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Gifted children placed in traditional school settings, often do not have their educational, motivational, mental, and emotional development appropriately supported. Unidentified giftedness in young children can result in academic limitations due to unmodified educational standards to stimulate and support gifted children's needs. Consequences of unidentified giftedness can include boredom, anxiety, dislike of school, loss of motivation, and challenging behavior. This qualitative phenomenological study recruited parents of gifted children to identify consequences of delayed identification of giftedness using Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development as a lens to explore the beneficial effects of gifted students' early assessment and placement into classrooms with similarly like-minded gifted children, curriculum, and instruction. Findings supported the literature that children who were not identified as gifted and were not given appropriate support experienced anxiety and other behaviors that caused distress for them, their families, and their classroom environments. Families bear a financial burden, sometimes moving to different cities to find an appropriate educational setting and often bearing the costs of assessment to verify giftedness. Further, learning disabilities can co-exist with giftedness. Gifted children with such co-morbidities were less likely to receive appropriate support for their educational needs. Finally, children identified as gifted and taught in environments with similar peers were able to develop better social skills and became more willing to attend and succeed at school. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

This project is focused on the period of life known as emerging adulthood. Adolescents graduate from high school but then have a difficult time transitioning to adulthood. Emerging adulthood is not a generational designation like Generation Z. Rather, sociologists describe those age eighteen to thirty as emerging adults. Young people in this age group are no longer adolescents, but they do not consider themselves full-fledged adults. Emerging adults face many challenges during this period of life in the areas of education, relationships, work, careers, living arrangements, and many more. They are looking for answers to questions such as: Who am I? Why am I here? What is life all about? These individuals need guidance in understanding their worldview, values, vocation, and personality and giftedness. Emerging adults need a decision-making paradigm to assist them in navigating the challenges and questions during this crucial stage in life. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

