Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
This is a repository of information included in the now retired, online course. The content is provided freely for information/education.
Please access the welcome video:
[Running time: 2:49] Video transcript: Welcome.pdf
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
That's the formal part out of the way!
Please do not hesitate to make contact with me directly if you have any questions about any of the material. I can be contacted at jasneath.education@outlook.com, via the 'contact us' link on the website www.jasneatheducation.com, or on Facebook at https://fb.me/JasneathEducation
Thank you for joining the Jasneath Education community!
Giftedness is not a phenomenon that is unique to children. It's not something a person outgrows as they age. The issues relating to giftedness are just as relevant for students at university, people at work, or engaging in any other facet of life.
Giftedness may become evident in very young children, or not be suspected until they're of school age. Much of the academic literature, and indeed the focus of most discussion on giftedness is around supporting children as they learn, however Munro (2019) highlights the relevance of learning when he says:
"People learn by converting information to knowledge. They may then elaborate, restructure or reorganise it in various ways. Giftedness is the capacity to learn in more advanced ways.
First, these students learn faster. In a given period they learn more than their regular learning peers. They form a more elaborate and differentiated knowledge of a topic. This helps them interpret more information at a time.
Second, these students are more likely to draw conclusions from evidence and reasoning rather than from explicit statements. They stimulate parts of their knowledge that were not mentioned in the information presented to them and add these inferences to their understanding."
Emeritus Professor Miraca Gross (2004, p. 2), in the seminal professional learning package for teachers stated:
"Identifying a student as gifted doesn't mean she is of greater worth than other students...Identifying a student as having learning characteristics that are signficantly different from those of the majority of her classmates isn't an issue of worth at all; it's an issue of need. Gifted students have different learning needs from most of their classmates, and as teachers we have to respond to these needs. Helping these students isn't a 'bonus' or an optional extra; it's a professional obligation."
This is true irrespective of your role in a gifted person's life. You may indeed be their teacher; or their parent, grandparent, doctor, and so on...but no matter what your role, it's vital that you equip yourself with as much knowledge as possible... Which is why you are here!
As with all people, those who are gifted are each unique. No two people will be the same, nor have identical learning needs. Davis, Rimm & Siegle (2011, p. 32) articulate this beautifully when they say that the gifted:
"differ from one another not only in size, shape, and color, but also in cognitive and language abilities; interests; learning styles; motivation and energy levels; personalities; mental health and self-concepts; habits and behavior; back-ground and experience; and any other mental, physical, or experiential characteristic that one cares to look for. They differ also in their patterns of educational needs."
I think it's also fair to say that academics who are researching, writing, and teaching within the world of gifted education also differ considerably from each other, and therefore bring varying, yet equally valid, viewpoints into academic discourse. There is evidence of these different perspectives when we examine 'definitions' and 'characteristics' of the gifted.
Definitions
When we consider the definitions that are used within this field, it's important to remember several things:
Let's begin with thinking about the two most common terms in this discipline: 'gifted' and 'talented'. These words are usually used in a normative sense, that is, when compared to other people of the same age.
For example, in Australia, 'gifted' is generally considered to refer to the top 10% of people in a learning domain when compared to other people of the same, or similar, chronological age. This understanding comes from Gagné's (2012, 2013) Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT) which is referenced within the Australian Curriculum documentation. Gagné also explains that 'talented' refers (in the DMGT) to the developed gift, once a level of mastery has been achieved. This Model, along with others, will be explored in Module 2.
Another useful term is 'asynchronous development'. Linda Silverman (1997, p. 39) tells us that:
"Asynchronous literally means out-of-sync...The unevenness of the development of the gifted has been documented by many researchers...The clearest example of this unevenness is the rate at which mental development outstrips physical development."
To understand more deeply about the phenomenon of asynchronous development, please take a few minutes to read this post titled 'Many Ages at Once' by Lisa Rivero.
Another term you may encounter is 'twice exceptional'. This is where a gifted person may have some other kind of neurodiversity as well as their giftedness, for example giftedness and dyslexia, or giftedness and an autism spectrum disorder.
Two terms that are used often within an educational setting are 'acceleration' and 'enrichment'.
Davis, Rimm & Siegle (2011, p. 129) provide an excellent definition of acceleration:
"Acceleration implies moving faster through academic content, which typically includes offering standard curriculum to students at a younger-than usual age. Enrichment refers to richer and more varied educational experiences, a curriculum that is modified to provide a greater depth and breadth than is generally provided. Both acceleration and enrichment accommodate the high abilities and individual needs of gifted students, both lead to greater knowledge and skills, and both help develop creativity and other thinking skills."
The Austalian Association for the Education of the Gifted (AAEGT) provide an excellent information sheet for parents and care-givers that is accessible through their website.
Put simply, acceleration is often considered a 'vertical' movement, whereas enrichment is viewed as 'horizontal'...and of course, both are effective strategies and are appropriate depending on the learning needs of the gifted person. Both strategies may be used as a subject-based intervention, or more broadly.
For example, a gifted learner who has a particularly strong ability in say, mathematics, may be accelerated into a higher grade grouping for that particular subject, but undertake the remainder of their learning with their chronological aged peers. A gifted musician who attends concert band practice is undertaking an enrichment activity.
According to Wu (2013) acceleration is not commonly utilised in North American schools. Please take a few minutes to read more deeply on Wu's thoughts regarding both acceleration and enrichment.
There are a variety of situations in Australia, these vary largely due to policy differences between specific states or territories. A very interesting perspective from New Zealand is provided by Jude Barback who highlights the importance of understanding the cultural influences on provision for gifted learners.
Parents, care-givers, educators, and the wider community have a responsibility to support children and young people as they strive for their personal best. It is essential to support the development of the whole person, including their social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development.
The Amercian National Association for Gifted Children (NAGT) provide a very useful glossary of terms. For anyone interested in additional terminology, the list is available from their website.
The terms introduced in this section will be useful if you are discussing the learning needs of a gifted student. It always helps to have a shared language and understanding.
The Roeper School is a specialist school for gifted students in the United States. This short video is an introduction to some of the characteristics that they see in their work with gifted students.
[Running time: 2:56] Video transcript: Roeper School - What is giftedness_transcript.pdf
The Roeper School also provides a list of some of the behavioural characteristics of gifted students. The list of behavioral identifiers is available from their website
Esteemed Gifted Education academics, Maureen Neihart and George Betts first developed and published the Profiles of the Gifted in 1988, however further research has lead to two revised versions.
The following video is presented by Dr Maureen Neihart. This was recorded at a conference in the Netherlands in November 2014 and addresses the first revision of the Profiles. Please note however, that this presentation is aimed at teachers and educators, but has relevance for everyone [Running time: 57:01].
[Running time: 57:01] Video transcript: Neihart transcript.pdf
Some of the key points from the video:
Betts and Neihart (2017) have made available their most recent iteration of the profiles, an overview of which they make available through access to a slide presentation, which you can download here: Betts & Neihart 2017 profiles of gifted, talented, creative learners.pdf
In the 'Definitions' section of this module, I introduced the work of Davis, Rimm and Siegle who also provide a list of 'characteristics' of giftedness (2011, pp. 33-34). They present their list as 'positive' or 'negative' characteristics and is provided here for you: Davis et al (2011) Characteristics list.pdf
In order to improve our understanding of giftedness, it's important to also recognise some of the myths and misunderstandings that are frequently perpetuated. We're going to take a few minutes (8 actually) to watch a YouTube clip that highlights some of the common myths around academic giftedness.
