This qualitative study was designed to explore the experiences and perceptions of a group of mothers whose elementary school-aged children met the criteria for intellectual giftedness in an Ontario school board. Guided by Beach and Mitchell’s image theory and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, the study sought to identify (a) the meanings mothers ascribed to the concept of giftedness, (b) their experiences of the assessment, identification and placement process, and (c) the factors deemed important to educational decision making. A postpositivist orientation and rigorous qualitative research methods were employed. Data were collected in two phases: an internet-based survey comprised of demographic items and open ended questions, followed by in-depth interviews with five purposefully selected participants. Resultant data from 45 surveys and 15 interviews were coded and organized according to the survey questions and central elements of the theoretical framework. Eight research findings revealed that the experience of mothering gifted children was complex, challenging, emotional, and at times, isolating. Many mothers struggled with the concept of giftedness and how it pertained to their children. As mothers navigated the assessment, identification and placement process, the lack of accessible, timely, and consistent information from the school board posed a considerable barrier, prompting many to reach out to other parents of gifted children for information and support. Factors deemed important to decision making about educational placement included maternal perceptions related to the various options, child specific and practical considerations, and the attainability of specialized gifted programming. Educational decision making was identified as the most difficult aspect of the maternal experience. Given that the study participants were unusually well educated and well resourced, the findings were particularly revealing. The study findings add to a small but growing body of research that furthers our understanding of image theory in real life decision making. In addition, the findings give voice to the experience of mothering children identified as gifted, thus making a valuable and original contribution to the literature.

Currently, there is no standard protocol to identify students who are gifted in science. If students are identified as gifted early on in elementary school, teachers and parents can foster their interest, increasing the students’ knowledge, value, and affect as well as their willingness to re-engage science (Eccles & Wigfield, 2002; Gottfried & Gottfried, 1996; Häussler 1987; Neber & Schommer-Aikins, 2002; Osborne, 2003; Schunk, Pintrich, & Meece, 2008). In this study, a brief student identification form was developed for elementary school teachers to complete. The form was based on Hidi and Renninger’s (2006) four-phase model of interest development. The form was one piece of a more comprehensive identification protocol. Students in grades second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth from six Warren County elementary schools were asked to participate in this study. However, due to insufficient data, grades two and six were not used after collection. Few sixth grade teachers completed the forms and second graders did not take the ITBS. This study primarily focused on identifying students from underrepresented populations. These six schools, Cumberland Trace, Bristow, Lost River, Oakland, Richardsville, and North Warren, were chosen based on their larger population of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch.

This qualitative study was designed to explore the experiences and perceptions of a group of mothers whose elementary school-aged children met the criteria for intellectual giftedness in an Ontario school board. Guided by Beach and Mitchell’s image theory and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, the study sought to identify (a) the meanings mothers ascribed to the concept of giftedness, (b) their experiences of the assessment, identification and placement process, and (c) the factors deemed important to educational decision making. A postpositivist orientation and rigorous qualitative research methods were employed. Data were collected in two phases: an internet-based survey comprised of demographic items and open ended questions, followed by in-depth interviews with five purposefully selected participants. Resultant data from 45 surveys and 15 interviews were coded and organized according to the survey questions and central elements of the theoretical framework. Eight research findings revealed that the experience of mothering gifted children was complex, challenging, emotional, and at times, isolating. Many mothers struggled with the concept of giftedness and how it pertained to their children. As mothers navigated the assessment, identification and placement process, the lack of accessible, timely, and consistent information from the school board posed a considerable barrier, prompting many to reach out to other parents of gifted children for information and support. Factors deemed important to decision making about educational placement included maternal perceptions related to the various options, child specific and practical considerations, and the attainability of specialized gifted programming. Educational decision making was identified as the most difficult aspect of the maternal experience. Given that the study participants were unusually well educated and well resourced, the findings were particularly revealing. The study findings add to a small but growing body of research that furthers our understanding of image theory in real life decision making. In addition, the findings give voice to the experience of mothering children identified as gifted, thus making a valuable and original contribution to the literature.

