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The issue of biases associated with labeling students as gifted or as having a disability presents a significant challenge to educational professionals with regard to identification and the provision of services. In the presence of labels indicating giftedness, disability, and twice exceptionality, research consistently demonstrated biases on the part of parents, teachers, and even other students. These biases could prevent students from receiving the services they need to achieve their fullest potential (Bianco & Leech, 2010). The current study systematically replicated a study by Bianco and Leech (2010) and examined the influence of disability labels on teachers' decisions to refer students to gifted programming. Further, this study investigated whether there were any differences in teachers' responses based on the type of teaching certificate they held (i.e., gifted education, special education, general education). Three groups of in-service teachers (85 general, 59 special, and 43 gifted education teachers) from the Western region of Saudi Arabia participated in the study. A cross-sectional survey methodology was employed. Teachers were randomly assigned to one of three survey conditions that consisted of a vignette that described a student with both giftedness and high potential traits, differing only with respect to one of three labeling conditions (no label, learning disability [LD], autism spectrum disorder [ASD]).Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the influence of teacher type and the labeling condition on the teachers' ratings. Responses to an open-ended question that asked teachers to provide a reason for their referral decisions were analyzed qualitatively. The quantitative analysis showed neither teacher type nor the presence or absence of a disability label had a significant influence on the overall ratings, which was in sharp contrast to Bianco and Leech's (2010) results. The interaction of the two variables was also nonsignificant. Most of the participants (94%) chose to agree or strongly agree with a referral. However, of the few nonreferrals, most were for students with ASD. Three themes emerged from the qualitative analysis of the teachers' rationales including (a) the student shows gifted traits, (b) the student's skills could be cultivated with support, and (c) the student does not fit the definition for giftedness.Findings from this study provided insights into the issues of labeling students and the status of twice-exceptionality in Saudi Arabia. The results indicated limited, negative bias among different types of teachers with respect to students with disabilities. Also, the participants in this study showed a strong orientation toward supporting the growth and development of the student in all three vignette conditions. However, it remained clear that Saudi Arabia would still greatly benefit from establishing a clear policy on twiceexceptionality and providing training programs to educators with respect to defining, identifying, and educating students with giftedness and disabilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This exploratory sequential mixed methods study aimed to investigate the potential connection between districts' GT programs' policies and practices and the representation of Blacks, Hispanics, and English Language Learners (ELLs) in those programs. This study included a review of the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted and Talented Students operationalized in 79 school districts by analyzing their gifted and talented policies. Specifically, districts' definitions of giftedness, identification criteria, and the areas of giftedness they recognize were retrieved and used to classify school districts into specific categories. Additionally, the researcher analyzed whether districts had any strategic goal or plan in place to address the historical underrepresentation of Blacks, Hispanics, and ELLs in GT programs and services. The data collected comprised of printed and electronic copies of publicly released information made available on school districts' website pertaining to gifted and talented programs and services. Moreover, the information presented in districts' improvement plans was also analyzed. To assess the impact of districts' GT polices on the representation of Blacks, Hispanics, and ELLs, the researcher obtained demographic data for the selected school districts' gifted and talented programs from the Texas Education Agency. The average representation of Black, ELL, and Hispanic students enrolled in GT programs for each category was calculated, compared, and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS. Particularly, the researcher conducted multiple one-way-ANOVA analyses using SPSS version 25 to assess the size of variance between group means (Kim, 2014). The results of the study demonstrated that districts' definitions of gifted and talented as well as the areas of exceptionality they recognized did affect the representation of Blacks, Hispanics, and ELLs in GT programs. Specifically, districts that acknowledged broader conceptions of giftedness characterized by multiple intelligence reported a larger representation of those students in their gifted and talented programs. For school districts' administrators and directors, these findings may provide information regarding how the gifted and talented definitions and the areas of giftedness used by school districts affect the representation of Blacks, Hispanics, and ELLs in gifted and talented programs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The purpose of this study was to examine general early childhood educator knowledge and perceptions of curricula relevant for early childhood gifted students of color. The research questions that guided the study were the following: How does preschool through second grade curricula support or impede academic success for gifted students of color? How does preschool through second grade curricula support or impede social emotional learning for gifted students of color? What are the perspectives of educators regarding inclusive practices including Critical Race Theory, within a preschool through second grade gifted curricula?In reviewing the literature and national data concerning representation of identified gifted students of color; two aspects were apparent: the lack of general early childhood educator's voices explaining what he or she understands about gifted students of color and the lack of culturally responsive pedagogical professional learning opportunities for general early childhood educators. The relevant literature focused on areas in recognizing general early childhood educator knowledge and perceptions of giftedness and students of color. The theoretical frameworks were Critical Race Theory (Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995) and GiftedCrit™ (Greene, 2017).A Qualitative Educational Criticism guided this study (Eisner, 2017; Creswell, 2018). This research design was chosen to analyze curriculum practices used in general early childhood educator classrooms and aid in the construction of data collection procedures (Eisner, 2017; Creswell, 2018). Within the study, qualitative research aimed to recognize whether general early childhood educators were knowledgeable about gifted students of color and provided instructional practices that fostered access and opportunity (Creswell, 2018).Upon data collection and analysis of the data, using an interview protocol and a classroom environment observation protocol, emerging themes arose. Using Eisner's (2017) four dimensions, the collected data was described, interpreted, and evaluated for emerging themes. The emerging themes found were further analyzed to understand general early childhood educator's knowledge regarding giftedness and students of color. The evaluation process included a comparison to The Culturally Relevant Early Childhood Gifted Curriculum and Instruction Guide (Peralta, 2020). Findings included discrepancies among general early childhood educator knowledge regarding students of color, giftedness, access to gifted services, social and emotional awareness, and early childhood curriculum and instruction. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