This is probably the most common area of giftedness that most people are aware of, as the evidence of academic giftedness may often be seen within the school environment and in workplaces - although, as I mentioned in the introduction, there's no 'one size fits all', so there's always exceptions to these assumptions. [Running time: 8:11]
[Running time: 8:11] Video Transcript: Mythbusters transcript.pdf
Using the information from the video 'Top ten myths in gifted education', complete the crossword (Linked here).
One of the principal motivators for designing this suite of courses on Understanding Giftedness is that finding accurate, informed, and accessible information can be a challenge.
In this section I bring together a number of web-based sources that I hope you will find useful. There is of course a caveat on these. As I mentioned in the outset, every gifted person is unique and there is no 'one size that fits all', so please ensure you access the following information and be selective about what is most relevant for your personal situation. This is not an exhaustive list.
Also, Jasneath Education is in no way affiliated with any of these organisations, but in the interests of transparency Dr Amanda does volunteer her time with the Tasmanian Association for the Gifted (TAG) in Australia. TAG is an affiliate of the AAEGT.
Organisations
In Australia, the Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted & Talented (AAEGT) is an affiliated organisation with representation from the states and territories. Contact details for the support groups in each state and territory are also supplied. The website provides freely available information as well as a member's section.
New Zealand has an equivalent national body, the NZAGC. Again, there is a considerable amount of information freely available on the site.
In the United States, the prominent organisation is the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) where this is again substantial amounts of information provided. The NAGC provide a variety of resources, one of which is included below:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=410276033181521
[Running time: 8:07] (Note: there is currently no transcript available for this video)
In 2013 The National Association for Children in the United Kingdom changed its name to Potential Plus. As with the other sites listed here, there is a wealth of information freely available. They target their support provision to families, schools, and children.
Information and support is provided in Ireland via the Gifted Kids site, and in Scotland through SNAP, the Scottish Network for Able Pupils that runs from the University of Glasgow.
The Association for Bright Children (ABC) of Ontario provide support mechanisms and information in eastern Canada while the Gifted Children's Association of BC provides services and information in British Columbia in the West.
If you know of other similar organisations in other parts of the world, please let me know (jasneath.education@outlook.com) so they can be added to the list.
Another source of great information is your peers! As you are now officially members of the Jasneath Education Community, you are welcome to share thoughts, experiences, and ask questions within our Community. You can access this through this link. This is a moderated Community, where you can ask questions of Dr Amanda or seek thoughts/experiences from other Community members, just please ensure that all questions, comments and responses are polite and respectful.
There is also an external Facebook page that you are invited to participate in - just search for Jasneath Education or follow this link (just remember that to partipate via Facebook, you will need a current facebook account).
Looking back over this module
Now that we approach the end of this first module, let's take a look back at the key learnings we've covered. We:
In the next module we are going to consider education policies and statements, and how these may impact on the education of gifted people. We'll also look at several models of giftedness on which the policies are based.
References
Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted. (2021). Acceleration: Information sheet for parents. Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted,. https://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/resources/glossary-terms
Barback, J. (2013). Enrichment or acceleration or both? How to best provide for gifted students. Education Review. https://educationcentral.co.nz/
enrichment-or-acceleration-or-both-how-to-best-provide-for-gifted-students-2/
Betts, G., T., & Neihart, M. (2017). Profiles of gifted, talented, creative learners. https://uncw.edu/ed/aig/documents/2017/profiles%20of%20the%20 gifted%20talented%20and%20creative.pdf
Davis, G. A., Rimm, S. B., & Siegle, D. (2011). Education of the gifted and talented (6th ed.). Pearson International.
Gagné, F. (2012). Building gifts into talents: Brief overview of the DMGT 2.0. https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/b64a15_d990e509038044d6a59b648bb9e2c472.pdf
Gagné, F. (2013). The DMGT: Changes within, beneath, and beyond. Talent Development & Excellence, 5(1), 5-19.
Gifted and Talented Association of Montgomery County. (2010, Feb 24). Top ten myths in gifted education [Video file]. https://youtu.be/MDJst-y_ptI
Gross, M. U. M. (2004). Gifted and talented education: Professional development package for teachers. Module 1 - Early Childhood. Sydney, Australia: Department of Education, Science and Training; Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre (GERRIC), The University of New South Wales (UNSW)
Gross, M. U. M. (2005). Gifted and talented education: Professional development for teachers: Extension, module 1. Sydney, Australia: Australian Government. Retrieved from https://docs.education.gov.au/system /files/doc/pdf/extension_mod1_ec.pdf.
Informatiepunt Onderwijs & Talentontwikkeling. (2015). Maureen Neihart - Revised profiles of the gifted: A research based approach. https://youtu.be/1WH8681781E
Munro, J. (2019). How to identify, understand and teach gifted children. https://theconversation.com/how-to-identify-understand-and-teach-gifted-children-107718
Mursky, C. (2011). Curriculum Compacting Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction,. Retrieved 15 December from https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/cal/pdf/curriculum-compacting.pdf
National Association for Gifted Children. (2021). Glossary of terms. National Association for Gifted Children. https://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/resources/glossary-terms
National Association for Gifted Children. (2019). NAGC CornerChat: Parent Tips and more [Video file]. https://youtu.be/MDJst-y_ptI
National Association for Gifted Children. (2021). Glossary of terms. National Association for Gifted Children. https://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/resources/glossary-terms
Rivero, L. (2012). Many ages at once: The science behind the asynchronous development of gifted children. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/creative-synthesis/201201/many-ages-once
Silverman, L. K. (1997). The construct of asynchronous development. Peabody Journal of Education, 72(3), 36-58.
The Roeper School. (2021). What does it mean to be gifted? https://www.roeper.org/ admissions/identifying-giftedness
The University of Melbourne. (2012, Feb 13). Visions: Gifted Children [Video file].
Wu, E. H. (2013). Enrichment and Acceleration: Best practice for the gifted and talented. Gifted Education Press Quarterly, 27(2), 2-8. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311831051_ Enrichment_and_Acceleration_Best_Practice_for_the_Gifted_and_Talented
The following topics will be covered in this module:
Within the Understanding Giftedness courses we are considering gifted learners of all ages; giftedness is not something that a person 'grows out of', however thinking about the goals that shape the formal education system is a great place to start, and will also provide you with a good understanding of shared terminology, as well as the policy mechanisms that drive education, and more specifically, gifted education.
Here in Australia, the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration (Council of Australian Governments Education Council, 2019, p. 4) provides two broad goals that underpin the philosophy of learning for Australian young people.
Goal 1: The Australian education system promotes excellence and equity
Goal 2: All young Australian become:
· Confident and creative individuals
· Successful lifelong learners, and
· Active and informed members of the community.
