently, both the gifted and talented and the disabilities of such students may go unrecognized. This study explored the personal, behavioral, and academic development of nine male students with giftedness, and combined twice-exceptional characteristics and giftedness, and ADHD. Data was gathered from three different sources-teachers, parents, and the students themselves. The problem addressed by this study was the impact of twice-exceptional development on self-concept, learning and motivational characteristics of boys who were gifted, gifted with asynchronous development, and boys with Attention Deficit Disorder. The major research questions were addressed through qualitative design in order to explore the participants' lived experience. Twice-exceptional development was explored using interviews at the research site. The mixed-method research design was used to help us understand twice-exceptional development by converging both quantitative and qualitative data. One of the main themes emerging from this study was that the daily individual experience of every student is a function of many interacting components. Disabilities and handicapping conditions do impact and play a part in the daily lived experience of adolescent males. Recommendations are made for additional training and professional development to help educators understand the impact of clinically diagnosed conditions which are sometimes not visible, but can manifest themselves in the student's daily experience. Gifted students with disabilities and handicapping conditions are at risk because their giftedness can often mask their disability. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This study explored the development of computer technology talent (CTT) in the field of gifted education. Based on Feldman's (1994) co-incidence theory, the four time frames have crystallized at the end of the 21st century to produce conditions for CTT to emerge: (1) individual life span, (2) development of the field, (3) historical and cultural trends, and (4) evolutionary time. Within this framework the research question was asked: "What cognitive and affective qualities and life events mark the development of CTT?" Using qualitative study methods, interview data were collected from four different age groups and time periods: Historical (Sample 1), Snapshot (Sample 2), Longitudinal (Sample 3), and Contemporary (Sample 4). Gagne's (2003) Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT) was used after the initial analysis to structure the data into the categories of natural abilities, intrapersonal catalysts, environmental catalysts, and talent activities. Findings were discussed in terms of developmental patterns and recurring trends between samples, reflected in their histories with computing, environmental support, and key educational experiences. Results provide evidence that CTT should be recognized as a distinct talent area within the gifted field. Suggestions for educational policy and practice are made for teachers and parents of children with CTT. Alternative assessments and resources need to be made available in schools to recognize this new way of thinking in the digital age. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This dissertation focused on optimal development in adulthood, in particular how such development was conceptualized in the personality theories of Maslow (1954/1970) and Loevinger (1976). Loevinger's theory of ego development mapped the entire developmental spectrum into nine stages and likened the highest stages to self-actualization. Past research has shown that the majority of adults fail to achieve the most advanced stages of personality development. This study is concerned with how exceptional development to the most advanced stages, postconventional ego development, unfolds, focusing on the nature of such development and its assessment. Loevinger's assessment instrument, the Washington University Sentence Completion Test, was used to find 22 participants, who, on a scale of 1 to 9, all scored at stage 7 or above. Written narratives and semistructured interviews with the participants inquired into the developmental pathways, including the participants' own views about what constitutes optimal development and about life-changing activities and values. The transcribed interview materials were analyzed using grounded theory procedures as delineated by Strauss and Corbin (1990) and holistic narrative analysis (Lieblich, Tuval-Mashiach, & Zilber, 1998). The findings demonstrate that persons at postconventional stages of development define development and talk about their growth in significantly different ways than persons in the conventional tier of development. Postconventional participants evidenced greater complexity in their narratives. Furthermore, they valued growth, joined discourse communities, and took an interest in their inner world. Minor elements that distinguished postconventional participants from those scoring in the conventional range included giftedness, unconventionality, and cross-cultural exposure. No single factor can be seen as accounting for advanced ego development; instead, a complex interaction of factors seems to be required to advance to a stage of development that is not supported by the dominant cultural norms. The author demonstrates that Loevinger's instrument with recent additions by Cook-Greuter (1999) shows limited validity, and an unequivocal acceptance of this instrument for the assessment of higher development cannot be supported. The findings are placed in the context of the existing literature, and possible future directions for the exploration of this subject matter are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Experts in the field of gifted education have developed thorough and comprehensive program models for educating gifted students. Students are provided gifted education services through the combined efforts of administrators, gifted education specialists, and regular classroom teachers. Little is known about the perceptions of gifted programming held by those who deliver services to students. The investigator mailed surveys to a national sample of 900 educators to determine beliefs about a wide-ranging array of topics central to gifted education. These topics include definitions of giftedness, factors influencing who