This ethnographic study seeks to understand elementary-age boys', teachers', and parents' perceptions of giftedness and gendered ability construction. Utilizing the theoretical lens of Herbert Marsh's Frame of Reference theory, this study illuminates how young gifted boys developed academic and social self-perceptions influenced by gender and ability practices. It also explores how teachers and parents perceived giftedness, gifted boys, and their pedagogical and parental experiences. A review of literature explores young boys', teachers', and parent's perspectives on gender and ability, gender construction and the roles gender play in creating stereotypes, and the socially constructed notions of giftedness and its relation to gendered differences. Implementing ethnographic analytic methods, the findings discuss three central themes: conceptualizations of giftedness, the perceptions of gifted boys in classroom spaces, and the complexities of curriculum and instructional design for gifted learners. These findings led to conclusions and implications for educators that included exploring constructions of giftedness with children, understanding how schools influence self-concept formation, recognizing intersections of gender and ability, opening spaces for students' voices to be heard, and pursuing inclusive curriculum design. Further, the study irradiates how gifted and elementary education scholars can center the voices and perspectives of students in scholarship and practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Children who are gifted are at-risk for being misidentified with emotional and behavioral disorders (Daniels & Piechowski, 2009; Mullet & Rinn, 2015; Webb, 2016). Challenges exist in conclusively defining giftedness, assessing giftedness, and understanding common behavioral patterns among gifted individuals (Bracken & Brown, 2006; McClain & Pfeiffer, 2012). Because gifted children typically exhibit common behavioral patterns, it is important for school psychologists to understand gifted behavioral characteristics, how to assess these characteristics, and how to differentiate between common gifted behavior and maladaptive behavior (Daniels & Piechowski, 2009; Webb, 2016). This study examined the value of the BASC-3 in identifying gifted behavioral characteristics. Assessment data was collected on gifted children and results did not show at-risk or clinically significant T-scores on the BASC-3 scales. The study limitations, strengths, and directions for future research are presented. Implications for school psychologists are provided for improving gifted identification and better understanding gifted behavioral characteristics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

The importance of developing the cognitive and affective needs of gifted students to help meet their academic needs as well as support them in achieving to their full potential has been well-established by past research. It is also confirmed by the literature that gifted and talented students have unique social-emotional needs and that the school environment plays an essential role in meeting gifted students' needs. To better serve gifted students, schools must ensure that general education teachers are knowledgeable and supportive of the distinct cognitive and affective development of these students in conjunction with their academic needs. Different factors influence the way teachers interact with gifted students, which include their attitudes and perceptions of giftedness and gifted education. It is necessary for researchers and other stakeholders to acquire a deep understanding of the attitudes and perceptions of general education teachers toward giftedness and gifted education as such an understating can aid policymakers, administrators, and education professionals in helping these teachers to create the appropriate learning environment to support these children. While these concepts have been examined in the Western context, their exploration has been limited in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the attitudes of Saudi elementary school general education teachers toward gifted students and gifted education, as well as their perceptions of giftedness. The study sample comprised 141 teachers who completed a cross-sectional online questionnaire that also included four open-ended questions to assess their attitudes and perceptions. The results of this study found that the participants indicated positive attitudes toward supporting the needs of gifted students and toward providing special services to gifted students. However, the participants were found to be uncertain about some of the special services (e.g., acceleration) that the literature states can be useful in supporting gifted students and about challenges gifted students might face (e.g., rejection by others). While most of the participants exhibited some lack of awareness regarding the unique affective needs of the gifted, they did indicate some understanding of giftedness as a multifaceted construct and of certain positive social and emotional characteristics of gifted students. The study's results suggest that more training in gifted education is required for general education teachers in Saudi Arabia, not only regarding basic information about gifted education and curricula, but also on how to meet both the academic and affective needs of these students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This study examined the existence of implicit racial bias among public school teachers within the gifted referral process. Public school teachers from urban, suburban, and rural school districts surrounding a large northeastern city were be provided vignettes of gifted students demonstrating "typical" and "hidden" giftedness. The names and races of students within the vignettes were randomized to represent either a White male student or a Black male student. Univariate and multivariate analyses were utilized to determine the existence of significant differences in perceptions of giftedness and need for referral among teachers. In contrast to the hypotheses of the study, vignettes describing Black "typically" gifted students were rated as significantly higher than White "typically" gifted students. Black students also did not experience a significant decrease in ratings of giftedness and need for referral when described as "hidden" gifted. Lastly, results demonstrated a significant interaction where White students experienced a significant increase in both ratings of giftedness and need for referral when described as showing signs of "hidden" giftedness compared to their White "typically" gifted counterparts. Further discussion of these results along with imitations and considerations, most importantly the presence of social desirability bias, can be found at the end of this work. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