It's important to acknowledge that many people participating here have thoughts regarding the degree to which these goals are being met within their own local communities. These are important observations (and are absolutely relevant irrespective of which country/jurisdiction you come from), however, we're *not* participating in political debate within this course, so as you contribute to the Jasneath Education Community or the Facebook page, please leave politics aside and focus on the needs of people who are gifted.
The Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration is a broad, philosophical statement. It isn't a policy on curriculum and doesn't provide guidance to teachers in schools or those involved in learning in vocational settings, or tertiary institutions.
It is however, important to contrast the goals of the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Declaration, with the commentary on the reality of the education system, noting that these opinions are based on the Australian context. The following quotations appeared in the Australian Financial Review (Parkinson, 2015).
<insert quotations>
It is from within the educational philosophy outlined in The Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration that the Australian Curriculum is derived. Responsibility for the delivery of the Australian Curriculum sits with each State and Territory government.
In the following video, the CEO of the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) describes the intent of the Australian Curriculum.
[Running time: 2:52] Video Transcript: Intent of the Australian Curriculum_transcript.pdf
There are a couple of points from this video that are worth highlighting. First, David de Carvalho still refers to the Melbourne Declaration (2008) rather than The Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration; and importantly, for the education of children who are gifted, he says:
:The Australian Curriculum is designed to provide all students with access to age equivalent content and achievement standards that are both rigorous and aligned to each student’s ability."
In essence, this statement isn't problematic, however it's important that for gifted learners, this is not interpreted as a restrictive statement, and the focus is placed on the provision of learning that is "rigorous and aligned to each student's ability."
This graphic from the Australian Curriculum website provides some critical information that can be used by educators to guide the development of appropriate learning programs, but also by parents/care-givers who wish to have a conversation with their schools, using a shared language. Image source: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/resources/student-diversity/meeting-the-needs-of-gifted-and-talented-students/
Key points from this image are:
The latter point is vital for appropriate learning provision for gifted students. Whilst practical guidance for educators is not the principal goal of this webpage, however one critical strategy is provided when considering necessary learning plan adjustments:
pre-assessment and ongoing formative assessment are critical to ensure that learning area content and adjustments align with student needs
Whilst these points are derived from an image that supports the Australian curriculum, they are equally relevant for informing conversations between educators and parents/care-givers, irrespective of your country.
Across the globe there are varying approaches to education governance, policy and curriculum. This section will provide a snapshot from New Zealand, Canada, the UK, and the US. There is not scope for an in-depth analysis of each country's situation, but I aim to bring together a suite of information here, that will facilitate your easy access to the key documents from each.
New Zealand
In New Zealand, education is governed by the Education and Training Act 2020. This document provides the forum for both the Statement of National Education and Learning Priorities (NELP) and the Tertiary Education Strategy (TES)
There are five objectives for education in New Zealand and each objective is linked to one of the priorities, as shown below:
1. Learners at the centre: Learners with their whānau are at the centre of education.
Priority 1: Ensure places of learning are safe, inclusive and free from racism, discrimination and bullying
Priority 2: Have high aspirations for every learner/ākonga, and support these by partnering with their whānau and communities to design and deliver education that responds to their needs, and sustains their identities, languages and cultures
2. Barrier-free access: Great education and outcomes are within reach for every learner.
Priority 3: Reduce barriers to education for all, including for Māori and Pacific learners/ākonga, disabled learners/ākonga and those with learning support needs
Priority 4: Ensure every learner/ ākonga gains sound foundation skills, including language*, literacy and numeracy
*Oral language encompasses any method of communication the learner/ākonga uses as a first language, including New Zealand sign language
3. Quality teaching and leadership: Quality teaching and leadership makes the difference for learners and their whānau.
Priority 5: Meaningfully incorporate te reo Māori and tikanga Māori into the everyday life of the place of learning
Priority 6: Develop staff to strengthen teaching, leadership and learner support capability across the education workforce
4. Future learning and work: Learning that is relevant to the lives of New Zealanders today and throughout their lives.
Priority 7: Collaborate with industries and employers to ensure learners/ ākonga have the skills, knowledge and pathways to succeed in work
5. World class inclusive public education: New Zealand Education is trusted and sustainable.
Priority 8: Enhance the contribution of research and mātauranga Māori in addressing local and global challenges (Tertiary Education Strategy only)
Note: See here for a full definition of 'whānau'
These objectives and priorities form the foundation from which the New Zealand Curriculum is derived. If you would like to delve deeper into the curriculum documentation, it is available online.
The New Zealand Centre for Gifted Education provides nation-wide support for gifted children aged between 2 and 13, whilst the Ministry of Education identifies the Key Components of effective support for gifted learners:
The key components are drawn from the 2012 document that is available for download from the NZ website, but also here: Gifted-and-talented-students-meeting-their-needs-in-New-Zealand-Schools.pdf
Canada
For Canadians,
"there is no federal level education ministry; instead, each of the 10 provincial and three territorial governments is responsible for developing curriculum and determining major education policies and initiatives. While each province and territory has developed its own system, a strong teacher force has been a common element across the country, as has a strong foundation of social supports, including health care for all Canadians funded, in large part, by the federal government. A major focus of the federal government as well as the provinces in recent years has been to ensure equity in the education system for Indigenous populations who have historically lacked the same educational opportunities as other Canadians" (National Center on Education and the Economy, 2021).
Canada does however, have a collaborative body that brings together the varying jurisdictional representatives: the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada. A pictorial summary of the educational structures is available online.
Additionally, a good summary of the Canadian context (albeit published in 2005), particularly as it relates to gifted students, is presented by Lupart et al., (2005) in the first four-and-a half pages of this article. It provides a basis on which the contemporary documentation can build, for example the OECD's Education Policy Outlook - Canada (2015).
Despite the lack of one national policy document or curriculum, Canada's placement in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) rankings for 2018 demonstrate very positive results. Canada appeared in the top 10 for Science and Reading, and position 12 for Mathematics. Canada achieved the highest rankings of all the countries being considered in this module. Interestingly, Australia was out-performed in each of the three disciplines by both the UK and New Zealand (and of course, Canada), and by the US in Reading and Science.
Reaffirming our discussion of the characteristics of giftedness Kanevsky (2011, p. 155) says:
"Advanced learning and precocious intellectual development are distinguishing characteristics of gifted and highly able learners...These students not only acquire knowledge and skills faster than most students of the same age, their understandings are more sophisticated and complex, and their passion for intellectual challenge is more intense. Their exceptional learning potential enables them to develop skills with less practice and support than their age mates...It seems reasonable to expect that efforts to provide academically talented students with an appropriate education would include opportunities to advance through their studies at a faster pace than their chronological age mates, however this is not always the case...The two volumes of 'A Nation Deceived' chronicled, critiqued and summarized almost 100 years of research and drew attention to the ways in which high ability learners could be offered opportunities to move through their studies at a faster, more developmentally appropriate pace. The “gulf between what research has revealed and what most practitioners believe” (Borland, 1989, p. 185) remains in spite of the accumulation of research evidence documenting its benefits."
If you would like to access Volume 1 of 'A Nation Deceived', the report is available via the link, with Volume 2 also here.
