Su búsqueda

This qualitative research study sought to understand how Latino parents use parental academic socialization (Hill & Tyson, 2009) and consejos (Delgado-Gaitán, 1994; Alfaro et al., 2014) as forms of home-based parental involvement to converse about education. A phenomenology approach was used to research and analyze data to describe the lived experiences of Latino parents raising academically gifted children middle schoolers while engaging in academic discourse. This study used semi-structured interviews with sixteen Latino participants who were US-born (n = 7) and Mexico-born (n = 9) from a large urban school district in a Midwestern city. The following major themes emerged: 1) parental academic socialization, 2) consejos, and 3) other educational messages. As it pertains to Theme 1, results showed Latino parents instill values, expect their gifted child to study for college, explore high schools and careers, teach responsibility and self-advocacy, and desire for a professional career. In regards to Theme 2, results indicated that Latino parents discuss better opportunities in the US, adolescent witness their parents' adversities, and instill a positive mindset to "do your best" or echarle ganas through the use of storytelling. Theme 3 showed that parents discussed supporting their child and have concerns about friends, physical safety, and their social-emotional challenges related to giftedness. This study contributes new information about how Latino parents utilize parental academic socialization and consejos to convey the importance of education and support their child's academic trajectories through developmental and educational perspectives. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 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)

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

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

In this dissertation, I sought to understand foster parents' perceptions of giftedness, how foster children's strengths, gifts, and talents affect their experiences and those of their foster parents, and what resources and information foster parents have for supporting their foster children's education and gifts. To understand these beliefs, I analyzed quantitative and qualitative survey data from 53 foster parents throughout the United States and analyzed interviews from 14 of those foster parents. Most foster parents surveyed perceived their foster children as a little or very different academically and in other ways than their peers not in foster care, and perceived they had different educational experiences than their peers, largely attributed to their lived experiences prior to entering and during foster care. Most participants felt their foster children's abilities, strengths, and talents affected foster parents a little or very much. Interviewed and surveyed foster parents defined giftedness as including the following attributes: academic achievement, natural ability or innate talent, intelligence, domain-specific capabilities, performance or skills above average for their age or above their peers, unique approaches to learning, and motivation for learning. Interviewees also addressed non-academic forms of giftedness, socioemotional characteristics of children with gifts and talents, and noted that these students may have some difficulties in school. Foster parents explained the adaptations they have made to their parenting because of their foster children's strengths, talents, and abilities, and highlighted the unique life experiences of foster children, which were not only hinderances but also could help them succeed academically and in life. Participants also expressed why they think foster children are not identified for gifted education programming. Foster parents had many needs related to their foster children's education and strengths, talents, and abilities. They made recommendations to those who train new foster parents and provide ongoing training to current foster parents; to schools and teachers of foster children; and to new foster parents about how to best meet the needs of foster children and encourage their gifts and talents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)