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The purpose of this study was to investigate the perspectives of gifted/talented teachers on perceived characteristics of mathematical giftedness and talent, as well as what current instructional strategies are being used with mathematically gifted and talented students in the general education classroom. The following research questions were addressed: (1) What student characteristics do K-12 teachers identify as possible indicators of mathematical giftedness/talent? (2) How are K-12 students identified as being gifted/talented in mathematics? (3) What instructional approaches do K-12 teachers suggest to support the learning of mathematically gifted/talented students? In order to answer these questions, a survey instrument was developed based on an extensive review of the professional literature. The online survey was administered to teachers of gifted/talented students across the United States. Responses from 114 teachers who participated in the survey were analyzed. The quantitative analysis consisted of descriptive and inferential statistics using Chi Square test of independence and Fisher Exact test. Participants’ written comments that accompanied the survey instruments, as well as their responses to open-ended questions, constituted the qualitative piece of the study. These qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. The most significant conclusion of this study is that teachers do often recognize mathematically gifted and talented students within their classrooms and know that differentiation is needed for these students. However, teachers have difficulty providing the best possible instruction for these students because they feel that they face a number of obstacles. The obstacles include large class size, lack of training, lack of help in the classroom, and lack of time to plan. The study reveals that, in the opinion of teachers, little differentiation occurs consistently for gifted and talented students. In order to more effectively meet the needs of gifted and talented students in the general education classroom, survey participants felt that a collaborative effort will be required from administrators and teachers to provide appropriate staff development about differentiated instruction. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

As a society, we seek to have our young people, including the gifted, be healthy and happy, and go to good schools with good teachers. Framed by Sayler’s theoretical model of giftedness and thriving, this study examined psychological constructs (i.e. general self-efficacy, theories of intelligence, hope, gratitude, religiosity, disposition, and resiliency) to determine their mediating effect on personal well-being and academic success in gifted college students. The 213 subjects for this study included gifted college students from two distinct programs at the University of North Texas. One hundred twenty-two participants were students from the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (TAMS). TAMS is an early-college entrance program allowing gifted students to enter college after their sophomore year of high school. Ninety-one participants attended the UNT Honors College. Honors College students are gifted students who enter college after high school graduation. Latent transition, latent class, general linear model repeated measures, and regression analyses were used in the examination of the data. Results of the study revealed that positive disposition and hope-agency were significantly related to the development of personal well-being for gifted students during their first year of college. The ability to identify pathways to goals and the self-theory of intelligence as a fixed trait were significantly related to academic success during the first year at college. Knowledge of psychological constructs that are facilitative of the positive personal well-being and academic achievement helps parents, teachers, administrators, and counselors prepare gifted students for success in college. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Utilizing elements of Lightfoot and Davis’s (1997) portraiture method and life history interviews, this qualitative research study explores the portraits of four Mexican-origin scholarship boys. Two Mexican-origin students and two professors were selected from a snowball sample. A snowball sample consisted of gathering referrals from graduate students and faculty who contacted me through email to comment on their personal identification with the scholarship boy themes discussed in the essay I authored, Lost in Degree: a Chicano PhD Student’s Search for Missing Clothes (2007). I use the term “Mexican-origin” as a concept that identifies the subjects of this study as being of Mexican descent. All of the participants were born and raised in low SES, urban settings in the United States and they are children of Mexican-born parents. Hoggart’s (1957/2006) scholarship boy framework serves as the primary theoretical lens guiding this work. Rodriguez’s (1982) seminal work on this topic, Hunger of Memory, enumerates how this concept may apply to Mexican-origin scholarship boys. This study also utilizes Dubois’s (1903) double consciousness and Anzaldúa’s (1999) mestiza consciousness to analyze the ways in which Mexican-origin scholarship boys used culturally situated constructions of giftedness, “ghetto nerd” (Diaz, 2007) masculinities, and philosophical perspectives related to “home” to pursue academic excellence and cope/challenge the microgressions they experienced in K-12 schooling and higher education. The scholarship boys in this research provide critical information germane to the struggles and strategies used by academically successful Mexican-origin students as they negotiate the experiences related to the contrasting working-class culture of their upbringing and the middle-class culture of academia. While studies often focus on academically low-performing Latino students, this work explores the narratives of working-class Latino students who attained a graduate level education. Moreover, this research complicates clean “victory narratives” by unearthing various aspects of loss and gain inherent to the Mexican-origin scholarship boy trajectory. Findings inform scholarship in the areas of pedagogy, education reform, philosophy of education, education policy, curriculum, and revisionist conceptualizations of giftedness and human development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