As we discussed earlier, there are many types of acceleration. Kanevsky and Clelland (2013) undertook a study into the differences between policy support, and the practical implementation of acceleration across Canada:
"Policy documents related to gifted education and 18 forms of accelerated learning practices were collected from all Canadian provinces and territories. Where they were found, policies continue to be permissive and flexible. Explicit support for gifted education and acceleration was strongest in Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia provinces...Additional opportunities to advance learners also existed in these and all jurisdictions because potentially accelerative practices were supported, such as correspondence courses and mentoring" (Kanevsky & Clelland, 2013, p. 229).
So, it does seem that within the bounds of this comparison, Canada is presenting well for general education, however, it is important that there is greater consistency regarding specific strategies for gifted education provision.
England
The Department for Education in England places the realisation of potential at the core of its Vision and Mission Statement:
"At our heart, we are the department for realising potential. We enable children and learners to thrive, by protecting the vulnerable and ensuring the delivery of excellent standards of education, training and care. This helps realise everyone’s potential – and that powers our economy, strengthens society and increases fairness."
The 2021-2022 Delivery Plan is available online, if you would like to see more detail. The importance placed on realising potential provides an excellent starting point for curriculum programming for gifted students, but also an invaluable starting point for conversations between parents/caregivers & schools, and teachers & principals/heads regarding funding allocation and programmes.
The National Curriculum for England is divided by subject area, covering core curriculum as well as religious education and sex education, and then into the 'early years' (ages 3-5, which includes 'Reception'), and then 4 Key Stages: KS1 - Years 1 and 2 (ages 5-7), KS2 - Years 2 to 6 (ages 7-11), KS3 - Years 7 to 9 (ages 11-14), and KS4 - Years 10 to 11 (ages 14-16).
Koshy, Smith and Casey (2018) provide a summary of the gifted education policy situation in England. This article is available for you to download: Koshy, Smith & Casey 2018 England Policy in Gifted Education_ Current Problems and Promising Directions.pdf
Of course, England isn't the only country within the UK, and educational policy and curriculum provision is managed within each country. The following paragraphs provide the summaries of the status of each UK country, from the House of Commons Library, Briefing Paper (Loft & Denachi, 2020, pp. 3-4).
England
In England, there is no national definition of “more able” or “gifted” students or national support programme since the Young Gifted and Talented Programme closed in 2010. The inspections body, Ofsted, evaluates whether schools “nurture, develop and stretch pupils’ talents and interests”. In two evaluative reports, published in 2013 and 2015, Ofsted was critical of the support provided to “more able” pupils, and called upon schools to improve their curriculums, the transition between primary and secondary school, and their work with families to support aspiration. The Department for Education (DfE) states that the introduction of Grade 9 at GCSE and Progress 8 as an accountability measure allows schools to be held to account in how well they support “more able” students. The DfE says Pupil Premium funds allow schools to provide support to highly able students, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Opportunity Areas scheme also seeks to raise standards and support available. Reports by the Sutton Trust and Potential Plus UK have argued that Ofsted should strengthen its inspection of provision for disadvantaged highly-able students and called upon the DfE to invest in programmes to evaluate the effectiveness of the support provided.
Wales
“More gifted and talented” students should be identified and supported by schools, and provided with an individual learning pathway. Pupil Development Grants provide funding to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, whilst the Seren network seeks to support the most academically able gain entry to leading universities. Estyn, the Welsh schools regulator, concluded in 2018 that, in around a third of schools, more able pupils were not achieving as well as they should. The Welsh Government announced additional funding for the Seren network and said further changes would be considered within the context of the new curriculum, due to be introduced in 2022.
Scotland
The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, as amended, requires schools to provide additional support to learners in need of support, including those who are “particularly able or talented”. The Government has also published statutory guidance. 4 Support for more able and talented children in schools (UK) In response to an independent review, which found a “significant disconnect between experience and the stated aspirations of the legislation and policy”, the Scottish Government said in October 2020 that a new Action Plan would seek to enhance pupil experiences.
Northern Ireland
Schools should take steps to support “Gifted and talented” pupils, potentially through providing greater challenge in lessons, participation in extra-curricular activities and allow transfer to a post-primary school a year earlier than normal.
United States of America
Responsibility for education policy and standards within the US is devolved to each of the States, however during 2009 and 2010 the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) developed the Common Core State Standards, which cover the following discipline areas:
It is not compulsory for states to participate, or adopt, the standards, however forty-one states, the District of Columbia, four territories, and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) have adopted the Common Core State Standards. Follow the link for an interactive map of the status of adoption of the Standards across the US.
Importantly, there is also a specific standard written in support of gifted learners, made available here via the link to the National Association of Gifted Children's website. This 2019 update, is a revision of the previous 2010 standard. The document is particularly useful in helping parents/carers and educators have a shared language, irrespective of which country you may reside in.
Within his DMGT, Gagné divided the types of natural abilities that a person may have into two broad categories: Mental and Physical. Mental abilities include intellectual, creative, social, and perceptual traits. Physical abilities encompass muscular and motor control.
Gagné identified people who displayed the top 10% within any ability area as having 'gifts'. These gifts may then be developed, through the longer-term process of development. If the person develops these gifts into a high level of mastery, again in the top 10%, then the person is said to demonstrate 'talent'.
To briefly introduce the DMGT, please watch this clip of Dr. Gagné speaking about the DMGT. It runs for just under 8 minutes.
[Running time 7:49] Gagne transcript.pdf
To summarise:
The Australian Curriculum also identifies two other conceptions of giftedness - Renzulli's Three-Ring model, and Tannenbaum's Sea Star model. These models are slightly different to the DMGT, as they depict a conception of what 'is' giftedness in contrast to examining the processes that develop giftedness into talents. They are both described in the next section.
Renzulli's Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness
The Three-Ring conception of giftedness focuses on three clusters: ability level, which in terms of Renzulli's definition is considered to be above average but not necessarily superior ability; task commitment; and creativity. It is the interaction of these three equally weighted clusters that facilitate "creative-production accomplishment" (Renzulli 2005, p. 256), by which giftedness is identified (Renzulli, 1978).
The following clip is Joseph Renzulli introducing his Three-Ring conception of giftedness.
[Running time 9:49] Renzulli - What is giftedness_transcript.pdf
Renzulli places emphasis on the active interaction of all three elements within his conception of giftedness to produce gifted behaviours. Perhaps we can equate the gifted behaviours in the Renzulli conception of giftedness, to the notion of 'Talents' within the DMGT. As we considered previously, Talents come about after Gifts undergo a period of development. So, in this way the demonstration of 'Talents' are the end product, as are Renzulli's 'gifted behaviours'.
A notable difference between the two is that Gagné's DMGT documents the processes/influencing factors by which 'Gifts' may be developed into 'Talents'. Renzulli's conception of giftedness identifies the three factors that he considers need to interact for talents to be developed, but he doesn't delve more deeply into this process. The Three-Ring conception of giftedness does however allow for different varieties of giftedness across multiple domains of endeavour.
