Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-138). Also available in print.

abstract: The population of intellectually gifted youth encompasses a wide range of abilities, talents, temperaments, and personality characteristics. Although generalizations are often made outside of the empirical literature regarding the interpersonal skills of these children, much remains to be understood about their social behavior. The aim of this study was to examine the within-group differences of gifted children, and it was hypothesized that subgroups of the gifted population would differ from each other in terms of interpersonal skill development. Gifted education teachers within a large K-12 public school district in the Southwestern United States completed the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA) regarding the social-emotional competence of 206 elementary and middle school students classified as gifted. Correlational analyses and factorial analysis of variance were conducted to compare interpersonal skills (as measured by DESSA ratings) and students' level of giftedness, area of identification as gifted, gender, and age. Results indicated that interpersonal skills were significantly related to gender, area of identification, and level of giftedness. Female children were described as having significantly higher levels of interpersonal skills overall, and children identified as gifted with both nonverbal and quantitative measures exhibited significantly higher levels of interpersonal skills than those identified with verbal or nonverbal measures alone. Significant correlations were also observed between the level of children's estimated gifted abilities and their interpersonal skills. Trends in the data suggested that as children's cognitive abilities increased, their interpersonal skills also increased, placing profoundly gifted children at social advantages over their moderately gifted peers. However, it was also noted that although the two variables were significantly related, they were not commensurate. While children presented with above-average cognitive abilities, their interpersonal skills were within the average range. This suggests that gifted children may benefit from interventions that target interpersonal skill development, in an effort to bring their social skills more in line with their cognitive abilities. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Educational Psychology 2012

abstract: The State of Arizona mandates that students with superior intellect or abilities, or identified gifted students, receive appropriate gifted education and services in order to achieve at levels commensurate with their intellect and abilities. Additionally, the State of Arizona adopted the Arizona College and Career Ready Standards (AZCCRS) initiative. This investigation explores if, according to the perceptions of gifted educators, the AZCCRS support a gifted mathematic curriculum and pedagogy at the elementary level which is commensurate with academic abilities, potential, and intellect of these mathematically gifted students, what the relationships are between exemplary gifted curriculum and pedagogy and the AZCCRS, and exactly how the gifted education specialists charged with meeting the academic and intellectual needs and potential of their gifted students interpret, negotiate, and implement the AZCCRS. This study utilized a qualitative approach and a variety of instruments to gather data, including: profile questionnaires, semi-structured pre-interviews, reflective journals, three group discussion sessions, and semi-structured post interviews. The pre- and post interviews as well as the group discussion sessions were audiotape recorded and transcribed. A three stage coding process was utilized on the questionnaires, interviews, discussion sessions, and journal entries. The results and findings demonstrated that AZCCRS clearly support exemplary gifted mathematic curriculum and practices at the elementary level, that there are at least nine distinct relationships between the AZCCRS and gifted pedagogy, and that the gifted education specialists interpret, negotiate, and implement the AZCCRS uniquely in at least four distinct ways, in their mathematically gifted pullout classes. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Curriculum and Instruction 2014

abstract: This study investigated the relationship between social emotional competency (SEC) and academic placement in gifted students. Data were collected on children between the ages of 5 and 12 years old (n=206) in three academic placement types - self-contained, cluster and content replacement. Social emotional skills were assessed by teacher report using the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment. Regardless of placements, the gifted students in this study were rated as having higher social emotional competencies than the standardization group of the DESSA. Gifted students in the cluster and self-contained settings demonstrated significantly higher scores in the area of Self-Awareness, which measures students' capacity to understand their personal strengths and weaknesses. When analyzed by gender, no significant differences were discovered between males; however, girls demonstrated significantly higher scores in the areas of Optimism and Self-Awareness in the self-contained and cluster settings. The results of the study have import for the development of gifted programs, especially for gifted girls. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Psychology 2015

abstract: Research shows that teachers hold different expectations for different students and these varying expectations influence students’ academic performance (Good & Brophy, 1997; Jussim, Smith, Madon, & Palumbo, 1998; Rubie-Davies, 2007; Rubie-Davies, Hattie, Townsend, & Hamilton, 2007). Teachers form expectations of students based on personal beliefs about individuals’ capabilities (Rubie-Davies, 2015). Teachers’ differential expectations for students can have positive and negative influences on student learning opportunities and their future potential (Weinstein, 2002). The purpose of this action research study was to better understand if gifted second-graders perceive their teachers’ expectations and if there is a difference in their academic performance or classroom behavior. The research focused on observing and interpreting ideas from the perspectives and experiences of the six gifted second-graders. The innovation focused on the voice of the students in making change in their classroom environment. It focuses on classroom observations and reflections of the six participants to discuss their thoughts and feelings about their perceptions about their teachers’ expectations. The greater purpose behind the design of the innovation was to provide a space where students could share their thoughts, feelings, and ideas, without fear of punishment from their teachers. Participants shared their ideas through online selfie videos in order to inform teachers’ practice. Data were available from several sources including the Teacher Treatment Inventory questionnaires, transcriptions from interviews, and videotaped lessons. The study aimed to determine: (1) How do gifted second-graders perceive to understand and respond to the varying expectations of their teachers for their academic success? and, (2) How do the varying expectations of teachers’ impact the classroom learning of gifted second-graders? Findings suggest teachers with low expectations for their students establish a climate of failure, but teachers that value their students’ abilities create a climate of success. Students achieve more when their teachers have purposeful and clear expectations. As indicated by the literature, when teachers listen to student voice in classrooms, it improves students’ morale. Creating an inclusive social learning environment in a gifted classroom requires teachers to build their classrooms around student voice to enhance the supportive and caring environment (Fraser & Gestwicki, 2012). / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2018

