The study aims to shed light on what strategies special needs education teachers in some primary schools use to detect gifted students and what support these students can receive in education. I have collected material through semi-structured interviews with four special needs education teachers and one special education teacher from the central student health care.  The theoretical approach in the study is based on Dewey's moral theory since it focuses on how all persons have a function in a democratic society.  The study shows that there is an increased need for strengthened management support in the work with gifted students in primary school. There is a need for a strategy plan for how gifted students are going to be discovered and their needs to be met. The results show that staff in primary schools need extensive competence development in the area of gifted students and that school management/municipality need to take the lead. The informants mean that the subject is important, but often neglected in everyday education. / Syftet med studien är att belysa vilka strategier specialpedagoger och speciallärare i några grundskolor använder för att upptäcka elever med särskild begåvning och vilken stöttning dessa elever kan få i undervisningen. Jag har samlat in ett material genom semistrukturerade intervjuer från fyra specialpedagoger/speciallärare och en specialpedagog från en central elevhälsa. Studiens teoretiska ansats utgår från Deweys moralteori eftersom den fokuserar på hur alla människor har en funktion i ett demokratiskt samhälle. Av resultatet framgår att det finns ett ökat behov av stärkt ledningsstöd i arbetet med särskilt begåvande elever. Det behöver dessutom utarbetas en grundlig plan för hur dessa elever upptäcks av personal i grundskolor. Vidare framgår av studien att personal i grundskolor är i behov av en omfattande kompetensutveckling inom området elever med särskild begåvning. Detta då studiens informanter är eniga i att ämnet är viktigt men tyvärr även åsidosatt.

The study focussed on determining whether there were any distinguishing characteristics that comprised the background of the gifted Indian pre-school child. The paucity of literature on the Indian pre-school child forced the researcher to rely on international studies. The theoretical composition of the study reviewed personality and normative development, as well as cognitive development of the gifted pre-school child. Family background and stimulatory activities that parents engaged children in, were also explored. The empirical investigation combined the use of quantitative and qualitative techniques. Initially, parents, teachers and peers were responsible for selecting the research sample. The sample of eighty-three children was subjected to the administration of the JSAIS. Of this twentyfive were selected in order for the questionnaire to be administered to their parents. Results of the questionnaire indicated that parents undertook to stimulate their children by engaging them in activities that they were of the opinion would promote their intellectual development. The results of the questionnaire were corroborated by interviews that were conducted with six of the parents. Relevant excerpts from five of the interviews are presented as well as a full interview with one of the parents. The results reveal that parents continuously strive to stimulate their children so that they can ensure that the potential that they believe their children possess can be actualised. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