The Three-Ring conception of giftedness is usually depicted by a Venn diagram with three segments, one for each of the clusters
A criticism of Renzulli's conception is presented by Emeritus Professor Miraca Gross from the University of New South Wales (2005, p. 8) who identified some areas of weakness with the Renzulli model:
"The main criticisms are: Because the Renzulli model is based on the characteristics of creative and productive adults it may fail to identify children who have the potential for high performance but are not yet performing at levels commensurate with their ability. It places too much emphasis on task commitment and may disadvantage gifted students who are demotivated or who have not yet been given work with which they can engage productively. Students who are not creatively gifted may not be identified or may not be admitted to programs."
Tannenbaum's Sea Star Model
Abraham J. Tannenbaum first presented his Sea Star model in his seminal text, Gifted Children: Psychological and Educational Perspectives (Tannenbaum, 1983). His model focuses on the relationship between ability and achievement and also highlights the importance of personality and environment (Gross, 2005).
Central to this model is the belief that only adults can exhibit developed giftedness. As a result, talent in children is defined as denoting “their potential for becoming critically acclaimed performers or exemplary producers of ideas in spheres of activity that enhance the moral, physical, emotional, social, intellectual, or aesthetic life of humanity” (Tannenbaum, 1983, p. 86).
So, Tannenbaum's model ties the development of giftedness to the passage of maturation. Fundamental to Tannenbaum’s model was his concern that whilst precocity may be seen in many children through their engagement with accelerated learning when compared to chronological aged peers, this does not guarantee that such potentialities will manifest in mature giftedness as an adult.
Now, it's important that we consider Tannenbaum's model given its place in the Gifted Education world, but just so we don't misunderstand each other - I'm not advocating this - I ask these questions to stimulate your thinking. The emergence of talent into adult giftedness also requires the interaction of the individual with the environment in ways that would foster their own suite of abilities or talents. Each of the factors have static and dynamic elements.
There are five elements of influence presented within Tannenbaum’s original model: general ability, special ability, environmental factors, chance factors, and non-intellective factors (Tannenbaum, 1983). A subsequent iteration of the model slightly modified the focus of the factors to: superior general intellect, distinctive special aptitudes, environmental supports, chance, and non-intellective requisites (Tannenbaum, 2003). These factors are visually represented as a five-pointed ‘sea star’, or star-fish type shape, with each point representing one of the factors., depicted here: Tannenbaum's Sea Star.pdf
Each of the factors has static and dynamic elements. The static elements identify the child’s state at a single point in time and refer to the level of development of each factor. The dynamic elements refer to the elements that may stimulate development. These may include the processes involved in learning, along with any social and environmental influences that may cause change to occur (Gross, 2005), which may sound familiar if you think back to the catalysts in Gagné's model. The section in the centre of the star, where all five factors converge, is the point at which giftedness is produced through the achievement of excellence.
Looking back over this module
Now that we approach the end of this module, let's take a look back at the key learnings we've covered.
In summary, the common elements between these models of giftedness suggest that
a) to provide an appropriate learning environment for gifted and highly able people there needs to be a process for identifying the area of giftedness,
b) that gift needs to be nurtured through enrichment activities that provide the opportunity for practise, skill development, deeper analysis or further thought as required,
c) that these activities are based around the individual's learning needs; and
d) that the process of nurturing gifts into talents is facilitated over time.
Put another way, these three models of giftedness all contend that students identified as gifted may learn in a different way, and at a different speed, to students who are typical.
References
Australian Curriculum. (2020, Jan 29 ). Intent of the Australian Curriculum [Video file].
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2016). Student diversity: Gifted and talented students. Retrieved 11 July from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/studentdiversity/gifted-and-talented-students.
Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials. (2021). Canada’s education systems. Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials. https://www.cicic.ca/docs/PTeducation/Canada-s-Education-Systems-PDF.pdf
Corwith, S., Ash, J., Cotabish, A., Dailey, D., Guilbault, K., Johnsen, S., Kessel, S., Lee, C.-W., Lurz, P., Pratt, D., & Scott-Tunk, Z. (2019). 2019 Pre-K-Grade 12 Gifted Programming Standards. Washington, D.C.: National Association of Gifted Children
Council of Australian Governments Education Council. (2019). Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration. Melbourne, Australia: Australian Government. Retrieved from http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/National_Declaration_on_the_Educational_Goals_for_Young_Australians.pdf.
Gagné, F. (2012). Dr. Françoys Gagné. Retrieved 1 October from http://gagnefrancoys.wixsite.com/dmgt-mddt
Gagné, F. (2013). The DMGT: Changes within, beneath, and beyond. Talent Development & Excellence, 5(1), 5-19.
Gross, M. U. M. (2005). Gifted and talented education: Professional development for teachers: Extension, module 1. Sydney, Australia: Australian Government. Retrieved from https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/pdf/extension_mod1_ec.pdf.
Guerriero, S., Pont, B., Toledo Figueroa, D., Albiser, E., Maghnouj, S., & Fraccola, S. (2015). Education Policy Outlook - Canada.
Kanevsky, L. (2011). A survey of educational acceleration practices in Canada. Canadian Journal of Education, 34(3), 153-180.
Kanevsky, L. S., & Clelland, D. (2013). Accelerating gifted students in Canada: Policies and possibilities [research-article]. Canadian Journal of Education / Revue canadienne de l'éducation, 36(3), 229-271.
Koshy, V., Smith, C. P., & Casey, R. (2018). England policy in gifted education: Current problems and promising directions. Gifted Child Today, 41(2), 75-80. https://doi.org/10.1177/1076217517750700
Loft, P., & Danechi, S. (2020). Briefing Paper: Support for more able and talented children in schools (UK). (9065). London, UK: UK Parliament
Lupart, J. L., Pyryt, M. C., Watson, S. L., & Pierce, K. (2005 ). Gifted education and counselling in Canada. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 27(2), 173-190. https://positivedisintegration.com/Lupart2005.pdf
Ministerial Council on Education Employment Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA). (2008). Melbourne declaration on educational goals for young Australians. Melbourne, Australia: Australian Government. Retrieved from http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/National_Declaration_on_the_Educational_Goals_for_Young_Australians.pdf.
National Center on Education and the Economy. (2021). Top performing countries. National Center on Education and the Economy. https://ncee.org/country/canada/
New Zealand Ministry of Education: Te Tāhuhu o Te Mātauranga. (2012). Gifted and talented students: Meeting their needs in New Zealand schools. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media Limited
New Zealand Ministry of Education: Te Tāhuhu o Te Mātauranga. (2021). The statement of National Education and Learning Priorities (NELP) and the Tertiary Education Strategy (TES). Government of New Zealand. https://www.education.govt.nz/our-work/overall-strategies-and-policies/the-statement-of-national-education-and-learning-priorities-nelp-and-the-tertiary-education-strategy-tes/
New Zealand Ministry of Education: Te Tāhuhu o Te Mātauranga. (2021). Support for gifted education in Aotearoa New Zealand. Government of New Zealand. https://gifted.tki.org.nz/
Parkinson, E. (2015, August 16). Stretching the gifted. The Australian Financial Review. https://www.afr.com/news/special-reports/stretching-the-gifted-20150814-giyzgz
Renzulli, J. S. (1978). What makes giftedness? Reexamining a definition [research article]. Phi Delta Kappa, 60(3), 180-261.
