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The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study is to explore educators' descriptions of gifted learners' academic abilities and gifted behaviors (above average abilities, task commitment, creativity, and gifted behaviors in the classrooms) when completing academic tasks in the Western and Midwestern regions of the United States. The study's conceptual model was Renzulli's Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness (1978, 2005) which provides educators with interweaving supports for gifted learners. The research questions were: how do educators of gifted learners describe gifted learners' above-average abilities, task commitment, creativity, and gifted behaviors when completing academic tasks in the classroom? How do educators describe and implement the teaching of gifted learners with above-average abilities, task commitment, creativity, and gifted behaviors to support academic tasks? The sample included 12 educators working with gifted learners. This study used a qualitative descriptive design to gain an in-depth description of educators' views of gifted learners' academic and behavioral abilities. Data collection was comprised of semi-structured interviews and classroom observations. Data were analyzed using manual coding. Thematic analysis was utilized to identify common responses from participants and followed Braun & Clarke's (2017) steps. Four themes emerged from the study: curriculum integration, environmental structure, social-emotional and behavioral, and academic behaviors. The study added to the existing body of knowledge on educators' descriptions and the support gifted learners need to increase their academic and positive behavioral abilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Giftedness is a topic oft-researched and oft-discussed, but developing an understanding of children's adjustment to various approaches poses unique challenges. As the United States has no national standards for gifted education, each state has its approach to curriculum and programming for gifted students. This includes defining giftedness, assessing for it, and integrating students into the developed program. In California the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program has broad standards and the development of specific programming is done at the local level. The Fresno Unified School District established separate schools dedicated to the GATE program. This posed a unique opportunity to assess the adjustment of gifted children from a "typical" learning environment to one designated for gifted children. In order to capture the unique experience of transferring, an interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) was conducted to understand the experience of gifted children adjusting to a new school environment. This study targeted three questions: what the child's understanding was of their transfer to this school, what they understood as the differences between this and their previous school, and how they would explain the transfer process to a new incoming student. Participants included 3 children between 8-10 years old who had transferred to the GATE school within the year. Participants participated in a semi-structured interview format designed to explore the experience of transferring while allowing for—and adapting to—each participant's unique response style. Results indicated the children were most sensitive to the social aspects of the new school: how they felt they fit in with other students and how they felt they were regarded by their teachers. Other aspects focused on individual identity were deemphasized. The results of this study indicate students may benefit from school programs targeted towards belonging and cohesion in addition to giftedness and performance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups; however there does appear to be a gender bias, in that on average ASD is 4 to 5 times more likely to occur in boys than in girls (CDC, 2020). This study sought to examine and explore the ASD-gender phenomenon based on the perspective of the educator, specifically teachers of students with ASD. More specifically, this study examined the perceptions of secondary (middle and high school) teachers who work with male and female students diagnosed with ASD. Qualitative research was used to gain insight into teachers' experiences working with females with ASD, as well as their perceptions of gender differences.This study used semi-structured interviews to examine the perceptions of 16 secondary (middle and high school) teachers who work(ed) with female students suspected of and/or diagnosed with ASD. During the interviews, participants shared stories about male and female students undiagnosed and/or diagnosed with ASD. In their stories, participants described the cognitive and behavioral needs of female students, spoke to similarities and differences of male and female students with ASD, and described supports that they have used in supporting their students.Emergent themes included: (1) misdiagnosed and undiagnosed females, (2) quietness, (3) social awkwardness, and (4) academic struggles. Themes around gender specific differences included a higher prevalence for male students in the areas of: (1) difficulty completing academic tasks, (2) inflexible adherence to routines, (3) externalizing behaviors, and (4) giftedness. As for effective supports and intervention, the overarching theme spoke to a lack of available support for female students with ASD in comparison to their male counterparts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This study looks at divergent thinking ability, spiritual disposition, and perception of school support among artistically gifted students in the Orthodox Jewish community. It hypothesizes that artistically gifted individuals exhibit strengths in both divergent thinking and a disposition to spirituality, and that in a rule-based culture prioritizing external behavior over internal connectedness, such students experience a unique compound of stressors and may therefore be an at-risk population. The mixed-method study assessed 54 religious young adults with high creative accomplishment in traits of divergent thinking, creative personality and spiritual disposition along with their perceptions of support for creativity and spirituality in their Orthodox day school through a battery of multiple short scales and supplementary questions. Quantitative testing showed positive correlation between creative accomplishment and divergent thinking and high positive correlation between creative accomplishment and a spiritual disposition to search for meaning. Qualitative assessment indicated further evidence of spiritual disposition in artists as well as a common set of experiences in school. Students perceiving lowest support for creativity experienced feelings of marginalization, lack of appreciation for strengths, and a likelihood toward giftedness.  