Thesis (MEd(Psych))-- Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Gifted children represent an important component of a nation's intellectual capital, with the resources to find innovative solutions to scientific and social challenges. Since the advent of democracy in South Africa in 1994, limited attention has been paid to gifted education as a research focus. To ensure quality education for all learners, current educational policy supports inclusive education. However, there is a gap between the policies which have been developed and their implementation at grassroots level in the school and classroom. In particular, several recent South African studies on gifted education suggest that gifted learners are at the end of the queue for educational provision. In this qualitative and collective instrumental case study, framed within an interpretive paradigm, I set out to explore the lived experiences of academically gifted Grade 11 learners. I wanted to gain an insight into how it felt to be gifted, and how their experiences played out in the various systems in their respective contexts. A further aim was to assess their specific academic support needs, in order to make a contribution to designing quality education for this particular group. The expression of giftedness is viewed as dependent on the interactions of the child with his or her environment, so Bronfenbrenner's bio-ecological model was taken as the theoretical framework for the study. I chose a descriptive multiple case study design, using purposive sampling to select six participants, three from each of two schools in sharply contrasting socio-economic backgrounds in a large rural town. I used three methods of data collection, semi-structured individual interviews, a semi-structured focus group interview, and collages. Qualitative content analysis was used for both phases of data analysis, within-case analysis and cross-case analysis. The findings showed that gifted learners from both affluent and disadvantaged backgrounds faced similar challenges in developing their potential. They often felt neglected and academically under-stimulated. They identified specific deficiencies in both their schools and communities which needed to be addressed to ensure optimal learning opportunities. Despite the similarity of their experiences, the learners from the school in the disadvantaged community had to combat greater challenges than those from an affluent background. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Begaafde kinders verteenwoordig 'n baie belankrike komponent van 'n nasie se intellektuele kapitaal. Hulle beskik oor innerlike bronne om innoverende oplossings vir wetenskaplike asook sosiale uitdagings te bied. Vanaf die aanvang van demokrasie in 1994 in Suid-Afrika, is beperkte aandag aan begaafdekindonderwys as navorsingsfokus gegee. Die huidige onderwysbeleid ondersteun inklusiewe onderwys om sodoende kwaliteit onderrig aan alle leerders te verseker. Daar blyk egter 'n gaping te wees tussen beleidsontwikkeling en die inplementering daarvan op grondvlak, in skole en klaskamers. Verskeie onlangse Suid-Afrikaanse studies oor begaafdekindonderwys dui in die besonder daarop dat begaafde leerders agter in die ry staan as dit kom by voldoende onderwysvoorsiening. In hierdie kwalitatiewe, kollektiewe en instrumentele gevallestudie, ingebed binne die raamwerk van 'n interpretatiewe paradigma, het ek my beywer om die beleefde ervaringe van akademies begaafde Graad 11 leerders te ondersoek. Ek wou insig bekom oor hoe hulle, hulle eie begaafdheid ervaar, asook hoe dit uitspeel in die verskillende sisteme binne hulle onderskeie kontekste. 'n Verdere doelwit van hierdie studie was ook om spesifiek hulle akademiese ondersteuningsbehoeftes te evalueer ten einde sodoende 'n bydrae te lewer ten opsigte van die ontwerp van kwaliteit onderrig vir hierdie spesifieke groep. Die interaksies tussen die kind en sy of haar omgewing speel 'n belangrike rol in die uitdrukking van begaafdheid. Om hierdie rede is Bronfenbrenner se bio-ekologiese model as teoretiese raamwerk vir hierdie studie aangewend. Ek het 'n beskrywende, veelvuldige gevallestudie-ontwerp gekies en doelmatigheid-steekproefneming aangewend om die ses deelnemers, drie van twee skole in sterk kontrasterende sosio-ekonomiese agtergronde in 'n groot plattelandse dorp, te selekteer. Ek het drie metodes, naamlik semi-gestruktureerde individuele onderhoude, 'n semi-gestruktureerde fokusgroep-onderhoud asook collages, ingespan om data in te samel. Kwalitatiewe inhoudsanalise is gebruik vir beide data-analisefases, naamlik binne-geval-analise en kruis-geval-analise. Die bevindinge het getoon dat begaafde leerders van beide welvarende en benadeelde agtergronde soortgelyke uitdagings ten opsigte van die ontwikkeling van hul potensiaal in die gesig staar. Hulle het dikwels verwaarloos en akademies onder-gestimuleer, gevoel. Hulle het spesifieke leemtes in beide hulle skole en gemeenskappe geïdentifiseer wat aangespreek moet word om optimale leergeleenthede te verseker. Ten spyte van die ooreenkomste in hul ervarings, moes die leerders van die skool in die agtergeblewe gemeenskap groter uitdagings die hoof bied as die leerders van die meer gegoede agtergrond.

The purpose of this study was to confirm the original factor structure of the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (WRAML) utilizing a non-clinical adolescent population. Additional analysis examined the relationship between SAT-M scores and spatial relations ability. Exploratory analyses were conducted to determine ethnic and gender differences on the WRAML and subtests from the DAT. Sixty-four academically talented adolescents completed the WRAML and the mechanical reasoning and spatial relations subtests from the Differential Aptitude Test (DAT). The confirmatory factor analysis found the data obtained to not be a good fit for the factor structure of the WRAML (Sheslow & Adams, 1990). Additional confirmatory analyses were conducted which examined data fit of a three factor model found by reanalyzing the standardization data (Burton et al., 1996; Wasserman & Cambias, 1991) as well as two null models. The data failed to fit any of these three models. No support was found for the second hypothesis that predicted a positive relationship between SAT-M scores and spatial relations ability. Ethnic and gender differences on the WRAML and two DAT subtests were examined and discussed. Limitations of this study were reviewed which may have accounted for the overall lack of results.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of students' self-concept and their perceptions of family environment in the psychosocial adjustment and academic achievement of accelerated college students in a residential program. A secondary purpose was to investigate the differential role of those factors for students of diverse ethnic backgrounds.