Renzulli, J. S. (2005). The Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness: A developmental model for promoting creative productivity. In R. J. Sternberg & J. E. Davidson (Eds.), Conceptions of Giftedness (pp. 246-279). Cambridge University Press. http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/sem/pdf/the_three-ring_conception_of_giftedness.pdf
Renzulli, J. S., & Reis, S. M. (1993). The schoolwide enrichment model: A comprehensive plan for educational excellence. Hawker Brownlow.
Sydney Catholic Schools Online Learning. (2015). What is giftedness and talent? Françoys Gagné. https://youtu.be/dPmf28lAmAY
Tannenbaum, A. J. (1983). Gifted children: Psychological and educational perspectives. Macmillan.
Tannenbaum, A. J. (1989). Differentiated education for the gifted: A boon or a bane to democracy? Melbourne Studies in Education, 31(1), 3-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/17508488909556227.
Tannenbaum, A. J. (2003). Nature and nurture of giftedness. In N. Colangelo & G. A. Davis (Eds.), Handbook of gifted education. Pearson Education.
The Brainwaves Video Anthology. (2016, May 11). Joseph Renzulli - What is giftedness? [Video file]. https://youtu.be/L8OlKSNQAIU
Wormald, C. (2015 ). Intellectually gifted students often have learning disabilities. The Conversation Media Group Ltd. Retrieved 30 March from https://theconversation.com/intellectually-gifted-students-often-have-learning-disabilities-37276
Module Overview
The following topics will be covered in this module:
The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) was developed by Lev Vygotsky (1896–1934), a Russian psychologist, pictured below, when he was considering the relationship between learning and development, and the impact of age-related maturation, specifically as a child reaches and passes through, the ages when they are at school.
Image source: Lev Vygotsky - Wikipedia
In Vygotsky's writings (1978, pp. 79-91) he analyzes three separate schools of thought regarding the development of children, how they learn, and how socio-cultural influences may or may not influence development and learning (McLeod, 2020). In undertaking his analysis, Vygotsky considers the work of theorists such as Piaget, James, Binet, Koffka, and Thorndike.
For parents/care-givers Vygotsky (1978, p. 84) makes an important point:
"That children's learning begins long before they attend school is the starting point of this discussion. Any learning a child encounters in school always has a previous history. For example, children begin to study arithmetic in school, but long beforehand they have had some experience with quantity-they have had to deal with operations of division, addition, subtraction, and determination of size...But even when, in the period of her first questions, a child assimilates the names of objects in her environment, she is learning. Indeed, can it be doubted that children learn speech from adults; or that, through asking questions and giving answers, children acquire a variety of information; or that, through imitating adults and through being instructed about how to act, children develop an entire repository of skills? Learning and development are interrelated from the child's very first day of life."
If you are a parent or care-giver of a gifted child, or a child you suspect may be gifted, you may well have seen evidence of their rapid learning well before they begin school.
Vygotsky (1978, p. 86) defines the Zone of Proximal Development:
"It is the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving with adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers."
Now, before we delve further into what this might mean for our gifted learners, it's important to identify what it doesn't mean. That is, the "collaboration with more capable peers" does not mean that it's appropriate for gifted learners to be used as pseudo 'teachers' in classrooms, once they have finished their set work. This is not to preclude any student helping out a classmate, of course, but gifted learners require their own programing that sees them challenged.
"The zone of proximal development defines those functions that have not yet matured but are in the process of maturation, functions that will mature tomorrow but are currently in an embryonic state. These functions could be termed the "buds" or "flowers" of development rather than the "fruits" of development" (1978, p. 86).
By identifying the Zone of Proximal Development, Vygotsky is clearly presenting the process of learning, not simply identifying where learning is at a current point of time, but where it is moving towards (Shaughnessy, 1993). This is vitally important when considering the individual needs of all learners, whether they be identified as gifted, or sitting somewhere else on the 'bell curve of abilities'. Every learner deserves this level of understanding.
To support students who are working in their Zone of Proximal Development, it is important that their learning is scaffolded, that is, supported in ways that promote new exploration and understanding, that can then be removed as the new concepts become more familiar.
The following clip explains Vygotsky's broader theory, as well as the Zone of Proximal Development and the importance of scaffolding.
[Running time 5:20] Note: There is currently no transcript available.
Adopting the Zone of Proximal Development as a strategy may also help address any motivation issues students might be experiencing. Motivation will be discussed more thoroughly in the last section within this module
In Module 1, section 3, we considered a number of characteristics to help you identify giftedness. One of these was Perfectionism (Ogurlu, 2020). Before we take a deeper dive into this area, please spend a moment or two to review and reflect on that content again.
To begin our deeper thinking about perfectionism, it's important that we have a shared understanding of what this construct actually is. Michael Pyrt (2007, p. 273) noted that there
"is a fine line between striving to reach high standards of excellence and feeling self-defeated through the inability to reach unreasonable expectations. Some writers deal with this dichotomy by contrasting two types of perfectionism. Bransky, Jenkins-Friedman, and Murphy (1987) distinguish between enabling perfectionism that empowers individuals and disabling perfectionism that cripples individuals. Hamachek (1978) contrasts normal
perfectionism marked by striving to attain a standard of excellence with neurotic perfectionism which is marked by fear of making mistakes. Enns and Cox (2002) label the positive aspects of perfectionism as "adaptive perfectionism" and the negative aspects of perfectionism as "maladaptive perfectionism."
Pyryt also notes that some writers prefer the term 'perfectionistic thinking', as it implies a style of thinking that can occur in some situations, and not in others, where 'perfectionism' might imply a trait that as person either has, or does not have. Whilst there is dissent in the literature over these labels, it is the behaviors and outcomes of either that is our focus here, and particularly the difference between aiming for high standards, and that which is debilitating. The practical differences between these two concepts are vitally important, as is the response to each. If you would like to access Pyryt's article, it is available here.
I also need to offer a caveat to the up-coming discussion of perfectionism:
The content in this section is no substitute for appropriate support from a healthcare professional. The information and insights here are (obviously) not tailored to any specific individual, and it's extremely important that if the gifted person in your world is reacting in a way that is debilitating, or in a way that concerns you, that you consider seeking support that is specific to their needs, from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
As we launch into this section I would like to note that I don't usually recommend text books, although you will see an extensive References list at the end of every module within each Jasneath Education course. In this instance I am going to break my own rule. Misdiagnosis and dual diagnoses of gifted children and adults (Webb et al., 2016) is an excellent book - well written, informative, and generally accessible. Chapter 5 deals with Ideational and Anxiety disorders in relation to giftedness and it is from select portions of this chapter that the following summary points come. Ideation is defined as "living intellectually within one's mind" (Webb et al., 2016, p. 121).
One point that I must stress before providing these summary points, and I quote from Webb et al. (2016, pp. 121-123):
"an accurate diagnosis is not a simple "either-or" decision, in which the person either has the disorder or does not have it. Sometimes giftedness is related to a disorder, and this overlap is particularly the case...because of the strong intellectual and ideational components involved...The asynchrony of an advanced understanding of reality with inadequate...experience to have perspective...[may lead to] anxiety and worry as a result...When do these ideations pass the stage of normal for gifted children, and reach clinical significance for diagnosis? It is difficult to distinguish."