The purpose of this case study was to observe the condition of teacher-perceived ability to recognize giftedness in children in one elementary school. Experiences of 16 teachers of Grades 2–5 (the grades served by the gifted education program) were examined by responding to a questionnaire to determine their history with gifted education, definition of giftedness in children, and involvement in the gifted child referral process. Existing data were examined to determine which of the teachers had accurately identified gifted children. The 3 teachers who had accurately identified a gifted child were interviewed. Questionnaire and interview responses were analyzed in the context of Clark’s (2002) Cognitive Function Differentiating Characteristics of Gifted Learners. Results of the study showed that teachers in this school did not receive adequate pre-service or in-service training in recognition of the gifted population. The study revealed that in this elementary school, students who did not meet a teacher’s preconception of the term giftedness went unreferred for gifted testing. The process of selection used by teachers when considering a student for referral was subjective in nature and influenced by classroom observations, other teachers’ opinions, and the teachers’ personal experiences with giftedness outside of classroom practices. Data suggest that confidence and accuracy in referring students were positively influenced by years of teaching experience. Recommendations include the following: that colleges and universities prepare pre-service teachers to identify characteristics of gifted children; that in-service teachers receive professional development in identification of gifted traits in students; and that federal legislation include language that provides for the special needs of gifted students and mandates training for pre-service teachers in meeting the needs of this population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This study explored teachers' prominent perceptions, misconceptions and significant differences among these misconceptions regarding giftedness in early childhood students, ages 3 to 8 through a survey. Teachers were asked 25 questions about the topics of giftedness and gifted young children. A total of 119 teachers completed the survey. First, regarding the findings on teachers' prominent perceptions, the findings indicated that most teachers accurately understood these perceptions: (1) the need for differentiation, (2) advanced verbal skills, (3) standard test bias related to students from diverse backgrounds, (4) family participation in identification and (5) language issues related to teachers' nomination for limited-English proficient (LEP) students. They also accurately understood that gifted students experience frustration, and have problems with motivation. Secondly, regarding the findings on teachers' prominent misconceptions, teachers held uncertain knowledge on these issues: (1) the effectiveness of cooperative learning in heterogeneous groups, (2) a negative effect of academic acceleration, (3) no need for special services, (4) cooperative play style and (5) creative tests for artistically gifted students. Finally, concerning significant differences among teachers' uncertain knowledge or misconceptions, the ANOVA data indicated that family and personal giftedness, educational level, and training in gifted education were significant. However, the types of certifications, years of teaching experience and grade level of teaching were not significant. The post-hoc-Scheffe test indicated that full (or ongoing) training in gifted education was significant. Recommendations emphasized the importance of ongoing professional development in gifted education to dispel their uncertain knowledge, and understand the theory and research based practices. Also, professional development should be provided through collaborative efforts with multiple levels of support in order that educators are encouraged to transfer their accurate perceptions into classroom practices with more attention to diversity among learners. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The purpose of this study was to determine whether classroom teachers are effective at referring African American students to gifted and talent education programs. Recognizing the important role that classroom teachers play in the referral of students to gifted and talented education programs, this replicated study questioned elementary, middle, and high school classroom teachers to determine their perceptions and ideas in reference to what constitutes students’ giftedness. Classroom teachers were asked to respond to two questionnaires to define their general and specific perceptions of giftedness and to determine whether their perceptions of African American students’ giftedness were dissimilar to those of giftedness among other ethnic groups. Thraikill (1999) developed a two-part survey that the researcher used to collect data. Forms A and B were slightly revised to examine the extent of 169 teachers’ general and specific perceptions of giftedness in reference to African American students. Among the chosen four traits that the classroom teachers most often selected as indicating either general or specific giftedness in reference to African American students were thinking “outside of the box,” followed by advanced logic and problem-solving ability. Classroom teachers’ years of experience and grade level taught did not considerably affect the teachers’ perceptions of important traits. Results showed that classroom teachers referred African American students at an efficiency rate of 51% compared to White students. In addition, the African American students passed at a lower rate than their White counterparts. A difference also existed in the number of girls and boys who passed the gifted screening. Boys were referred and passed the screening more often than girls. Classroom teachers’ general perception of giftedness of African American students is fairly consistent in their rating of the 20 possible traits. Results showed that the classroom teacher could be a primary referral agent; nevertheless, without proper training and consistency African American students can still be under indentified. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Adolescents' (N = 272) psychological changes were examined at a residential academy for gifted junior and senior high school students in the Midwest. The School-Based Conception of Giftedness (Coleman & Cross, 2005) was drawn on to understand how school environment influences student development. Quantitative and qualitative research methods were used to inform the study. Outcome measurement data from the Youth Outcome Questionnaire Self-Report 2.0 (YOQ-SR) tracked students' level of psychological distress over the course of an academic year. Using Latent Growth Curve Model (LGM) analysis, the initial level of distress did not impact how students' stress levels changed over time. The results indicated a strong negative correlation (r =-.884) between the slope and quadratic change; meaning, the more a students' level of stress increased the more rapidly they were able to reduce it over time. Overall, the change in stress formed an inverted-U shape, as students adapted to the challenges of the school. Phenomenological interviews were conducted with 9 senior students with a wide range of YOQ-SR scores at the beginning of their junior year. Four categories emerged from the interviews about student experiences at the academy: Psychological Changes, Academic Adjustment, Social Adjustment and Social Comparison. In essence, when participating in the academy, students experienced advanced personal development, improved management skills and developed a sense of readiness for college. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This study examined perceptions of administrators and kindergarten teachers regarding kindergarten giftedness. The study looked at whether administrators and teachers believe kindergarten students can be gifted; whether their schools and districts have policies in place to identify those students; and whether they are required to vary the curriculum for these students. All elementary-school administrators and kindergarten teachers in North Carolina were invited to participate in the study. The survey respondents consisted of 127 administrators and 260 kindergarten teachers. The data concluded that although 98% of respondents believe kindergarten students can be gifted, almost 70% of their schools and districts do not currently have a process in place to identify those students. The results also indicated that the majority of kindergarten teachers and administrators agreed that identification of giftedness in kindergarten is not detrimental to a student's future development. Further results showed no relationship between classroom practices of teachers required to alter the curriculum for students perceived as gifted and those who were not required to alter it. In addition, the research identified the practices of teachers who believe that kindergarten students can be gifted. The resulting implications and recommendations are also included. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The underrepresentation of minority and low socioeconomic students has been an issue in gifted education for many years. Barriers related to poverty, cultural differences, linguistic differences, and deficit orientation in school systems are just a few possible causes of underrepresentation. This study examined the effects of a talent development program on the number of students qualifying for the gifted program as well as the effect the talent program had on motivation of participants. Additionally, this study considered the effect that teacher attitude had on gifted referral rates for students after professional development sessions on gifted characteristics. The talent development experience benefited regular classroom teachers in understanding how to recognize potential giftedness in students from diverse backgrounds. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Project LOGgED ON was a project supported by the U.S. Department of Education that maintained two initiatives, a.) to provide online case based professional development for teachers in gifted education, b.) to provide online advanced science curriculum for underserved gifted students. For the purposes of this study, the author will examine the data provided from the professional development component. The project has worked with 554 regular classroom teachers in both urban and rural locations. This paper will examine self-reported outcomes in the online case based professional development courses, similarities across and differences between participants who completed courses and those participants who dropped out of a course and participant satisfaction with the online course sequence. The researcher examines both survey data from Completers and Non-completers and qualitative data provided by the archived discussion forums and email conversations. The research addresses the success of the courses in increasing teacher knowledge about gifted education and the degree to which teacher perceptions of giftedness reflected a broadened conception of giftedness and appropriate means of addressing gifted students' needs. The results indicate online professional development in gifted education is a viable option for reaching classroom teachers in order to increase their knowledge of gifted, broaden their perceptions of gifted, and increase their classroom inclusion of best practices in gifted education. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Within the gifted community, the common wisdom is that one must find a therapist who understands the intrapersonal, social, and cultural experiences of being highly intelligent. Without this understanding, informal reports suggest that miscarriages of the therapeutic working alliance may be frequent, and that clients may avoid or leave therapy as a result. However, few therapists or researchers acknowledge intelligence as a dimension of human difference which could be relevant to therapy, or how their own relational selves might be affected by the prospect of doing this work. The specialist literature in the field of giftedness rarely includes consideration of mainstream psychological theories. Thus, little is widely known about how to effectively engage these clients, and there are few opportunities for therapists to recognize when they are making mistakes or to develop competence with this group. This study used a consensual qualitative research model (Hill, Thompson, & Nutt-Williams, 1997), in an attempt to connect these two areas of the literature. Individuals who self-identify as gifted and who have previously been clients in individual or family therapy were asked to describe their felt experiences of the alliance, helpful or unhelpful therapist behaviors, and how the course of therapy may have been affected. The responses were analyzed thematically and interpreted through the lenses of the specific literature on giftedness and mainstream psychological theories. Respondents in this study described their intelligence as having pervasive effects on their lives, the material they wished to explore in therapy, and the therapeutic relationship itself. Substantial connections to the theoretical literature on trauma and object relations were considered in relational context. Additionally, the data permitted some exploration of the general question of whether some differences between therapist and client may be too great to bridge. Finally, a set of provisional clinical guidelines for working with gifted clients was developed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)