The persistent Black and White achievement gap contradicts one of the United States' core values: equal opportunity for all. In response to the problem, schools seek to increase Black students' achievement through programs like Advanced Placement (AP). Although schools have tried to provide an equitable educational experience, the disparity in outcomes and access remains. Black students' voices must be in the conversation about educational equality to understand the function of race and reveal any blind spots. This study used a critical qualitative research approach to explore the experiences of Black students who participated in a Southeast Georgia AP program. A critical race theory (CRT) methodology kept race at the center of the study, challenged dominant ideologies, committed to social justice, focused on experiential knowledge, and used the field's current literature. A series of three in-depth interviews served as the primary data collection method. Other methods included analytic memos and school-level AP documents. I used data reduction and connection strategies to analyze and inductively generate themes that provided a framework for my participants' narratives as they made sense of race in their experiences in the AP program. Through the students' richly detailed narratives, I uncovered strategies that may improve Black students' participation in AP. Schools seeking to eliminate AP enrollment disparity may use this study to advance racial equality. Findings indicated Black students in AP courses realized the role of race in their education and its impact on navigating school. The results of this study resulted in four recommendations. First, there is a need to revamp the United States History curriculum to provide more positive Black history. Second, there is a need for more Black teachers and formal mentorship programs in southern districts. Third, there is a need for culturally diverse definitions of giftedness and more inclusive practices for recommending students for AP. Last, there is a need for diversity training for teachers with a focus on culturally relevant pedagogy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Historically, students within the top 1% of general intellectual ability (GIA) have been described as having unusual personality characteristics. It is generally accepted that students within the top 1% of GIA have unusual academic abilities and educational needs; however, the unusual social-emotional needs of students within the top 1% of GIA are not universally recognized and are not well understood. In the field of giftedness, this has contributed to a lack of focus on students with the greatest need for gifted programming and services: the students within the top 1% of GIA. The purpose of this exploratory quantitative study was to examine the personality characteristics of elementary school students within the top 1% of GIA in relation to general education students using three personality measures. The 3rd–5th grade Study Group students qualified for a special program for the highly gifted with a WISC V score in the 99th percentile after a district-wide screener. The 4th and 5th grade Comparison Group students were enrolled in general education classrooms at the same schools. Data were collected using a self-report survey instrument comprised of the fourteen subscales from the Big Five Indicator for children (BFI-child), the Murphy-Meisgeier Type Indicator for Children® (MMTIC®), and the Overexcitabilities Questionnaire 2 (OEQ-II) personality measures. These measures were developed based on three personality theories, the Five Factor Model/Big Five Personality Traits, the Jungian Types, and Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities respectively. Data analysis using a 2-Way Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) indicated main effects for Group and Gender. Post hoc analysis indicated that Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, Sensing/Intuition, and Sensual Overexcitability (OE) contributed to the Group main effect and that Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling, Imaginational OE, Sensual OE, and Psychomotor OE contributed to the Gender main effect. This was the first study to include measures from the three personality theories; the findings support S. A. Gallagher's (2013) proposed bridges among three personality theories. Additionally, the findings of this study suggest that the unusual personality characteristics of students within the top 1% of GIA should be considered when designing appropriate educational programming and pedagogical methods for these students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The purpose of this study was to examine the existing barriers to equity in the identification and servicing of gifted students in a small mid-western suburban school district. A mixed method approach guided by constructivist philosophy was used to conduct this research. An inductive Grounded Theory was the methodological approach. This study sought to gather the perception of school district stakeholders to identify potential barriers that exist for specific subgroups of students to being identified for gifted and talented services. The research questions for this Problem of Practice were as follows: (1) How do teachers and parents in School District A define the concept of giftedness? (2) How do teachers' and parents' definition of giftedness impact which students are identified for gifted and talented programming in School District A? (3) What additional elements of School District A's gifted and talented identification process may create barriers to racial, linguistic and socioeconomic equity? (4) How might School District A effectively eliminate barriers to racial, linguistic and socioeconomic equity in their gifted and talented programming? Analysis of data collected from surveys and in-depth interviews revealed teachers' and parents' conception of giftedness as well as perceived barriers to achieving equity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Identification of students for High Ability programming is a complex issue. Ensuring that students from marginalized populations are proportionally represented when compared to the district student population adds to that complexity. This mixed analysis study examines the inequities that exist in the identification of students for High Ability learning programs at the national, state, and local levels. The top-down approach gives the study context for the variety of ways that giftedness is identified at the national, state, and local level. Alongside the document analysis, a survey was created and given to classroom and High Ability teachers. The survey asks the teachers what their perception is of the characteristics of a High Ability student. This information could support a district in forming a definition of a High Ability student. A school district could also ensure that there is proportional representation of High Ability students across all student groups. The results of the analysis show that districts need to rethink common practices when ensuring that all students are given opportunities to be selected for High Ability programming. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

This hermeneutic phenomenological research study addressed the persistent problem of practice of underrepresentation of economically disadvantaged students in gifted education by exploring the beliefs, experiences, and practices of families with economic disadvantages pertaining to giftedness and family involvement in education. Data was gathered from six participants with economic disadvantages and a gifted child through two interviews and analyzed using the hermeneutic circle to uncover patterns and themes. Themes emerged around each of the three research questions including themes for beliefs and experiences pertaining to giftedness: resiliency, creativity, overexcitability, divergent thinking, twice-exceptionality, intelligence, asynchronous development, and negative behaviors. Findings also point to involvement in education on all of Epstein's Six Types of Involvement with common supports and barriers among participants. The findings were analyzed through the lenses of Funds of Knowledge, underrepresentation of children with economic disadvantages in gifted education, and Epstein's Six Types of Involvement. The results of this study provide implications for policy and practice that could impact underrepresentation. School districts need to review their identification policies and ensure that they have plans in place that would increase identification for students with economic disadvantage. Schools and teachers could be including parents in referrals processes and improve communication about gifted identification and services. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