As I mentioned above, the behaviors and outcomes are our focus, and also which provide the best guide regarding when a behavior 'crosses the line' from normal for a gifted person, to requiring clinical intervention.
Summary points from Webb et al., (2016) regarding Perfectionism:
There is an overlap between Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and intelligence, however in the opinion of the authors it is also the basis of a common misdiagnosis and caution is required.
“Children who suffer from OCD differ from typical children in the degree to which their beliefs deform and impar day-today life. Their obsessive thoughts often cause anxiety, and compulsive actions serve to counter and relieve the anxiety they experience. Certainly gifted children and adults can have quirky behaviors, and…can…react strongly to certain stimuli, such as odors, textures, or sounds. While a gifted person…can also show compulsive behavior when stressed, true OCD behaviors are qualitatively different from the…quirky behaviors that are usually short-lived, or fervent involvement that gifted children may have with their “passion of the moment.”
(Webb et al., 2016, pp. 125-127)
“There is also, according to DSM-5*, a basic personality structure that is called Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) in which a person is preoccupied with orderliness, precision, perfectionism…[In] persons with…[OCPD], these traits are taken to an unhealthy extreme…Where they overlap with giftedness is that the traits are strikingly similar to behaviors that are observed in some perfectionistic gifted children.”
(Webb et al., 2016, p. 127)
*the DSM-5 is the text for classification of mental disorders used by mental health professionals in the United States
There are 8 diagnostic criteria listed in the DSM-5 that relate to OCPD. The fourth is particularly relevant in relation to giftedness. It reads:
“Is overconscientious, scrupulous, and inflexible about matters of morality, ethics, or values (not accounted for by cultural or religious identification).”
Some gifted children may develop idealism at a very young age, and this can manifest into a sense of personal responsibility for the world. These “patterns of behavior do not necessarily indicate a mental disorder; these patterns can instead simply reflect characteristics of gifted children and adults who later develop and emerge into highly caring and altruistic adults.”
(Webb et al., 2016, p. 129)
“The gifted person…often does not see certain rituals as excessive or unreasonable, and indeed she will be able to describe elaborate scenarios of why and how her thoughts and behaviors are not only reasonable, but also rational and appropriate given the circumstances.”
(Webb et al., 2016, pp. 129-131)
“Substantial research…has shown the link between gifted individuals and perfectionism, and those gifted children who seem paralyzed by their perfection may appear to be suffering from Avoidant Personality Disorder. A primary difference is that the avoidance personality fears external criticism from others, while the perfectionistic gifted person seeks more to avoid the internal distress that comes from failing to meet his own high – or possibly unrealistic – internal expectations…Gifted children often have early and easy success with many experiences. Because they have not learned to cope with failure, some of them become quite fearful of failing.”
(Webb et al., 2016, pp. 161-162)
Issues with peers and friends can also be an issue for people who are gifted; “relations with others can be turbulent and fraught with difficulties due to the very things that make them gifted – their intelligence, intensity, idealism, perfectionism, etc.”
(Webb et al., 2016, p. 277)
When thinking more directly about perfectionism as it relates to understanding giftedness, educators are often most concerned about two of the potential negative impacts, being underachievement and emotional factors. Underachievement through perfectionism may manifest because students are reluctant to submit work unless it's perfect - "I can't hand it in yet, as I'm not finished". Similarly, emotional stress and anxiety can occur through a variety of other reasons, many of which are unique to the gifted experience (Gaesser, 2018; Pyryt, 2007; Speirs Neumeister, 2004; Speirs Neumeister & Finch, 2006; Speirs Neumeister et al., 2009).
A point that is worthy of consideration for both parents/care-givers and teachers: After an individual has been identified as gifted, there may be a tendency to develop expectations around the potential achievement levels of the gifted child. Ablard and Parker (1997, p. 652) point out that:
"While there is evidence that parents' support for high achievement is important and, in moderation, facilitates achievement in children (Stevenson and Baker, 1987), there has been great concern that parents' unrealistic expectations create pressure and foster performance anxiety in their children" (Sigel, 1987).
The levels where support becomes pressure, will of course be different for every child, and may well be perceived differently by the child, when compared with the perception of the parents/care-givers or teacher. So, this is something to be mindful of, and have open conversation about, with your gifted person. Conversations such as these are integral to relationship, in recognising who they are, and bringing joint fulfilment (Silverman, 2021).
It's also worthy of note that some (not all) research (Krstic & Kevereski, 2015) suggests that there may be a correlation between the family's socio-economic status and lower levels of healthy perfectionism. Please note, I am being careful as I write this. I don't want people to think this is definitive and all children from higher socio-economic families will have this challenge. It is important, however, that I flag it as something for everyone to be aware of.
Some gifted students may also become used to gaining high grades and achieving high standards - sometimes they may experience this in all that they do. This can certainly lead to an expectation of success, and a way of defining themselves. It's not a big leap from this level of expectation and standard of achievement, to the expectation and desire for perfection. This is closely related to Herbert Marsh's Big Fish, Little Pond Effect, which we will address in course 5 of the Understanding Giftedness series, along with other aspects of the Social and Emotional issues that may impact gifted people.
So, what can we do to help?
The NAGC provide some key, succinct points for supporting gifted learners who may be displaying tendencies towards perfectionism:
Tips for Parents & Teachers in Managing Perfectionism
A really interesting, and quite recent study by Olton-Weber, Hess and Ritchotte (2020) suggests that engaging in Mindfulness ["the practice of paying attention to each moment of the present, with a nonjudgmental and curious frame of mind" (Olton-Weber et al., 2020, p. 321)] may well help with perfectionistic tendencies. Their study:
"evaluated the effectiveness of a 6-week mindfulness intervention for 42 middle school students who were identified as Gifted and Talented. Participants’ levels of self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism, as well as their use of mindfulness practices, were evaluated pre- and post- intervention, as well as at a 5-week follow-up to assess changes in perfectionism ratings and use of mindfulness...and the results indicated a significant decrease in self-oriented perfectionism and an increase in mindfulness at both the end of the intervention and at follow-up."
These findings are quite encouraging. Consideration of Carol Dweck's Growth Mindset work will also be included in the content of course 5 of the Understanding Giftedness series, but attitudinal factors are also part of the discussion in the final section of this module, where we will look at Motivation.
The psychologists Pavlov and Skinner introduced the world to the concept of conditioning, where responses were conditioned through the use of reward and punishment systems. Pavlov trained dogs, and Skinner trained pigeons. This is a form of external motivation, which can be contrasted with instrinsic motivation that comes from within a person and is based on their own drives, desires, values, and belief systems.
Wilson (2021, p. 115) suggests that the
"processes of intrinsic motivation include components such as self efficacy, or the desire to maintain or enhance a feeling of self-worth, and interest or sense of independence and choice. Thus, intrinsic motivation can explain why people, and children, in particular, engage in tasks that may not have an obvious external reward or punishment system."