Every day, children throughout the United States are given psychological evaluations for many different clinical and psycho-educational purposes. Very little research has attempted to investigate children's responses to the experience of having intellectual and achievement tests administered. The goal of the current research was to explore the effect a psycho-educational evaluation has on children in areas of self-concept and anxiety. Dependent variables consisted of pre- and post-test measures of anxiety and self-concept. A total of 75 children in the 4th 5th and 6th grades were recruited after referral for evaluation and possible placement in the Talented and Gifted Program or Special Education. This study employed Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), t-tests, multiple regression analysis, and correlational analysis. Findings included initial evidence that children endorsed decreased anxiety after psycho-educational assessments rather than increased anxiety, suggesting that fear of unknown situations may be more anxiety provoking than the actual situation itself, potentially beneficial findings for psychology and psychometric professionals who evaluate children daily. Students endorsement of academic self-concept significantly predicted anxiety after a psycho-educational evaluation, indicating that students who feel capable in academic areas may endorse less anxiety after an evaluation than students who do not feel academically capable. Finally, negative verbal interaction with parents significantly predicted lower general self-concept scores, providing evidence that the manner in which parents verbally relate to their children may have significant impact for the mental health of children.

This thesis deals with the integration of gifted children to kindergarten. It outlines the needs and demands of these children - parents, educators, environment, forms and methods of education. The practical part focuses on specific research - identifying gifted children in kindergarten and on the conditions of their education. The research was conducted by e-mail between kindergarten teachers in all 14 regions of the Czech Republic. The practical part is supplemented by two case report of exceptionally gifted children (a boy and a girl) who are (resp. were) integrated and educated in private nursery schools. Conclusion The thesis contains suggestions for how to practice.

(in English): The thesis called "The Relationship between perfectionism, achievement motivation, subjective life satisfaction and self-esteem among gifted and non-gifted high school students' aims to explore the differences between gifted high school students in natural sciences and their perrs in school achievement motivation, level of self-esteem, subjective life satisfaction and perfectionism. The thesis is divided into three parts: theoretical, methodological and empirical. The theoretical part deals with variables examined in the context of the giftedness and also outlines the results of previous studies in this field. The thesis focuses on intellectually gifted high school students in a field of natural sciences, especially in biology and chemistry. Research in tis thesis is quantitative. To detect self-esteem was used Rosenberg self-esteem scale, for detecting a level of global life satisfaction we used life satisfaction scale recommended by the OECD and the manual by The New Economics Foundation, school achievement motivation was measured by evaluation tool according to Hrabal and Pavelková (2011). For measuring of perfectionism, we used a modified questionnaire to measure perfectionism in sport according to Stoeber and Rambow (2007). The empirical part is devoted to statistical data...

This study focused on how teachers' planning and teaching methods changed after they acquired more confidence in applying differentiated strategies in their instructional units. Teachers were given a questionnaire about their skills, qualifications and teaching beliefs comparing teaching general education students and gifted education students within the typical classroom setting. Then teachers received several professional development opportunities within the school year exposing them to different forms of differentiation. Time was given between trainings so that teachers would have ample time to integrate what they learned into their planning and instructional design. At the end of the study, teachers were given another questionnaire, similar to the first one, where they had to rank themselves on skills, education, and teaching methods for general education students and gifted students after the professional development. Comparisons between the two questionnaires showed that teachers were more confident in how to meet individual students' needs through differentiation after the trainings than before the study. In fact, before the study, 50% of teachers reported that the needs of gifted students are not being met in the general classroom setting; but, after the study, that number dropped to only 6%. Because teachers felt more confident in their abilities to teach gifted students in the traditional classrooms, the students' needs were addressed.

This qualitative dissertation study examined the ways that nine gifted, bilingual Mexican/Mexican-American students negotiated paradoxes in their academic, linguistic, and cultural identities in a public high school in a large, south central Texas city. One theoretical lens, Critical Race Theory/Latino Critical Race Theory (CRT/LatCrit) was combined with phenomenological research methods to privilege the students' perspectives during the data collection process. An additional theoretical lens, the concept of Figured Worlds, was used to contextualize the setting, Chase High School. Both CRT/LatCrit and Figured Worlds were used to analyze interview, classroom and field observation, participant, school, and district artifacts, federal, state and local data collected over ten months of study. The investigation revealed that the participants braided the domains of community cultural wealth -- aspirational, navigational, linguistic, social, resistance, and familial capital -- into practices that grounded them in their bilingual, bicultural Mexican/Mexican-American identities as successful students. / text