While the advocacy of differentiation as best pedagogical practices for instruction of gifted students can be found in scholarly literature, minimal research attention has been given to high-ability students' perceptions about their lived classroom experiences. Lack of challenging and accelerated content for identified gifted students can lead to boredom, negative self-perception, and disengagement from school. Gifted adolescent females, who are less likely to address barriers to realizing their potential can especially suffer or thrive depending on curriculum. The purpose of this qualitative study is to describe identified female gifted university students' perceptions of pre-collegiate and collegiate differentiation of curriculum and instruction to find the essence of their lived experiences. This phenomenological research study shares the stories of ten gifted women in U.S. higher education. Data collection included in-depth interviews with gifted women within five years of high school graduation. Three themes emerged from data analysis: differentiation, agency, and self-perception. As supported in previous literature, the women in this study reported a lack of differentiation in secondary school. In higher education, the participants described some differentiation in terms of course content, process, product, and setting. A second finding was the level of agency in which all the women engaged to control their own educational experiences. Through participation in multiple, concurrent extracurricular activities, these gifted women supplemented their formal academic classes by independently regulating their learning. A third finding relating to self-perception revealed that nine of the ten participants in this study did not fully understand the manifestations of their own giftedness, while some experienced imposter syndrome. Implications for secondary educators point to a need for more systematic differentiation made to curriculum, instruction, and assessment for gifted students. Implications for higher education suggest broadening the concept of differentiation to enable students to design their own interdisciplinary majors. Another implication for students, parents, and educators is that gifted students need explicit training in the nature, development, types, and needs of gifted individuals. The women in this study expressed interest in learning about giftedness; the clear implication is that gifted students should be taught about giftedness in secondary and/or higher education. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Children who are gifted or twice-exceptional (2e) share distinct qualities beyond academic achievement such as heightened neurological responsivity and asynchronous development (Bishop, 2019; Buica-Belciu & Popovici, 2014; Gere et al., 2009). Decreased knowledge and awareness of these shared qualities, combined with bias in the referral process for evaluation and identification of giftedness or 2e, contributes to under-identification, misdiagnosis, and misunderstanding of this population (Card et al., 2016; Webb et al., 2016). As a result, these children have decreased access to interventions that effectively address their needs. Bloom Seedlings is an inclusive preschool program in which occupational therapy practitioners play a primary role in early intervention for children with behavioral challenges related to giftedness or 2e. Social-emotional learning, sensory strategies, mindfulness techniques, and engagement in meaningful occupations are infused in the curriculum to improve self-regulation and decrease impulsive behaviors. Educational modules and support sessions for professionals and caregivers are critical components to improve relationships between caregivers, educators, and children (Zinsser et al., 2019; Zulauf et al., 2019) and are integral to the program. Through engagement in Bloom Seedlings, participants experience improved occupational performance, health and wellness, quality of life, participation, role competence, well-being, and occupational justice. Occupational therapy practitioners can become strong leaders in giftedness and 2e through program development, program evaluation, and contributions to the research. Bloom Seedlings places occupational therapy practitioners in a primary role to increase health, wellness, and advocacy for children who are gifted or 2e. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

African American students are underrepresented in gifted education (Card & Giuliano, 2016; Grissom & Redding, 2016; Vega & Moore, 2018). Gifted and talented education is a specialized program designed to meet the educational needs of students that exhibit advanced proficiency in intellect, creativity, artistic ability, or leadership (National Association of Gifted Children, n.d.). However, African American students are disproportionately represented in gifted classes. Teachers' perceptions of African American students' achievement have directly impacted African Americans' access to gifted education. The purpose of the qualitative case study was to assess the impact of teacher bias on the disproportionate number of African American students identified as gifted. In the study, elementary school teachers were surveyed and interviewed to examine factors influencing the number of African American students recommended for gifted services in elementary school. In addition, the study investigated teachers' perceptions regarding local gifted identification practices, especially those involving the identification of African American students. Study results can be used to increase the occurrence of African American students recommended for gifted services, which will lead to an increase in African American students participating in gifted education. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