Environmental support for spirituality was low in multiple areas, including minimal opportunities to speak about G-d, minimal time for introspection, inconsistent role modeling in teachers, and, directly impacting students with strong disposition to search for meaning, weak focus on the meaning behind practices. Trait correlation results and qualitative data can help educators better understand creative students, and school environment findings indicate several areas that would benefit from change to increase positive outcomes for creative students in Orthodoxy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Implicit mindset of intelligence influences teachers' conceptions of giftedness which can influence pedagogical decision-making that relate to gifted students. Teachers implicitly view intelligence as either a limited quantity or a quality that can be developed over time (Dweck, 2008b). The mindset of intelligence that a teacher holds impacts the expectations that are placed on students. However, general education teachers may not have a solid conception of giftedness (Kaul & Davis, 2018). Thus, a gifted program which relies on general education teachers for instructional delivery may not adequately meet the academic needs of the gifted students within the program. The program evaluation used an embedded single-case, utilization-focused evaluation design to understand how general education elementary teachers within an elementary school conceptualize giftedness through the framework of Carol Dweck's (2000) Implicit Mindset Theory and how implicit mindset of intelligence and conceptions of giftedness contribute to pedagogical decisions that are made. The mixed methods evaluation was comprised of two phases. Phase 1 included a quantitative survey. The survey produced descriptive data about implicit mindset of intelligence. Phase 2 included teacher selected lesson plans, and semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data about implicit mindset of intelligence, conceptions of giftedness, and pedagogical decision-making were collected from the lesson plans and interviews. These data taken together provided insight into how teachers' pedagogical decisions are influenced by teacher implicit mindset of intelligence and teacher conceptions of giftedness. The implications for fostering an incremental mindset and increasing general education teacher professional learning opportunities are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

This qualitative study represents the perspective of a parent of a twice-exceptional (2e) child with autism and giftedness through the cultural lens of neurodiversity. Twice-exceptional children are those who are gifted and have a co-existing disability (Assouline, Foley-Nicpon, & Huber, 2006). This study used an autoethnography methodology, whereby the subject played a dual role as researcher and participant, and the data collected was used to put the "self" in a socio-cultural context. The autobiographical content is a scientific inquiry, analyzing a leader in education, and also a self-narration, using her viewpoint as a mother. The story captures how one mother navigated the journey of finding the best educational environment for her 2e child and the experiences of the family unit as a whole while building family and school partnerships in schools located in the Borderland. The research revealed seven emergent themes related to parental involvement in a 2e child's education: (1) Family, (2) Advocacy, (3) Autism, (4) Relationships in the school and community, (5) Isolation, (6) Health, and (7) Neurodiversity. Parents can promote educational changes in the ways gifted education, general education, and special education interface in public schools. Parents can lead advocacy efforts by utilizing the neurodiversity paradigm as a lens for disability. The neurodiversity paradigm is the best model to direct 2e students towards better outcomes by developing their strengths and neurological upsides to further postsecondary opportunities in college or in a career. This research can have an impact on educational leadership, how parents navigate the educational system to help 2e children reach their full potential, and to raise awareness of this population of children with professionals in the educational, medical, and mental health communities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This study focuses on developing teaching strategies for teachers who teach in classes for students identified as Gifted and Talented with Special Learning Disabilities situated in Israeli secondary schools. The focus is on the challenges teachers meet while teaching Humanities Subjects (HS) to these students and the strategies they need in addressing their dual exceptionalities. The main purpose of this study is to examine how specific strategies may contribute towards both to quality of teaching and to a better learning environment. Research has shown that gifted students who are diagnosed with learning disabilities in writing skills (2ELs) have difficulties especially in HS and achieve less academically than may suggest their high abilities. The combination of giftedness with learning disabilities and underachievement creates special