receives services, identification methods, characteristics of gifted students, the need for resources/supports to teach gifted children, the responsibility for developing the talents of diverse gifted students, the appropriateness of certain accelerative practices, and which options should be included in a continuum of services. This study focused around three research questions: (1) What perceptions do administrators, gifted education specialists, and regular classroom teachers have regarding key beliefs in gifted education? (2) Are there differences of perceptions regarding key beliefs of gifted education across these groups? and (3) What are some of the differences within each of the groups as related to independent variables (ethnicity, free & reduced lunch, experience)? Responses to surveys were received from 411 educators, including 148 administrators, 115 gifted education specialists, and 148 regular classroom teachers. Descriptive statistics, ANOVAs, and post hoc tests were run to determine answers to the research questions. Findings included a determination that while educators accept many definitions of giftedness, they believe more traditional talents merit greater attention from gifted education programs. More inclusive definitions of giftedness, such as the Renzulli combination of above-average intelligence, creativity, and task commitment are the most popular with educators. Differentiation was preferred to acceleration as a strategy for dealing with gifted students and certain methods of acceleration that related to single-subjects, were endorsed over other methods, such as early entry to Kindergarten and grade skipping. Statistically significant differences were found between groups, such as, administrators favoring gifted programming options that do not require extra staff, and regular classroom teachers and gifted education specialists putting different weight on teacher nominations as a means of identification. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The purpose of the present investigation was to compare traditional and alternative assessment of "giftedness" in predicting academic success of minority elementary school children. Educational data of 87 elementary students who were assessed for giftedness using a teacher created assessment system was analyzed to compare the traditional and alternative assessment of "giftedness" in predicting academic success. It was hypothesized that students accepted into the gifted program would not differ on measures of academic achievement based on their method of eligibility for the gifted program. When grouped by eligibility method, the students were found to differ in the area of mathematics but not in the areas of reading and language. The ethnic diversity, as well as the number of students admitted to the program, increased when student eligibility decisions were determined by the use of the alternative assessment. Weaknesses of the alternative assessment were discovered during this investigation and recommendations for improving the alternative assessment are provided. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' theories of giftedness using methods adapted from those used by to study theory-based reasoning in categorization research. This study sought to answer the following questions about the reasoning behind teachers' nominations of students for gifted programs: (a) Do elementary school classroom teachers use theory-based reasoning, as described by the causal status effect in classification, when nominating students for gifted programs? (b) Is there consistency in the theories/beliefs about giftedness between and among teachers with different levels of expertise in gifted education? (c) What is the structure and content of teachers' theories/beliefs about giftedness? (d) Is there a difference in the structure and content of theories/beliefs about giftedness between teachers with varying levels of expertise in gifted education? (e) What differences exist, if any, between teachers with different levels of expertise in gifted education in the inclusion of culturally diverse characteristics of giftedness in their theories of giftedness? and (f) What differences exist, if any, between the expertise groups in their judgments of culturally diverse students? The sample was 60 elementary classroom teachers with varying degrees of expertise in gifted education. Statistical analyses as well as inductive qualitative analyses were used to answer the research questions. The teachers in this study did not demonstrate theory-based reasoning as described by the causal status effect in their judgments of hypothetical student profiles. In general, the teachers in this study focused on traditional characteristics of giftedness and did not tend to include characteristics associated with diverse gifted students in their theories of giftedness. Comparisons of teachers with greater and lesser degrees of expertise in gifted education indicated that there were no significant differences between the groups. However, there was also little consistency among the teachers in their representations of the causal links among different characteristics of giftedness in their theories, suggesting that all elementary classroom teachers do not define common characteristics of giftedness in the same way. Recommendations for further research include more focus on critical analysis of individual teachers' beliefs in course and in-services for teachers seeking expertise in gifted education, continuation of this line of research with more diverse samples of teachers, and modification to the procedures used to measure theory-based reasoning in order to better model and measure teachers' reasoning processes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Brazil faces the challenge of preparing teachers to work in gifted and talented education, which includes the development of a coherent conception of giftedness and a thorough understanding of students' academic and social/emotional needs. Over the past several decades, many conceptions of intelligence and creativity have been offered by researchers and practitioners. However, the relationship between these constructs is still inconclusive. In Brazil, little research has investigated the creative abilities of Brazilian students, examined how creativity might be related to intelligence, or explored people's conceptions of intelligence and creativity. Therefore, the present study investigated the relationship between intelligence and creativity test scores of identified gifted and talented students attending an enrichment program in the Federal District, Brazil, and determined how students and their resource room teachers perceived intelligence and creativity. An ex post facto design was used to investigate the correlation between intelligence and creativity test scores of 100 identified gifted and talented students, ages 9-17, and 15 teachers in grades 4 through 8 of an enrichment program for gifted students in the Federal District. A Pearson product-moment correlation was computed to determine the magnitude and the degree of relationship between students' scores on Raven's Progressive Matrices - SPM and the Urban and Jellen's Test for Creative Thinking - Drawing Production - TCT-DP. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to address students and teachers' perceptions of creativity and intelligence. Multiple case studies were used to gather data from students and their teachers; information on students' abilities, interests, learning styles, self-concept, and behavioral characteristics were coded and categorized for patterns and themes. The results of the correlational analysis indicated a significant relationship between intelligence test scores and creativity test scores (r=.21, Effect Size=.04) among Brazilian gifted and talented students (N=100), with a small practical significance. Students and teachers perceived students' creative and intellectual abilities favorably. Teachers and students defined intelligence as reasoning and knowledge; teachers also acknowledged creative thought. Both teachers and students perceived creativity as divergent-thinking ability and recognized the role of knowledge in solving problems. Students and teachers considered creativity, intelligence, and giftedness as related constructs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This study focused on the design, development, and implementation of a high school intervention program for underachieving gifted Latinos. The first of its kind for gifted underachieving Latinos in a comprehensive urban high school; the program was an important initial step toward addressing underachievement with this specific type of student. The study hypothesized that if gifted underachieving students were monitored, given guidance and support from an adult in a forum where they could receive the support and encouragement of their peers, the work habits and achievement of participating underachieving gifted students would improve, without receiving any academic assistance. I designed and implemented an intervention of 11 sessions over 13 weeks. Using a mixed methods approach, I collected data from students, teachers and mentors, and I analyzed marks in three subject areas and for work habits, including cooperation, discipline and attendance. The analysis of data also included a pre-post survey and reflections and journals gathered from participants and mentors. Findings showed that student academic grades, and their corresponding work habits and cooperation grades, as reported by teachers, showed little statistically significant change. Further, participants revealed a poor understanding of their giftedness, which contributed to their low self-expectations. Some challenged the label of "underachiever." However, students did self-report making changes in behaviors conducive to academic improvement, and these findings were statistically significant. For example, with respect to self-regulation and motivation, students reported they were more likely to check their assignments or put effort into their work. Overall, the data showed that mentors and participants alike wanted to continue working together. This study showed that in a period of 13 weeks (through 11 sessions) the underachieving gifted Latino can learn to identify successful behaviors and self-report greater engagement in academic activities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

In Texas, economically disadvantaged students account for 57% of the total population, but comprise only 23% of the population identified as gifted according to a study conducted by the Texas Equity and Excellence Task Force (Slocumb and Olenchak, 2007). This study employed a mixed-methods research design and employed the Tomlinson and Callahan model for gifted program evaluation (1994) in order to evaluate the methods for identifying gifted students in 18 urban Title I elementary schools in Texas. Quantitative research methods were used in order to evaluate which of the research-based identification methods rated highly by a panel of experts in a prior study (Furman, 2006) were used in the gifted programs. Qualitative research methods were used in order to explore the perceptions that key school personnel involved in the identification process at the Title I campuses hold regarding how this process is implemented in their campuses. Data were collected through a questionnaire of school district gifted program directors and/or submission of electronic materials regarding the identification process, and interviews with gifted program administrators at each of the Title I campuses in the study. The results of this study suggest that campus administrators at schools with high populations of low socioeconomic students be given more authority to place students in the gifted program that may not achieve set cutoff scores on standardized testing, but show the potential to be gifted. Additionally, parent training should be provided so that parents can understand the identification process and the value of having their children in the gifted program. School personnel should also be trained in the different cultural and socioeconomic manifestations of giftedness. There should also be shift away from identifying fully-developed skills as evidenced by the results of standardized testing to the identification of gifted potential through the results of the collection of more qualitative measures. Placement decisions should be made using a case study approach where placement is made on the merits of individual students rather than by following prescribed cutoff scores. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)