This research study examined the parent perceptions of and relationships among intellectual potential, academic achievement, and the order of identification of exceptionality for twice-exceptional students. Twice-exceptional students exhibit both giftedness and a learning disability or difference. Consistently and equitably identifying and serving twice-exceptional students is a persistent problem of practice in the field of education (Artiles et al., 2010; Gentry et al., 2019; List & Dykeman, 2019; Moon & Reis, 2004; Webb et al., 2019). This study was supported by a community partner, a private educational testing and advocacy agency in a Western state.This mixed methods study utilized a two-phase research design. The quantitative phase consisted of data analysis of assessment records of twice exceptional students. These data were collected by the community partner and de-identified and shared with the researcher. Quantitative data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and Welch t-tests. For the qualitative phase, participants were recruited through the community partner. Participants engaged in two hour-long interviews to share their perceptions of the experiences of their twice-exceptional child. Qualitative data were analyzed and presented in a narrative format to explore patterns and themes. Data were interpreted through the lens of identity formation, and the conceptual frames of intersectionality, stereotype threat, and self-concept. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

To satisfy the needs of cognitively gifted children, it is important to get a timely perspective on their cognitive capacities. In this study we investigated the early predictors of high cognitive ability. In a longitudinal study among 4,131 children we predicted, based on information collected in kindergarten, which children would score among the top 10% in cognitive abilities in Grade 3. The results showed that, already in kindergarten, cognitively gifted children demonstrated an advanced scholarly development, in particular in the mathematical domain, as documented both by standardized tests and teacher evaluations. Cognitively gifted children also demonstrated more independent participation in class and a stronger task commitment. Second, the study considered which gifted students encountered academic problems throughout their school career. Some early indications of later problems were already observable in kindergarten, in particular in lower scores on math and language tests, in hyperactive or easily distractable behaviour and in student-teacher-conflicts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract) Resumen en idioma originalTijdig een zicht krijgen op kleuters met sterke cognitieve vermogens, kan helpen om de behoeften van deze kinderen beter te beantwoorden. In dit artikel onderzochten we de vroege signalen van cognitieve begaafdheid. In een longitudinale studie bij 4.131 kinderen voorspelden we, op basis van informatie verzameld in de kleuterklas, wie in het derde leerjaar tot de top 10% zou behoren wat betreft cognitieve vaardigheden. Cognitief begaafde kinderen bleken vaak al in de kleuterklas over een ontwikkelingsvoorsprong (vastgesteld met gestandaardiseerde tests en/of een leerkrachtbeoordeling) te beschikken, waarbij vooral een voorsprong op het vlak van rekenen predictief was voor cognitieve begaafdheid. Cognitief begaafde kleuters vertoonden ook een meer onafhankelijke participatie aan het klasgebeuren en een toegewijde werkhouding. Daarnaast bekeken we welke van deze begaafde kinderen doorheen hun schoolloopbaan later problemen ondervonden. Ook deze problemen bleken zich al enigszins in de kleuterklas te manifesteren, met name in lage scores op de reken-en taaltoets, in conflicten met de leerkracht en in hyperactief-afleidbaar gedrag. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