ABSTRACT The main purpose of this research is to probe the teacher education system of dancing teachers for junior high school for the gifted students in dance class and the related problems. This is done by questionnaires survey and documentary analysis, and the survey aims at the present dancing teachers around the country. Totally there were 58 copies of questionnaires collected. The data is analyzed by statistics methods such as frequencies distribution, percentage, Chi-square. Major findings were as follows: 1. Most junior high school dancing teachers are female, and they are about 31-40 years of age. Most of them graduated from the Dance Department of colleges, and have been teaching dancing less than 5 years. More than 67.2% are substitute teachers or part- time teachers. Moreover, among them, 87.2% didn¡¦t acquire qualified certificates. 2.All the qualified junior high school dancing teachers had taken specialized dance courses, special education courses or credits in this country. They officially acquired certificates in these three courses or credits. 3.There are not many substitute junior high school dancing teachers. Five of them had taken specialized courses, special education courses, education courses or credits, but only two acquired certificates of qualified teachers. 4.The percentage of part-time dance teachers is as high as 58.6%. Among them, 97.1% had taken specialized dance courses, 26.5% had taken education courses, 20.6% had taken special education courses, but only 11.8% had acquired certificates of qualified dancing teachers 5.Although 58.6% of surveyed junior high school dancing teachers are for the opinion that to be a qualified junior high school teacher, one has to take at least 40 special education courses, still 41.4% are against it. What¡¦s more, as many as 80% of substitute teachers are against it. 6.To be a qualified junior high school dancing teachers, one should not only have specialized capacity, but also take special education courses or education courses or credits, but the education authorities did not offer chances for these in-service education and training. Therefore, as many as 93.1% of junior high school teachers think that there are few chance for in-service education & training, and this is really not the basic spirits of the teacher education, which means to be diverse. No matter what in-service education with an academic degree (bachelors, doctors) or not, more than 80% of junior high school teachers are for the education & training. 7. 72.4 % of junior high school dancing teachers think that the supply/demand-balance is not yet achieved. Also 41.4% of teachers think that the system of practice teaching for the cultivation of dancing teachers is not mature yet. 8.The institutionalization of dance class in junior high schools and elementary schools has lasted for 20 years. Because the cultivation of dancing teachers had not been systemized, and the qualification of dancing teachers is demanding, 63.8% of teachers think that the ¡§cultivation¡¨ and ¡§employment¡¨ of secondary school dancing teachers don¡¦t match each other. 9.The executive team for special education in the Ministry of Education is small with few members. It is really difficult for them to handle all the details of all kinds of special education countrywide. Hence, as many as 98.3% of secondary school dancing teachers think that the establishment of cultivation organization of dancing teachers is urgent. 10.The teachers of teaching cultivation organization are rather important. Universities or colleges with the Department of Dance have sufficient equipments, teachers, and the quality of teaching is recognized. About more than 70% of junior high school dancing teachers are for or positively for it. Key words: Dance, Gifted education, Teacher education

Thesis (Ed.S.)--Western Kentucky University, 2009. / Tables. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 31-40).

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2008. Graduate Programme in Clinical Developmental Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 65-70). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR45944

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between gifted students’ perceived parents’ parenting styles living in a residential academy and socioeconomic status. It was also the purpose to investigate if a relationship exists between students’ perceived parents’ parenting styles and their gender. Parenting style was measured by a validated 60-question Parenting Style Questionnaire. The findings were unlike previous research and suggest that residential gifted students may perceive their parents’ parenting styles more negatively than average ability students. Participants did not perceive their parents’ parenting styles differently among socioeconomic status (SES) which is unlike previous research which uses socioeconomic status as a predictor of parenting style among non-gifted students (Pinderhughes, Bates, Dodge, Pettit, & Zelli, 2000) . Statistically significant differences were also found between gifted students’ perceptions of their mothers and fathers. It is the intention of this study to use the results as a starting point for others to investigate residential gifted students and dedicate more studies to gifted research. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

The purpose of the study was to investigate factors influencing the selection of minority and majority school-aged children for gifted and talented programs. Factors explored included abstract thinking ability, achievement test scores, and parental social status (i.e., education, income, occupation) as academic and nonacademic variables that potentially influence the selection and/or placement process. Provided is performance data on 22 black and 23 white gifted children and 21 black and 24 white high achieving children (N=90) relative to their similar as well as unique traits on measures of abstract thinking ability, IQ, and achievement tests.FindingsH1. There are significant differences in abstract thinking ability among placement groups that vary with race.H2. It was found that students from higher social status backgrounds tended to be placed in programs for the gifted more often than were students from lower social status backgrounds.H3. Teachers tended to select (from a hypothetical group) children from higher income families rather than children from lower income families for placement in the gifted program. This finding was also true for children whose profiles indicated parent occupation (e.g., teacher, judge).Conclusions1. The selection of gifted students is influenced by race and social status of the parents.2. Parent education, occupation, and income are social class variables that influence children both in and out of school.3. Abstract thinking ability is not an academic variable that influences the selection of children for gifted program placement in the school corporation selected for this study.4. Numerous other variables (e.g., hi/lo socioeconomic background, values and beliefs, directed/mediated learning experiences, language and historical background) influence a child's capacity to learn and should be always considered.5. Testing instruments are not available in the school system used in this study to accurately assess the skills of minority children. / Department of Special Education

There is no abstract available for this dissertation. / Department of Educational Studies

The present study examined the psychometric properties, including factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Ksiazak Adult Giftedness Scale, a measure of characteristics of adult giftedness. Principal components analysis, as well as analyses of correlations between scores on the Ksiazak Adult Giftedness Scale and other measures, were performed to answer three research questions: 1) Can a reliable measure of characteristics of adult giftedness be developed? 2) Can a valid measure of characteristics of adult giftedness be developed? and 3) What is the factor structure of a measure of characteristics of adult giftedness? Results indicated that the Ksiazak Adult Giftedness Scale has adequate reliability and validity and appears to have a unifactorial structure. Theoretical, research, and practice implications are discussed in relation to the findings. Methodological limitations to the study and directions for future research are also offered. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services