All people - children and adults - respond to both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, however there are significant individual variations in the motivational value of any given type of stimuli. I recall as a young child at school, we would have a weekly spelling ladder. Yes, these were simple times. The student at the top of the ladder on Friday, would get to go home five minutes early. At the time we all thought this was fabulous! For some students though, the key to the motivation was indeed to leave school early, for others it was about winning the competition. Some students, though, did not find either of these motivating at all - for a variety of other reasons.
Gifted and high achieving students may well have different motivators than their age-equivalent peers, as it's likely they will have a number of different interests. For any student who has a high level of motivation for learning tasks, there is likely to be a decreased need for teachers and parents/care-givers to provide an external reward system. Of course hidden gifted, or underachieving gifted learners will have different motivational needs than these.
Ritchotte, Rubenstein, and Murry (2015) identify Functional Behavioral Analysis (FBA) as a means to identify the root cause of a student's underachieving behavior. This technique has been used successfully, particularly in the middle school years, in other disciplines within the field of Education and the information gathered can provide the starting point for change.
Deeper consideration of Underachievement of gifted students will be included in the content of course 2 of the Understanding Giftedness series.
Lamar University in the USA presents a useful discussion on what might motivate gifted learners, which you can access from their website or via download from the Jasneath Education site.
The following video is presented by Professor Del Siegle from the University of Connecticut. It is primarily aimed at teachers or teachers-in-training, but is equally relevant for anyone who is home schooling, and for parents/care-givers as it will help inform your conversations with educators, as well as understanding where things may be 'at' for your gifted learner.
The following video is presented by Professor Del Siegle from the University of Connecticut. It is primarily aimed at teachers or teachers-in-training, but is equally relevant for anyone who is home schooling, and for parents/care-givers as it will help inform your conversations with educators, as well as understanding where things may be 'at' for your gifted learner.
[Running time: 1 hour]
Ryan and Deci (2000, p. 70) certainly agree with the power of instrinsic motivation:
"Perhaps no single phenomenon reflects the positive potential of human nature as much as intrinsic motivation, the inherent tendency to seek out novelty and challenges, to extend and exercise one's capacities, to explore, and to learn."
This certainly speaks to the importance Del Siegle placed on paying attention to students' strengths and interests - to being a 'talent scout' rather than a 'deficit detective'.
Looking back over this module
Now that we approach the end of this module, let's take a look back at the key learnings we've covered.
These are large topics, and naturally, this 'Introduction' course can only provide a small sample of the many elements that warrant consideration in relation to understanding giftedness.
In the next, and final section of this course, we will take a look back at all the topics we've covered.
As we come to the end of this first course in the Understanding Giftedness series, I'd like to thank you for participating. Across the three modules, we've covered a lot of ground.
In module 1 we considered:
In module 2 we looked at:
And in module 3 we examined:
Of course this is by no means all there is to Understanding Giftedness. In the second course in this series, we're going to expand our understanding through a deeper dive into other topics, including (but not limited to):
I hope you'll consider joining us again for course 2...and in the meantime, please remember that you're now officially part of the Jasneath Education community and I hope to see you online in the Community within the course until your enrolment period expires, and of course on our Facebook page...and you're also always welcome to email me directly at jasneath.education@outlook.com
As I mentioned at the beginning of the course, Jasneath Education courses are now freely available to anyone, anywhere in the world, however this will only be possible with some support to cover the webhosting fees. If you've found this course beneficial, please consider helping maintain the 'free' status by making a small donation via the paypal link below:
Cheers for now and thank you!
Dr Amanda :-)
References
Ablard, K. E., & Parker, W. D. (1997). Parents' achievement goals and perfectionism in their academically talented children. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 26(6), 651-667.
Gaesser, A. H. (2018). Befriending anxiety to reach potential: Strategies to empower our gifted youth [Article]. Gifted Child Today, 41(4), 186-195. https://doi.org/10.1177/1076217518786983
Krstic, M., & Kevereski, L. (2015). The impact of socioeconomic status on the occurrence of perfectionism in primary school gifted students [Article]. Research in Pedagogy/Istrazivanja u Pedagogiji, 5(1), 42-51. https://doi.org/10.17810/2015.04
Lee, Y.-L. (2020, Sept 20). Lev Vygotsky - Sociocultural theory of development [Video file].
McLeod, S. A. (2020). Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory. Simply Psychology. Retrieved January 6 from https://www.simplypsychology.org/vygotsky.html
Mofield, E. L., & Parker Peters, M. (2018). Shifting the perfectionistic mindset: Moving to mindful excellence [Article]. Gifted Child Today, 41(4), 177-185. https://doi.org/10.1177/1076217518786989
Ogurlu, U. (2020). Are gifted students perfectionistic? A meta-analysis. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 43(3), 227–251.
Olney, A. M. (2014). Scaffolding Made Visible. In R. A. Sottilare, A. C. Graesser, X. Hu, & B. S. Goldberg (Eds.), Design Recommendations for Intelligent Tutoring Systems: Adaptive Instructional Management (Vol. 2, pp. 327-340). U.S. Army Research Laboratory.
Olton-Weber, S., Hess, R., & Ritchotte, J. A. (2020). Reducing levels of perfectionism in gifted and talented youth through a mindfulness intervention. Gifted Child Quarterly, 64(4), 319–330.
Pyryt, M. C. (2007). The giftedness/perfectionism connection: Recent research and implications. Gifted Education International, 23(3), 273-279. https://doi.org/10.1177/026142940702300308.
Renzulli Center-University of Connecticut. (2021, June 21). 9 Tips to Increase Student Motivation - Del Siegle [Video file]. https://vimeo.com/565636423
Ritchotte, J., Rubenstein, L., & Murry, F. (2015). Reversing the underachievement of gifted middle school students: Lessons from another field. Gifted Child Today, 38(2), 103-113. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1076217514568559
Shaughnessy, M. F. (1993). Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development: Implications for Gifted Education. ERIC Digest, 358(620).
Silverman, L. K. (2021). Honoring the precious uniqueness of your gifted child. Gifted Education International, 37(1), 67–79.
Speirs Neumeister, K. L. (2004). Factors influencing the development of perfectionism in gifted college students. Gifted Child Quarterly, 48(4), 259-274.
Speirs Neumeister, K. L., & Finch, H. (2006). Perfectionism in high-ability students: Relational precursors and influences on achievement motivation. Gifted Child Quarterly, 50(3), 238-251. https://doi.org/10.1177/001698620605000304
Speirs Neumeister, K. L., Fletcher, K. L., & Burney, V. H. (2015, Sep 2015). Perfectionism and achievement motivation in high-ability students: An examination of the 2 × 2 model of perfectionism. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 38(3), 215-232. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0162353215592502
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Webb, J. T., Amend, E. R., Beljan, P., Webb, N. E., Kuzujanakis, M., Olenchak, F. R., & Goerss, J. (2016). Misdiagnosis and dual diagnoses of gifted children and adults (2nd ed.). Great Potential Press.
Wilson, H. E. (2021). Motivation and achievement in gifted and advanced learners. In E. M. Miller, M. S. Matthews, & D. D. Dixson (Eds.), The development of the high ability child: Psychological perspectives on giftedness (pp. 114-129). Taylor & Francis Group.
Wood, D. J., Bruner, J. S., & Ross, G. (1976). The role of tutoring in problem solving. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 17(2), 89-100.