This article introduces the construct of personal talent curation. Personal talent curation is one’s assessment of one’s talents—of one’s strengths and weaknesses—but also the building of an adaptive match in life between those talents and both one’s career pursuits and one’s personal lifestyle. Sometimes, this match means pursuing a lifelong passion, but other times, it means giving up that passion or transforming it into a passion that works in the broader context of the life one seeks for oneself. For example, one may be an exceptionally talented musician, scientist, or artist, but the concomitants of a life building relentlessly on those talents—competition, professional jealousy, and continual critiques—just do not fit the kind of life one wishes to lead. In such cases, it may turn out that what in a profession or in society is viewed as a “failure” or a “derailment” may represent a personal adaptive success. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Comments on an article by Scott J. Peters (see record 2022-20183-002). Peters has made excellent suggestions for how to increase diversity and equitable representation in identification of gifted children. His approach, however, is based on current models of what constitutes “giftedness.” This approach is incomplete and, taken on its own, perhaps suboptimal. I would suggest a complementary approach. We need to start taking seriously the need to identify and nurture the fully transformationally gifted. Nurturing them means presenting gifted children not just with academic problems that have little relevance to the life problems they will need to solve later, but also presenting them with problems that are ecologically valid, such as problems of how to deal with the challenges the world is facing today. It’s nice to excel transactionally; it’s better to excel by making a positive, meaningful, and potentially enduring difference to the world—to make the world a better place. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Comments on an article by Scott J. Peters (see record 2022-20183-002). Peters’ correctly argues that while racism negatively affects students of color, psychometric bias is not the primary cause for racial disparities in gifted identification. However, the conclusion that “the existence of disproportionality does not make gifted services inherently racist,” does not follow. Any system that predictably results in racial disparity is contributing to systemic racism even without test bias. Given the history of racism in gifted education, radical change is needed. Hoping small shifts in identification strategy will lead to any meaningful real change is wishful thinking that is not supported by past efforts. Racism has proven to be so pernicious because it is able to continue despite the good intentions of kind people. The question cannot be, how do we mitigate bias in identification. The burden of proof is on advocates of gifted education to demonstrate how identification supports racial equity. In absence of this demonstration, we need to let go of identification. Instead, gifted education can embrace strategies that address the problems gifted students face, such as appropriate challenge, but address those problems in ways that truly prioritizes centering racial equity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This study described exceptional items in human figure drawings (HFDs) which have been discussed as possible expressions of intellectual giftedness. The aim was to serve as a first step in the development of a screener for HFDs that can be used as part of the identification process of gifted children. We examined the frequency of occurrence of 158 items in HFDs of 206 children aged 4 to 6 years (17 potentially gifted). Fine details and additions to the human figure turned out to be exceptional, especially in drawings of 4-year-olds. Several exceptional items were drawn more frequently or exclusively by potentially gifted children. Descriptively, exceptionality in drawings of potentially gifted children was most visible in HFDs of 4-year-olds, and tended to become less visible with age. Further research with larger samples is required to draw solid conclusions about HFDs of gifted children. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Theoretical and practical work in gifted education has been dominated by mechanistic precision in measurements designed to select students for gifted programs and guide them through their development. Too much faith in mechanistic precision can become a form of dogmatism that obscures very important, less-measurable dimensions of human ability. This interdisciplinary analysis explores this form of dogmatism while illustrating some ways in which it misaligns gifted education with turbulent, complex 21 st-century trends and issues. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

As societies move toward a deeper engagement with humanitarianism and egalitarianism, education systems have increasingly embodied a commitment to principles of inclusion. The field of gifted and talented education (GATE) has reflected these changes in recent discussions around equity, diversity, and inclusive practices. This article aims to re-examine the practices of gifted education and rethink the possibility of generating an egalitarianism-based, GATE-derived inclusive education discourse that can serve as a parallel to the predominant humanitarianism-drive inclusive education movement. Within a discourse of self-actualization, we propose framing “gifted” as a process-based, rather than person-based, construct that applies to all students as they are enabled to transact their gifts and talents through engaging in a “gift-ed” process through honing self-knowledge and learning gifted behaviors. We advocate the use of person-first language, (i.e., students with advanced learning needs/advanced and special learning needs (ALN/ASLN)) that will encourage specific interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Gifts can be individually, dyadically, or collectively chosen and oriented. Society, in its identification of the gifted, has chosen to focus on individual and sometimes dyadic goods. This practice represents a culture of individualism, but it has become solipsistic. We argue that identification instead should focus on those most likely to help to achieve a collective common good—who will bestow on others, gifts that are broadly beneficial especially to those most in need of help. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

The purpose of this study was to explore the primary school teachers’ experiences about teaching gifted students and students with disabilities in the resource room. Thirteen teachers who work with students with disabilities and 11 teachers who work with gifted students participated in this qualitative study. The data were collected using structured interviews and semi-structured focus group interviews and analysed using content analysis. The findings indicated that the advantages and disadvantages of the resource room programmes differed for both groups of students. The teachers of both groups also expressed different advantages and disadvantages of working in the resource rooms for themselves. Some of the problems of the resource room programme were insufficient materials, inadequate facility, and unqualified personnel. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)