Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2007. / Title from title screen (site viewed Oct. 10, 2007). PDF text: ix, 197 p. : ill., maps. UMI publication number: AAT 3260513. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

Research paper (M.A.) -- Cardinal Stritch College -- Milwaukee, 1969. / A research paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Education (Reading Specialist). Includes bibliographical references (p. 57-62).

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

<p> Gifted programming provides many children with an opportunity to reach their potential (Olszewski-Kubilius &amp; Thomson, 2015). For years, gifted studies have been underfunded (Azano, Callahan, Missett, &amp; Brunner, 2014). A lack of research into gifted programming has left glaring holes in the current understanding of best practices (Plucker &amp; Callahan, 2014). This study included an examination of gifted programming from the standpoint of cognitive theory. The researcher examined archival data from School District A to determine students&rsquo; overall academic success when compared to the number of years spent in gifted programming. The data yielded a negative correlation between years spent in gifted programming and ACT score, class rank, and GPA. The data also showed a positive correlation between high school attendance and years spent in gifted programming at School District A. The findings demonstrate the methods used in this study may serve as a useful evaluative tool for evaluating gifted programs. These findings may inform administrative decisions pertaining to resource allocation and curriculum.</p><p>

The purpose of the study was to determine whether teachers' perceptions of characteristics of gifted students in general differed from perceptions of gifted students classified as Hispanic and limited English proficient. The study also sought to determine whether the teachers' perceptions differed based on their ethnic backgrounds. Three-hundred seventy-three teachers from nine elementary schools in Dade County, Florida completed a 34-item Likerttype survey on gifted characteristics. The survey contained an open-ended question at the end to elicit comments beyond those covered by the items. Randomly, one-half of the teachers in each school received the survey labeled "Gifted Hispanic LEP" and the other half received the survey labeled "Gifted." Subjects were not made aware that they were given surveys with different labels. Results of a two-way MANOVA indicated that there were significant differences in responses by survey group and by ethnicity, and there was no significant interaction between group and ethnicity. Results of a Spearman Rho test on the rank ordering of responses for the groups found a significant positive correlation, suggesting that both groups perceived a similar order of importance for the characteristics. However, relative importance differed significantly in languagerelated items. There were also significant differences between the groups in the degree to which they rated the characteristics as important. Generally, means of the highest ranked items were significantly higher for the group responding to the survey labeled Gifted than for the other group. Similarly, subjects who completed the survey labeled Gifted rated the lower ranked characteristics significantly lower than the other group. Neither group viewed artistic, musical, and kinesthetic abilities as important characteristics of giftedness. However, teachers in the Gifted Hispanic LEP group rated these characteristics significantly more favorably (although still low). Hispanics tended to rate the items higher than the other two ethnicities, although significant differences existed among all three.

<p> This mixed methods research investigated the relationship between student and teacher perceptions of five motivational components of instruction&mdash;appeal, challenge, choice, meaningfulness, and academic self-efficacy&mdash;and how teachers&rsquo; knowledge of their students&rsquo; perceptions informed their reflection on the quality of instruction. The <i>Student Perceptions of Classroom Quality</i> (SPOCQ; Gentry &amp; Owen, 2004) and <i> Teacher Perceptions of Classroom Quality</i> (T-POCQ; Seward, 2016) survey results of students with gifts and talents (<i>n</i> = 306 for a total of 518 administrations of the SPOCQ) and teachers (<i>n</i> = 23 for a total of 39 administrations of the T-POCQ) who participated in a summer academic enrichment program were analyzed. Significant negative but weak correlations existed between these two groups in appeal and meaningfulness, and their perceptions did not significantly correlate on challenge, academic self-efficacy, and choice. The strengths of all five correlations are weak. Ten teachers who represented various demographic groups participated in guided reflection interviews during which teacher and student survey results were compared. Teachers who did not hold degrees in education and/or lacked previous teaching experience felt a tension between content and motivation, viewing teaching as delivering content efficiently, not necessarily motivationally. All teachers perceived that they provided choice but were surprised when their students&rsquo; perceptions suggested otherwise, causing them to reevaluate their actual use of choice in instruction. Overall, teachers valued the addition of the student perspective during their reflections, indicating that it shifted their focus away from the content and learning activities toward the social-emotional aspects of learning. In addition, teachers valued guided reflection with a supportive peer as it kept them focused, helped them &ldquo;think through&rdquo; the data, and provided a sounding board for potential instructional improvement. Implications for instructional practices and professional development in other K-12 settings are discussed in the summary.</p><p>

<p>Underachievement in gifted students is a problem often overlooked in the school system; up to 50% of gifted students achieve below their potential abilities (Morisano & Shore, 2010). However, gifted students are not considered at-risk and do not always receive educational experiences aimed to meet their needs (Ritchotte, Matthews, & Flowers, 2014). The risk of gifted underachievement is a problem for educators and a loss to society (Ritchotte et al., 2014; Steenbergen-Hu & Olszewski-Kubilius, 2016). In this quantitative study, survey responses from gifted achievers and underachievers were analyzed to determine differences in educational experiences and attitudes toward school and learning. Additionally, data from teachers were analyzed to determine if they perceive themselves as properly trained to meet the affective and academic needs of gifted students. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to understand whether the perceived value of educational experiences and attitudes toward school and learning differed among achieving and underachieving gifted students. The test showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Frequency distribution indicated the mode of responses to the teacher surveys. While some teachers use effective strategies in their classrooms to meet the needs of gifted students, other do not. Most teachers admitted to having limited training in gifted education. With lack of specialized teacher training and underachievement of the nation?s brightest students, a problem exists which needs to be addressed by educational systems to provide appropriate educational experiences to students with the potential for successful futures to benefit society.

Abstract not available.

[No abstract available] / Arts, Faculty of / Philosophy, Department of / Graduate

The purpose of this study was to recognize and validate dual exceptionalities and to give voice to an underachieving gifted adolescent with an Attention Deficit Disorder regarding what has worked and not worked for him in traditional school settings. The importance of this study resonates in the voice of a tenth grade, Caucasian male student; a student for whom learning and intellectual challenge is a driving force, but who has been unable to “achieve” in a traditional school setting. This study is vital in that twice exceptional learners are at great risk of underachieving in traditional school settings. In the context of this study, underachievement was viewed as a phenomenon (Schultz, 2002), not a label. It is a verb, not to be confused with the noun. The term should not be used to describe who someone is (underachiever), but rather what someone does (underachieves). Data gathered in this study were analyzed using a constant comparative method of data analysis, which was applied to interviews and classroom observations in an effort to identify categories and themes (Strauss & Corbin, 1994). Data collected from the student interview, classroom observations, document analysis, and adult interviews were triangulated in an effort to uncover patterns and practices that have contributed to or helped to ameliorate the phenomenon of underachievement in a gifted student identified with ADD. Results of this study indicate that schools underachieve their twice exceptional learners (Schultz, 2002) by failing to recognize the asynchronous tension with which these students live; by not creating life-giving relationships with twice exceptional learners that are based on trust and respect; by not implementing classroom practices that are predicated on constructivist learning theory; by denying them access to intellectual peers; and by failing to instill hope.