This dissertation examines how autobiographical narratives by/for persons with mental illness draw from set of cultural clichés (topoi) I call "Mad Genius" rhetoric. As popular as it is controversial, Mad Genius rhetoric imagines an age-old link between "madness," or apparently problematic mental states, and extraordinary gifts of creativity, intelligence, and other talents. I ask: How is Mad Genius rhetoric taken up by real mentally ill people, especially women, in self-referential texts? What conditions encourage authors to construct Mad Genius personae in life writing, and what rhetorical purpose do such personae serve? Examining these questions through a lens of mental health rhetoric, I build case studies grounded in four highly influential mental illness memoirs: Susanna Kaysen's Girl, Interrupted, Kay Redfield Jamison's An Unquiet Mind, Nana-Ama Danquah's Willow Weep for Me, and Elizabeth Wurtzel's Prozac Nation. I argue each author's narration enacts a Mad Genius persona at the nexus of her severe psychic pain and her personal gifts, explicating both how she draws on Mad Genius topoi in her writing and the contextual factors that apparently encourage her to do so. Specifically, my studies explore four discrete Mad Genius topoi: 1) the Tortured Artist, which posits that genius leads to madness; 2) the Brainiac, which posits that madness confers genius; 3) the Survivor, in which madness and genius are thought to share a common source in external trauma; 4) the Ex-Gifted Kid, in which madness/genius are thought to be innate and inextricably intertwined. As a preface to my case studies, each chapter also analyzes Mad Genius rhetoric in some contemporary pop culture archive, emphasizing both the enduring popularity of these four topoi and the centrality of auto/biographical narratives in their widespread circulation. Notions of personal specialness do seem to carry mentally ill authors through acute crises, but my readings reveal the rhetorical functions of Mad Genius, demystifying its enduring popularity amid broader cultural stigmas against mental illness. Reading these popular books as individualized responses to systemic rhetorical exclusion, I conclude that Mad Genius topoi are evidently effective, yet ultimately unsustainable frameworks through which to cope with severe psychic pain. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

The focus of this research study was to explore barriers, if any, faced by parents or legal guardians who are of Latinx background and speak Spanish as a primary language or are bilingual speakers of Spanish and English; barriers that limit their understanding of, and involvement in, their gifted child's academic life. This study was guided by a qualitative, case study design. The primary investigator hosted focus group interviews at a Magnet middle school in Southern California. The groups consisted of 25 parents or legal guardians of bilingual (English/Spanish) or Former English Learner students enrolled in a school serving 6th-8th grades. The primary investigator interviewed Latinx Spanish-speaking parents or legal guardians of gifted students regarding their perception of their child's giftedness, parental involvement in schools, and fostering their child's exceptional abilities. Parents and legal guardians described children as creative, intellectual, and highly intelligent. Key themes such as Student Performance, Language Proficiency, Socio-Emotional, and General Intellectual Ability were strong indicators of giftedness. Barriers such as language and education inhibited parent and legal guardian ability to understand their child's giftedness, which resulted in their inability to adequately contribute to the development of their children's talents and advocate for the appropriate services for their children. However, they recognized the importance of being involved in their child's academic life and the importance of nurturing their "dón" or "gift." La Familia is the foundation and core of Latinx culture; and, without a strong foundation, children lack guidance, confidence, and awareness to tap into their gifted abilities. Providing Latinx parents with the proper tools and resources to appropriately identify gifted characteristics andtraits could lead to early identification and intervention for students in schools and home. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The field of gifted education is consistently divided on how to best serve the 5-10% of students who demonstrate natural abilities above that of their same-age peers in an educational environment. A lack of direction, funding, and resources combined with contradicting research has left school districts in the U.S. struggling to identify the best method to serve gifted students to meet their academic, social, and emotional needs. Defining giftedness through the talent development models of the DMGT by Gagné (2000) and the megamodel of talent development by Subotnik et al. (2011) explain that students are born with innate gifts that need to be fostered and supported in order to move them towards talent or eminence. Combining that with Bandura's (1977) concepts of the social cognitive theory and self-efficacy, educators are left to discover ways to create a supportive environment, provide psychosocial coaching on intrapersonal skills, and cultivate the formation of a positive self-efficacy for gifted students to reach their potential. This illustrative case study focused on using social and emotional learning competencies within a gifted, self-contained elementary classroom to evaluate the effectiveness of meeting these goals. This study discovered that implementing social and emotional learning lessons, sharing circles, and reflection journals led to positive gains in the social and emotional learning competencies, possibly moving students towards talent or eminence. Other findings discovered that the social and emotional competencies are best taught as interwoven and scaffolded skills and that students benefit from taking part in the planning and delivering of lessons and discussions throughout social and emotional learning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

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)