challenges for their teachers to counter, and for which they need specific Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes. In my study, I developed a model of teaching strategies which combines three strategies from the field of teaching gifted students and from the field of special education which are helpful in the humanities disciplines. I created a manual for teachers' CPD that includes this model and I conducted a seminar using this manual for the participant teachers in my research. This was followed by an implementation of the manual by these teachers in their classrooms that includes 2ELs. My qualitative research was based on the case studies of two teachers teaching HS in two high school classrooms, totalling sixty 2ELs. The information was collected through observations, interviews, and open questionnaires. I then analysed the information using an inductive approach as pattern recognition and inclusion into categories. The research findings of this study describe the difficulties that teachers may face with 2ELs and my claim to knowledge is the AAA Model of Strategies and the manual for teachers and their contribution to teachers of 2Els and their students. The recent research fills this particular gap in the literature, in the Israeli context, and the findings of this study bear policy implications and indicate the need for the tailoring of relevant teachers' CPD' programmes to include strategies to better address the needs of 2ELs for optimal success in fulfilling their potential and overcoming their difficulties. Future research may achieve a deeper understanding of how to prepare teachers to use adjusted strategies that meet 2Els teachers in various disciplines in order to improve learning environment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This study represents part of more extensive research aimed at a multidimensional examination of mathematical giftedness. This study aimed to:1. Examine the link between cognitive abilities and General giftedness (G), Excellence in Mathematics (EM) and gender. The cognitive abilities that were examined include: memory, attention, speed of information processing and visual perception.2. Examine differences and similarities in cognitive abilities of excelling in mathematics students who vary in their degree of general giftedness (S-MG, G-EM, and NG-EM), as reflected in memory, speed of information processing, attention and visual perception.3. Examine the cognitive profiles of students from four study groups according to memory, speed of information processing, attention and visual perception traits.4. Identify cognitive components that can predict General giftedness (G) and Excellence in mathematics (EM). The cognitive components (determined after factor analysis) that were examined include: STM_WM, Pattern-recall, Visual serial processing and Numeric processing. Population and sampling procedure: The sampling procedure included 1200 10th -11th grade students who undergo a battery of general intelligence (Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrix Test (RPMT)) and mathematical ability (Scholastic Assessment Test in Mathematics, (SAT-M)) tests. After completion of this procedure, a sample of 200 students was selected. These students were subdivided into four experimental groups, determining the research population by a combination of EM and G factors:G-EM group: students who are identified as generally gifted and excelling in mathematics;G-NEM group: students who are identified as generally gifted but do not excel in mathematics;NG-EM group: students excelling in mathematics who are not identified as generally gifted; NG-NEM group: students who are identified as being neither generally gifted nor excelling in mathematics.Students from G groups are mainly chosen from classes for gifted students (IQ>130) or with Raven score above 27. Students who are sampled as EM are those that study mathematics at high level (HL) with SAT-M scores higher than 26 and math score above 90.Another study group participated in this study are super-mathematically-gifted (S-MG). These students satisfied all criteria for the G-EM group and additionally displayed exceptional achievements in mathematics: membership in national Olympiad teams (in mathematics or computer sciences) or studying university mathematics courses parallel with their high school studies, and attaining scores above 95.The study findings are reported based on 190 students divided into four study groups and 7 S-MG students who fully completed the cognitive tasks. The cognitive abilities that were examined include: memory, speed of information processing (SIP), attention and visual perception. Data Analysis: In chapters 3.1-3.3 multivariate analysis of variance tests (MANOVA) were used to compare the cognitive abilities (memory, speed of information processing, attention and visual perception) of participants from the four study groups.In chapter 3.4 non-parametric tests were used for the analysis of the between-group in all cognitive tests between S-MG, G-EM and NG-EM students.In chapter 3.5 non-hierarchical K-means cluster analysis was conducted to identify the cognitive profile of participants'. Thereafter, a structural equation modeling (SEM) was used in order to determine which cognitive categories can predict general giftedness (G) and excellence in mathematics (EM). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This study relates to two critical points in mathematical education in Israel and abroad which are the need to increase the importance of mathematical creativity when teaching mathematics and the necessity of developing tools to assess mathematical creativity that is needed to promote and develop creativity among schoolchildren. The study is also motivated by the observation that the issue of mathematical creativity as well as of creativity in mathematics education is not well explored. Characterizing the relationship between mathematical giftedness and mathematical creativity is still missing in the professional literature (e.g., Leikin, 2013; Sriraman, 2005). Since Krutetskii's (1976) seminal study of mathematical abilities, only a small number of studies have been done on the characterization of the mathematical abilities of gifted students which have left a large number of open questions (Leikin, 2009b, 2013). This research attempted to address this deficiency.This study employed Multiple Solution Tasks (i.e., tasks that explicitly require solving a mathematical problem in different ways - MSTs) in order to explore students' creativity in mathematics (Leikin & Lev, 2007; Leikin, 2013). This study examined the relationship between mathematical creativity, general giftedness and excellence in school mathematics. The study (which is a part of multidimensional examination of mathematical giftedness, e.g. Leikin, Leikin, Lev, Paz-Baruch & Waisman, 2013) attempted to get better understanding of the concept of mathematical giftedness from the point of view of mathematical creativity. This study had three main interrelated Goals: 1. To examine relationships between mathematical creativity, general giftedness and excellence in secondary school mathematics. 2. To explore creativity of adolescents with superior mathematical abilities. 3. To explore the power of different types of Multiple Solution Tasks (MSTs) for the identification of between-group differences related to mathematical creativity The research sample consisted of 184 students (16-18 years old) divided into four major experimental groups according to varying combinations of the levels of excellence in school mathematics (EM factor) and of general giftedness (G factor) (see Section 2.3). Additionally 7 students (16-18 years old) with superior mathematical abilities (S-MG) took part in the study.Data collection and analysis: The data was collected by means of written tests and individual interviews.The Test consisting of five MSTs – was designed for the purpose of this study (see Sections 2.2.1 and 2.2.2). To evaluate students' creativity the study employed a model for evaluation of mathematical creativity using MSTs (see Part 3 and Section 1.2.7; Leikin, 2009b, 2013). The students' solutions to the Test were analyzed with 5 criteria (correctness of the solutions, fluency, flexibility, originality and creativity). The quantitative analysis of the tests was performed in 2 steps: Step A focused on the similarities and differences in the four major groups of participants -- G-EM, NG-EM, G-NEM, and NG-NEM. Step B was directed towards the identification of specific characteristics of S-MG participants. At Step A we used MANOVA for G factor and EM factor with consequent ANOVAs and pair-wise comparisons (G vs. NG in EM and NEM groups and EM vs. NEM in G and NG groups, separately). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The study presented in this dissertation is part of a larger research project that searches for deep insights into the nature of mathematical giftedness. Mathematical giftedness (MG) is a complex construct which is ill-defined (Leikin, 2012). The larger research project aims to resolve the ambiguity in the field of MG and propose a solid definition of mathematical giftedness. It is of a multidimensional nature, as it examines and compares the mental activity of participants with varying levels of mathematical exceptionality in three salient dimensions: Cognition, Neuro-cognition and Mathematical creativity. The study presented in this dissertation focuses on the neuro-cognitive dimension of the larger research project. This study aimed to: 1. Design and validate research instrument for ERP (Event Related Potentials) procedure on the upper secondary level of mathematics. 2. Search for the relationship of general giftedness (G factor) and excellence in school mathematics (EM factor) to problem solving performance as reflected in (1) Behavioral measures: Accuracy of responses (Acc) and Reaction time for correct responses (RTc) and (2) Electrophysiological measures: Amplitudes, latencies, and scalp topographies of brain electrical activity identified with Event-Related Brain Potentials (ERP) procedure. 3. Examine specific behavioral and electrophysiological characteristics of students with superior mathematical performance (S-MG).To achieve the study aims, a special sampling procedure was conducted based on the distinction between general giftedness (G factor) and excellence in school mathematics (EM factor). The research sample included 200 right-handed male 10th and 11th grade high school students (16-18 years old) who were divided into 4 major sub-groups that varied in combinations of their degree of general giftedness and excellence in school mathematics. The fifth research group consisted of 9 students with superior mathematical performance (S-MG). We report herein the findings of the comparative data analysis (See Section 2.2). Research tests were designed to employ the Event Related Potentials (ERP) research procedure. The tests were innovative in terms of the complexity of the tasks and the item design, which was based on Polya's model of problem-solving strategies. Since translations between representations are among the key indicators of mathematics understanding, the tests were initially designed to examine different types of translations (e.g., from graphical/pictorial to symbolic, from verbal to symbolic, from symbolic to graphical representations). Of the 9 initially designed tests 3 proved to be insufficiently reliable (Alpha Cronbach lower than 0.6). Thus, we collected data using 6 of the 9 tests. Furthermore, 4 of these 6 tests allowed for between-test comparisons and thus were chosen for the report in this study (see Part 3 for tool design). Scalp EEG data were continuously recorded using a 64-channel BioSemi ActiveTwo system (BioSemi, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and ActiveView recording software. The ERP waveforms were time-locked to the onsets (appearance on the screen) of S1, S2 (and S3 if it existed).Data analysis: Both behavioral and electrophysiological analyses were performed in two steps: Step A focused on the similarities and differences in the four major groups of participants - G-EM, NG-EM, G-NEM and NG-NEM (with ANOVA examinations as the main type of statistical test employed). Step B was directed at identifying specific characteristics of the S-MG participants. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the perceptions, practices, and training of teachers when identifying and nominating students for gifted and talented education (GATE) programs. The study was conducted through the lived experiences and viewpoints of GATE teachers at 13 elementary schools in a suburban school district in Texas. The basis of this study stemmed from an equity audit that was conducted in 2018 to better understand the disproportionalities that existed in the district with minority and economically disadvantaged students. The audit revealed major disparities of African American students in the areas of gifted and talented services, enrollment in Advanced Placement (AP) and Pre AP-courses, Advanced Academics (dual credit), and Career and Technology Education (CTE). The theoretical framework that was used as a foundation for the study was multiple intelligences theory. The qualitative study consisted of teachers and a director's responses from one-on-one interview questions and additional comments provided during the video recordings. The coding of the data revealed three major themes during the interviews. The three major themes that were produced from more than 20 codes were perceptions, teacher training, and adjustment of policy and processes to practice. The findings disclosed the gifted and talented tests being used were exclusionary to particular subpopulations such as African American students, teachers and parents needed more training to understand the traits of giftedness, and teachers who activated the multiple intelligences of their students through high-quality instruction, culturally relevant teaching, and special interests benefited from more engaging classrooms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

The research problem this study addressed was that general education teachers are struggling to meet the needs of gifted students with differentiated instruction at the middle school level. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate middle school teachers' perceptions of differentiating instruction for gifted learners and any challenges or barriers the teachers may experience. Tomlinson's theory of differentiation was the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions addressed teachers' understanding of giftedness, preparedness to differentiate instruction for gifted students, strategies used for differentiating instruction for gifted students, and perceived barriers or challenges to differentiating instruction for gifted students. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and sentence completion with eight middle school teachers. Key thematic findings from the coding analysis included the participants' reports of understanding gifted learners' needs, varying levels of preparedness to differentiate, limited resources and strategies to differentiate, and the necessity for professional support to differentiate for gifted learners. These results informed the research questions by identifying the participants' understanding of characteristics of gifted learners and the specific needs a gifted learner might have. Most participants described their preparedness to differentiate as inadequate with little to no coursework during preservice training. The participants employed differentiation strategies based on the resources and experiences they have. Lastly, the participants reported a lack of materials, time, and professional development as barriers to implementing differentiation. Social change may be promoted by increasing teachers' knowledge and use of differentiation as a strategy to improve the educational experiences of gifted learners at the middle school level. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Administrators in school systems strive to ensure that the identification of giftedness in elementary students results in proportional demographic representation. Overly stringent or biased gifted identification results in deserving students receiving fewer opportunities-to-learn and exacerbates the excellence gap. My aim in this action research for transformation project was to utilize three complementary perspectives on the continuum of giftedness to generate a more representative pool of students who will be further screened and potentially offered the opportunity to participate in the gifted education programming in East Carolina County Schools. One perspective was provided by a nonverbal identification instrument, another perspective by the nonverbal form of a well-established test of academic ability, and the third perspective by a science-oriented, classroom-based instructional program. Teachers of Grade 3 and Grade 4 and their students at a rural, low socio-economic, and diverse elementary school participated in this three-month, school-based intervention to achieve proportional representation of Black and Hispanic students among those accepted into the gifted education program. As a result of my study, several modifications to current practice have been suggested and key questions for future research emerged. The combined role of one nonverbal assessment along with teacher observations proved partially effective. By further adding the identification of the top 10% in demographic groups, my study showed promise to achieving the goal of a truly level playing field. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