abstract: About piano students who display disruptive behavior and perform far below reasonable expectations, teachers first conclude that they are lazy, rude, disinterested, and/or lacking intelligence or ability. Most dismiss such students from studios and advise parents to discontinue lessons. In truth, many of these students are both highly gifted and also have a learning disability. Examined literature shows that the incidence of dyslexia and other learning disabilities in the gifted learner population is several times that of the regular learner population. Although large volumes of research have been devoted to dyslexia, and more recently to dyslexia and music (in the classroom and some in individual instrumental instruction), there is no evidence of the same investigation in relation to the specific needs of highly gifted dyslexic students in learning to play the piano. This project examines characteristics of giftedness and dyslexia, gifted learners with learning disabilities, and the difficulties they encounter in learning to read music and play keyboard instruments. It includes historical summaries of author's experience with such students and description of their progress and success. They reveal some of practical strategies that evolved through several decades of teaching regular and gifted dyslexic students that helped them overcome the challenges and learn to play the piano. Informal conversations and experience exchanges with colleagues, as well as a recently completed pilot study also showed that most piano pedagogues had no formal opportunity to learn about this issue and to be empowered to teach these very special students. The author's hope is to offer personal insights, survey of current knowledge, and practical suggestions that will not only assist piano instructors to successfully teach highly gifted learners with dyslexia, but also inspire them to learn more about the topic. / Dissertation/Thesis / D.M.A. Performance 2013

abstract: This study examined the relations between cognitive ability, socioemotional competency (SEC), and achievement in gifted children. Data were collected on children between the ages of 8 and 15 years (n = 124). Children were assessed via teacher reports of SEC, standardized cognitive assessment, and standardized achievement assessment. Composite achievement significantly correlated with all areas of SEC on the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA). Cognitive ability significantly correlated with all areas of SEC as well. Composite cognitive ability significantly correlated with all composite achievement, as well as with achievement in all subject areas assessed. Achievement scores tended to be higher in older age groups in comparison to younger age groups. When gender differences were found (in some areas of SEC and in language achievement), they tended to be higher in females. Gender moderated the relation between SEC and composite achievement. The areas of SEC that best predicted achievement, over-and-above other SEC scales, were Optimistic Thinking, Self-Awareness, and Relationship Skills. While cognitive scores did not significantly predict achievement when controlling for SEC, SEC did significantly predict achievement over-and-above cognitive ability scores. Overall findings suggest that SEC may be important in children's school achievement; thus it is important for schools and families to promote the development of SEC in gifted children, especially in the areas of optimism and self-awareness. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Educational Psychology 2013

abstract: Working with participants in schools for highly gifted students, this study asked adolescents to create a digital story to address the prompt, "How has your life changed since coming to this school?" Participant interviews were conducted in an attempt to determine how gifted students view their educational experiences and how those experiences influence the current development of self-identity. Digital story creation and photo elicitation methods were chosen in an effort to remove researcher bias and allow participant voices to be heard more accurately. Parent and educator interviews were also conducted. Data analysis was completed using narrative construction methods. Findings include several themes among participant self-identity influences including how labels affect participant's view of themselves, perfectionism and competitive drive function in each gifted child, necessity of intellectual challenge, appropriate learning environment helps to create self-confidence and self-identity, and grades are more important than learning for knowledge. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction 2014

The high stakes on standardized testing in the United States of America’s education system pressures teachers to ensure every child meets minimum standards. Teachers report this pressure motivates them to focus the majority of their time on struggling students. Combined with lack of training and resources, intellectually gifted students may remain under-challenged in a regular elementary classroom. To address the problem, the researcher continued the development of an online instructional environment, which teachers may use to extend and enrich the regular language arts curriculum for intellectually gifted students. The researcher conducted a formative design experiment “to create a viable theory-driven intervention for achieving a pedagogical goal” (Reinking & Bradley, 2008, p. 12). The pedagogical goal is to develop an appropriately differentiated instructional tool for intellectually gifted third graders, which classroom teachers can easily incorporate into their literacy instruction. The purposes of this iterative design experiment are (1) to develop an instructional intervention aligned with current theory and practice; (2) to test, modify, and retest the intervention in a regular classroom while simultaneously measuring its effectiveness in achieving the literacy objectives and pedagogical goals to determine whether the intervention works; and (3) to describe the reactions of teachers and their third grade gifted students to answer why and in what context the intervention works. In iteration one, experts reviewed the intervention. Three areas of moderate concern guiding modifications at this stage were level of difficulty, engagement/enjoyability, and support in achieving objectives. Evaluations of the pre-/post-test indicated the questions were a good fit to the objectives. Matched halves were well-matched, readable, and only one minor concern of bias. There was not a statistically significant (p=0.1438) difference between the pre-test (m=19.5, s=5.44) and post-test scores (m=21.1, s=6.082) in iteration 2 with only 10 completers. These results, along with student and teacher questionnaires, guided modifications. In iteration 3 with 16 completers, there was a statistically significant difference (p=0.0026) between the pre- and post-test. The qualitative and quantitative data analyses revealed a positive affective response by both students and teachers. Particular features need further development to improve the effectiveness on achieving mastery of the skills. In conducting the study, the researcher faced a number of obstacles. This document also reports those challenges in an effort to advise researchers who wish to conduct formative design experiments within public school classrooms.

Doctorat en sciences psychologiques / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished