Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1996. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 131-136). Also available on the Internet.

This dissertation includes solved problems of the 17th - 19th year of the South Bohemia correspondence mathematical competition (1996-1999). These tasks can be used as material for next work with similar types of exercises. They are suitable especially for students at secondary schools.

This thesis contains solved problems from South Bohemia correspondence mathematical competition from Years 1993 -- 1996, which can be used as a material for another work with similar types of problems. They are useful especially for intermediate school students.

The Virginia Governor's School for Agriculture (VGSA) is a summer enrichment program for gifted and talented students from throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. The program is sponsored by the Virginia Department of Education, and it takes place at Virginia Tech during the month of July each year. The program is housed in the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Students who participate in the program receive hands on, cutting edge instruction in the broad fields of agricultural sciences, natural resources, and veterinary medicine.The nature of agriculture has and continues to evolve. Farmers comprise a very small portion of the population; however there are many careers in agriculture which require a steady supply of well-trained and highly educated professionals. It is projected that the demand for qualified college graduates to fill agricultural jobs will exceed supply. The VGSA has been developed as an agricultural literacy tool, to expose gifted and talented students to the diverse careers in the industry.The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the VGSA on the students who have completed the four classes. Specific objectives were to develop demographic information; to ascertain the perception of the influence of the VGSA on alumni choice of college, major, and career; and to ascertain the perception of the influence of the VGSA on alumni knowledge and perception of the agricultural industry.A survey instrument was sent to all students who had completed the VGSA (N=316). Over half of the alumni (n=182) returned the instrument. No significant difference was found between early, late, and non-responders. The findings show that the average VGSA student is a white female that resides in an urban area with a population greater than 20,000. This student has a high school GPA of 3.93 and is in the top 6% of her high school graduating class. She has an SAT math score of 627 and an SAT verbal score of 630. She is not a member of the FFA or 4-H.The findings show that the VGSA does not have an overwhelming influence on alumni choice of college or college major. The VGSA does not have an overwhelming influence on alumni career goals. The findings show that the VGSA does have much influence on alumni knowledge and perception of the agricultural industry. / Ph. D.

One of the major problems of the modern educational system is scholastic under-achievement by talented students. Until recently the typical study had been chiefly concerned with the correlation between level of ability and academic success, while many studies referred to the presumed relationship between emotional stability and academic achievement. On the college level such characteristics as failure to adjust to college life, poor study habits, lack of awareness of his real level of ability on the part of the student, and other such Causes have been tacitly assumed as the explanation for under- achievement

The purpose of this study is to investigate the identification methods that achieve parity for students underrepresented in Gifted and Talented (GT) Programs in Virginia. There are underrepresented gifted and talented students (GT) throughout the United States of America, including the Commonwealth of Virginia. Students of every ethnicity and socioeconomic status can need GT services. There is a need to increase equity in GT programs to show a representation of students that mimics the total representation in the school division. Data were collected from all 132 school divisions in Virginia and the school divisions that were not underrepresented for Black, Hispanic, and two or more-race students (Non-Hispanic) (NH) were studied further. There were 12 out of the 132 school divisions that were not underrepresented for Blacks, 16 out of 132 for Hispanics and 42 out of 132 for two or more-race students (NH). In those 70 school divisions, GT plan reports were researched for identification methods used to be accepted into the GT program. Identification methods included: which of the four area of giftedness they were admitted into, which of the seven multiple criteria were used, and which standardized test/s were taken. In this study, the identification process used in GT programs in Virginia to ascertain favorable practices to achieve parity in minority representation was researched. This updated research study was as close as possible to the Palmer (2009) study. There was an increase for all three chosen racial groups since 2009. The increase could only be one standardized test. All other results were inconclusive. / Doctor of Philosophy / This study on the identification methods used for a student's admission into Gifted and Talented (GT) programs was conducted to see if the methods used to qualify them for services had anything to do with the underrepresentation of Black, Hispanic, and two or more-race students (Non-Hispanic). There is a problem with the overrepresentation of Whites and Asians and an underrepresentation of these minority races in GT education and it needs to end. There are GT students that require GT programs to enrich or advance these students learning. The school divisions with equity for these races were studied to see what they were doing right to achieve this goal. Researched were the seven multiple criteria used to identify GT students, what area of giftedness they were placed in, and the standardized test taken. These measures were checked for similarities in the school divisions in Virginia that may give us information on what made them equitable. The results included 28 school divisions with equity for Blacks and Hispanics and 42 for two or more- race students (NH). There are still an abundance of Black and Hispanic students not qualifying for GT services. Two or more-race students have equity now. None of the criteria could be attributed to this underrepresentation.

This article describes ‘Kidumatica’ – a highly successful project for the promotion of talented students from underprivileged backgrounds. In its 11 year run, Kidumatica has evolved into a way of life for its many students, allowing them opportunities to realize their potential, enter advanced academic studies, and successfully enter a society rich in knowledge and achievement. Kidumatica is based on academic research in the fields of excellence, cognition and mathematics education, and on the social principle of equal opportunity for all and one’s right to self-realization and aspiration, regardless of ethnic background and socio-economic status. Beyond these social/educational purposes, Kidumatica is also a research model and laboratory for testing new programs and teaching methods for gifted students. The following are the basic premises of the Kidumatica model, its goals and how they are achieved, including the recruitment of club members and the mathematical content.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2016-12-21T11:46:54Z No. of bitstreams: 1 taritamachadobrandao.pdf: 1312207 bytes, checksum: 23c89e99366d0361d444dc2472dd0d64 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2016-12-22T12:48:53Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 taritamachadobrandao.pdf: 1312207 bytes, checksum: 23c89e99366d0361d444dc2472dd0d64 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-22T12:48:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 taritamachadobrandao.pdf: 1312207 bytes, checksum: 23c89e99366d0361d444dc2472dd0d64 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-11-26 / FAPEMIG - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais / As atitudes têm alto valor preditivo para os comportamentos, uma vez que fazem com que os indivíduos se aproximem – atitudes positivas – ou se distanciem – atitudes negativas – de determinado objeto. Portanto, as atitudes dos professores em relação aos estudantes talentosos e à sua educação determinarão, até certo ponto, se e como ocorrerão a identificação e o desenvolvimento desses alunos. O presente estudo teve como objetivo descrever atitudes de professores em relação aos estudantes talentosos e à sua educação. Contou com a participação de 217 docentes da rede pública de ensino de cidades de Minas Gerais e do Distrito Federal. Os professores responderam a três instrumentos, duas escalas de atitudes tipo Likert e um questionário. Após análise quantitativa dos dados, verificou-se, entre outros resultados, que a maioria dos professores não se considera dotada ou talentosa, não tem aluno com essas características e, na graduação, não teve atividade ou disciplina voltada para essa necessidade educacional especial. A experiência com identificação de dotação e talento se associou à percepção dessas características de capacidade superior em familiares, pessoas do convívio e alunos, assim como a estabelecer conversação sobre essa necessidade educacional especial. Embora os professores acreditem na importância da educação para o alunado talentoso, a maioria não se sente preparada para educá-lo. As escalas de atitudes apresentaram evidências de validade satisfatórias. As atitudes dos professores em relação aos estudantes talentosos e à sua educação foram, de modo geral, ambivalentes em ambos os instrumentos. Não foram identificadas diferenças significantes entre essas atitudes quando se considerou a experiência dos docentes na identificação de dotação e talento. São apresentadas várias associações entre as múltiplas variáveis pesquisadas e essas atitudes. Recomendam-se estudos adicionais que continuem a obter evidências de validade das escalas e que contem com amostras mais representativas da população de docentes brasileiros. Não obstante, há evidências de que aprimorar a formação docente constitui um dos passos fundamentais para promover atitudes mais positivas em relação aos estudantes dotados e talentosos e à sua educação. / The attitudes are highly predictive for behaviour, because they approach the individuals to a particular object - positive attitude – or they distance themselves from this object - negative attitudes. Therefore, the attitudes of teachers towards gifted students and their education will determine to some extent, if teachers will identify gifted students and how to identify and to develop those students. This study aimed to describe the attitudes of teachers towards gifted students and their education. 217 teachers from public schools located in cities of Minas Gerais and Distrito Federal participated in this study. Teachers responded to three instruments, two Likert scales of attitudes and a questionnaire. After quantitative analysis, the data showed, among other results, that most teachers do not consider themselves gifted or talented, they do not have students that had these characteristics and, at graduation, they had no activity or discipline that focuses on this special educational needs. Experience with identification of gift and talent is linked to the perception of these characteristics of superior ability in the relatives, person`s daily living and students, as well as establishing a conversation about this special educational need. Although teachers believe in the importance of education for gifted pupils, the majority of them do not feel prepared to educate gifted students. The scales of attitudes presented satisfactory evidence of validity. The attitudes of teachers towards gifted students and their education were generally ambivalent on both instruments. No differences were observed between such attitudes when it was considered the experience of teachers in the identification of gift and talent. This study shows a variety of associations between the multiple variables investigated and these attitudes. Additional studies with a more representative sample of the Brazilian teacher‟s population are recommended to obtain more evidence of validity of the scale. Nevertheless, there is evidence that improving teacher‟s education is a fundamental step to promote more positive attitudes towards gifted and talented students and their education

D.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / The creatively gifted individual is generally regarded as a valuable natural resource. Some of the solutions to the threats that endanger the future of mankind, are possibly lodged in the abilities of the creatively gifted. These individuals, however, often experience social isolation because of their ability to question the status quo. The creatively gifted student at university is the focus of this investigation in which an attempt has been made to ascertain how the creatively gifted individual experiences university culture. This was done with a view to describing ideographically how students perceive their university culture. In Chapter I the problem and objectives were presented. The research question of this study pertains to the nature of creatively gifted students' experience of university culture. The rationale for the study is the fact that creatively gifted students often fail to be accommodated in an educational environment, both socially, personally and with regard to their academic activities. The objective of the study was to investigate the creatively gifted student's experience of the university environment. The latter refers to the social, personal and academic milieu. The aim of the investigation was to contribute to theory by highlighting the theoretical dimensions of the problem. It was also the objective of the study to use the interpreted data as a basis for recommendations to accommodate the creatively gifted student in the university environment. In Chapters 2, 3 and 4 a literature review was conducted. Chapter 2 dealt with the concept creativity and its interrelatedness with concepts such as giftedness and intelligence. Creativity is often confused with intelligence while they are both different aspects of giftedness. The concepts experience and university culture were also clarified. The creatively gifted personality was the focus of Chapter 3. The creatively gifted often display characteristics which may alienate them from society. In Chapter 4 the interaction between the creatively gifted individual and the environment was discussed. The environment can either encourage or demotivate the individual's creativity. Although the creatively gifted often resists the environment, they need assistance and support from the environment to actualize their creative potential. The design and method of research was formulated in Chapter 5. A case study design was selected for this study. The rationale for choosing this method of research was discussed. Issues such as validity, reliability and generalizability were also addressed. To identify the students with whom the case studies were conducted, certain procedures were followed. The study was structured in 4 phases in which quantitative and qualitative research methodologies were combined. In phase 1 the Torrance test of creative thinking (Figural, Form A) was administered to 400 first-year students at the Rand Afrikaans University. By means of a stratified sample 12 students were selected for phase 2 of this study. This group was constituted of 4 highly creative students, 4 students who obtained average scores for creativity and 4 students who performed poorly on the creativity test. In phase 3 a focus group interview was conducted with these students. The data obtained from this interview were analyzed according to qualitative research methodological procedures. The two creatively gifted students were identified with whom the double case study was conducted in phase 4 of the research. In Chapter 6 the data obtained from the double case study was reported and displayed. Examples were given from each procedural stage of the research process in order to establish a "chain of evidence". Patterns of each student's experience of the university environment were isolated. In Chapter 7 the final patterns obtained from the analysis of the data were interpreted against the theoretical background of previous chapters. The patterns for these students correlated well. The conclusion was reached that creatively gifted students could experience isolation within their environment which has a negative effect on their social and academic functioning. They might experience the isolation partly because of distinct characteristics of the creatively gifted individual and also because of the university structure in which they function. It was also concluded that the creatively gifted individuals in the study have the ability to adapt to the milieu although it demands much from them on an emotional level. Both testees have sound faith in their own abilities. Recommendations were made for the practical accommodation of these students as well as for possible further research. It is the wish of the author that this research should serve as an inspiration for researchers in this fundamental and crucial aspect of human functioning.

Enligt skollagen har alla elever rätt till stimulans i utbildningen. Alla elever “ska ges den ledning och stimulans som de behöver i sitt lärande och sin personliga utveckling för att de utifrån sina egna förutsättningar ska kunna utvecklas så långt som möjligt enligt utbildningens mål.” Skollagen (2010:800, 3 kap. 2§). Internationell forskning visar att elever som ”resonerar och utmärker sig med skärpa” behöver stimulering utöver det vanliga skolarbetet.  Förmågan att kunna utmärka sig med skärpa utöver det vanliga skolarbetet är ett fenomen som beskrivs som särbegåvning.  Studien bidrar till kunskap om lärarens egen uppfattning och reflektioner kring särbegåvning i den svenska grundskolan i relation till sitt eget yrkesutövande. Studien är gjord utifrån ett fenomenografiskt perspektiv vilket innebär att kvalitativa intervjuer med lärare har analyserats för att förstå tolkning av fenomenet särbegåvning. Empirin har analyserats och kategoriserats efter frågeställningarna för att framställa och diskutera forskningsresultatet.   Resultaten visar att, även om det råder en ovisshet och oenighet hos lärare kring begreppet särbegåvning, så kunde alla lärare i studien framgångsrikt identifiera attributen för den särbegåvade eleven samt var överens om att det finns ett behov av ytterligare resurser och stöd i lärares arbete med dessa elever. Utbildning om särbegåvning och särbegåvade elevers förutsättningar inom lärarkåren anses som viktig för framtiden. / According to the Education Act in Sweden, all students have the right to stimulation in education. All pupils “must be given the guidance and stimulus they need in their learning and personal development so that they can develop as far as possible according to the goals of education and in accordance with their own abilities.” Skollagen (2010:800, 3 kap. 2§). International research shows that students who give evidence of the ability for exceptional achievement need stimulation in addition to the usual schoolwork. The ability to excel with exception is a phenomenon described as gifted and talented. The purpose of this study is to understand the teacher’s perceptions and reflections on the phenomenon of gifted and talented students in Swedish primary schools. The study has used a phenomenographic perspective, which means that qualitative interviews with teachers were analyzed to understand their interpretations of the phenomenon gifted and talented. The data was then analyzed and categorized according to the research questions in order to present and discuss the research results.  The results show that even though there is uncertainty and disagreement among teachers over the concept of gifted and talented, all the teachers in the study could successfully identify the attributes of the gifted student and they agreed that there is a need for additional resources and support in their work. Further education, about gifted and talented students, for the teaching staff was considered essential for future progress.