In spite of significant scholarly attention paid to the needs of intellectually Gifted students, programming and placement practices in publicly funded educational institutions in North America have remained stagnant in the 21st Century (Gallagher, 2015; see also Borders, Woodley, & Moore, 2014; Brown & Stambaugh, 2014; Gallagher, 2000). Critical disability theorists have made significant advancements toward more socially just systems of education for individuals with exceptionalities who have been stigmatized for their impairments by investigating the attitudinal, structural, and political barriers that create the disability of one's impairment. This research was poised to address the same social injustice of inaccessibility for a group of marginalized pupils with a bona fide exceptionality—Intellectual-Giftedness—in pursuit of intellectual accessibility. This social constructionist and interpretivist, Critical Narrative Inquiry (CNI) focused on the construction, deconstruction, and reconceptualisation of pedagogical responses to the needs of secondary Gifted learners in public education in Ontario, Canada. This study asked: What can we learn from the experiences of Gifted learners, teachers of the Gifted, and educational stakeholders about the programmatic and placement needs of high-ability learners in the current system? In what ways do their experiences contribute to our understanding of whether programmatic and placement practices have or have not evolved throughout history? How might ANT help us identify both the actors and assemblages that produce the current systems so that educators, policymakers, and system leaders are better positioned to respond to their contemporary needs?This dissertation is comprised of four chapters and four integrated articles that offer scholarly, methodological, and data discoveries at various phases along my learning journey toward identifying precisely what is preventing the intellectual accessibility in our classrooms and schools for our high-ability pupils. Together, these chapters and manuscripts embody my learning as both participant and researcher, from taking issue with the robust stagnation of the field of Gifted education to problematizing our varied approaches to meeting the needs of these pupils, as well as employing a novel methodological approach using complementary "show and tell" methods that drew upon material-semiotics and autoethnography, which gave rise to a more complex, more three-dimensional way of understanding the topography (Hamilton & Pinnegar, 2013) of this status quo phenomenon. A close and meticulous examination of the features, the different terrain, and the contours show exactly what and how this phenomenon is existing so we may engage in informed debate as to why we might be subscribing to a recycling of what Sayer (1992) calls "practically adequate" practices and discourses.This research contributes meaningfully to this renewed conversation around re-taking responsibility for our high-ability pupils in public education. I offer four calls to action for educational stakeholders and policymakers that must be implemented in order to disrupt the established status quo of programming and placement practices based on replicated policy that do not serve the contemporary needs of high-ability pupils today. This work has implications for the classroom and school levels, at system and governance levels, as well as for the fields of Gifted education and Disability Studies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze the effect of school socioeconomic status, presence of gifted programs, and teacher's ethnicity on teachers' perception of their students' potential, giftedness identification, and administrative support in a suburban school system with a high representation of minorities and students who are culturally, linguistically, economically diverse. The participants in the current study consist of 293 teachers selected from a suburban school district located nearby a large metropolitan city in the northeastern part of the United States. The survey used in this study is a 47-item online instrument adapted from the Snapshot Survey of Gifted Programming Effectiveness Factors: Using the National Gifted Teacher Preparation Standards and NAGC Program Standards to Inform Practice. MANOVA analysis indicated that teachers' perceptions of giftedness were significantly different between schools of high poverty (Title 1), schools of low poverty (non-Title 1), schools with gifted programs, and teacher ethnicity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

High student mobility in some populations, coupled with an ever evolving and inconsistent conception of giftedness, has led to increasing numbers of students being labeled gifted in one location only to have that label taken away in another. This work examines the impact of gaining and losing the gifted label due to relocation on students' understanding of the their own identify as related to their understanding of their own intelligence, social interactions, and the development of their academic self-concept. The study was conducted as a collective of qualitative case studies utilizing narrative inquiry to elicit the participants lived experiences as students whose gifted status was rescinded due to a parent's military relocation. The data collected was analyzed using a thematic analysis method, as the analysis structured around the intersections of Foucault's (1988) technologies as a theoretical framework. This study shows that students believe they can earn the gifted label through hard work and effort, that social connections are built and maintained around the shared interests and values encouraged by the gifted label, and that academic performance is more strongly influenced by instruction and other school factors than gifted identification. The implications of these finding reveal the ways in which students work to exert power or control over the bestowment of the gifted label, power or control over the composition of social peer groups, and acknowledgement of whether the gifted label affords them educational opportunities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This study explores how upper-grade elementary makers' spaces reveal creative thinking and critical thinking in identified and unidentified gifted students. It provides evidence that the situated learning context of makers' spaces elicit high-level motivation through constructionist practices and 21st century learning processes that leads to consistent application of creative thinking and critical thinking. The mixed-methods study incorporated surveys and interviews of educators who are invested in maker learning, observations of students during maker sessions, and analysis of photos, plans, and lesson provided by the educators. The findings indicate substantial perceived creative thinking in all students, more notably in gifted students who underperformed unidentified students on existing assessments. I argue that makers' spaces reveal multiple categories of giftedness in identified and unidentified gifted students, and that maker learning is an effective learning method for supporting at-risk students to provide life-skills and innovation opportunities for underserved populations. I propose a new identification category of giftedness, entrepreneurially gifted, which is revealed through making and the concept of maker confidence. I recommend that school and district policy implement makers' spaces and maker learning to prepare students to be college, career, and entrepreneurial-ready. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Students in the United States are not achieving in mathematics as indicated on the NAEP (2019) exams and other measurements of student achievement (NCES, 2019; OECD, 2019; O'Dwyer, et al., 2015). Mathematically gifted and promising students are especially impacted by this phenomenon, though it is not exactly known what factors contribute to successful teachers of these students. This phenomenological case study focused on the beliefs, instructional practices, and conceptual understanding of mathematics of five teachers in a public charter school for gifted students. Data sources collected included semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and questionnaires based on Swan's (2006) practices and beliefs research with effective mathematics teachers. To better understand these phenomena, two conceptions of giftedness served as the lenses for this study: Renzulli's Three-Ring Model (1978) and Gagné's Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (1985). Using an interpretive phenomenological analysis several themes emerged in response to each research question. Findings for instructional practices indicated that teachers used both student-centered and teacher-centered practices and consistently utilized differentiated groupings. Additionally, teacher participants believe that gifted students possess both positive traits and challenges, and specifically for math, believe that sense-making is key, and math is a subject students should enjoy. Teachers also noted that school and home environments impact access to an equitable mathematics education for children. Teachers' conceptual understanding of mathematics is guided by their ongoing practice, the curriculum, and math experiences prior to teaching. These findings indicate the importance of ongoing training and professional development in mathematics and gifted education, as well as the recruitment and retention of teachers who possess a strong conceptual understanding of mathematics, a passion for the subject, and a student-centered approach to teaching. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

An educator's preparedness has many contributing factors, including natural-born giftedness, inspiration from a childhood teacher, or a need to impact our youth. However, for many current educators, teaching was not their initial choice. Alternative certification programs are growing in popularity as a means of placing qualified individuals in the classroom. Traditional university paths provide training that is often condensed or rushed for those seeking alternative certification. Therefore, once employment is obtained, the support from district induction programs could be extremely beneficial for novice teachers regardless of their training. Using a group of employees from one school district in South Carolina, who completed their induction year in the district and are still employed, research was conducted to measure a teacher's sense of self-efficacy based on the type of certification they possess. Additionally, the support that the district offers induction teachers was evaluated based on themes that arose from a review of the literature. Using a mixed-methods approach, it was resolved that there is not a difference in self-efficacy in first-year teachers based on their certification route. Additionally, it was determined that the needs of alternatively certified teachers vary, and should be given careful consideration by their district of hire. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore elementary gifted teachers' lived experiences regarding Black males' participation in gifted education in rural schools. Critical theory was used as the theoretical framework of this study. A phenomenological design was utilized with a purposeful sample of twelve elementary gifted teachers. The central research question of this study was: What are elementary gifted teachers' lived experiences regarding Black males' participation in gifted education in rural schools? Data were collected through in-depth interviews. This study's findings revealed (a) elementary gifted teachers have limited lived experiences with Black males participating in gifted programs, (b) elementary gifted teachers play a significant role in the gifted referral process and generally have their own perceptions of giftedness, (c) elementary gifted teachers have experienced the impact of socioeconomic status on background experiences and home environment, and (d) elementary gifted teachers have experienced a lack of professional development regarding gifted education but remain confident in their ability to make gifted referral decisions. Implications of this study include strengthening local gifted nomination policies and protocols, exploring more equitable ways to make gifted referrals, and increasing professional learning regarding gifted education. Recommendations for future research include conducting similar studies of broader scope, and studies to exclusively explore the role of socioeconomics, creativity, and testing in Black males' participation in gifted education in rural schools. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)