Research Base - NAGC

Standard 3: Individual Learning DifferencesGT3K4:Influences of different beliefs, traditions, and values across and within diverse groups onrelationships among individuals with gifts and talents, their families, schools, andcommunities.Research-based ReferencesAblard, K. (1997). Self-perceptions and needs as a function of type of academic ability and gender.Roeper Review, 20, 110-115.Some academically talented students are at risk for social problems because of negative self-image. Astudy showed gifted students had higher academic self-concepts but approximately the same social selfconceptsas other students. Academically talented females were more oriented to dominance,achievement and endurance, but lower needs for abasement and succorance than a normative femalegroup. High verbal students may be at greater risk for problems in social adjustment.Benbow, C. P., Zonderman, A. B., & Stanley, J.C. (1983). Assortative marriage and the familiality ofcognitive abilities in families of extremely gifted students. Intelligence, 7, 153-161.12 females and 60 males (mean ages 13.5 and 15.1 yrs, respectively), who represented the top 1% of theextremely bright students identified by the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (C. P. Benbow andJ. C. Stanley were tested along with their parents, using a battery of specifically designed cognitive tests.These students represented the top 0.03% of their age group in intellectual ability. Results show that theparents were extremely able and resembled one another significantly more than parents in the generalpopulation. In addition, the intellectually precocious children resembled their parents to a lesser extentthan children of average ability resemble their parents. These data suggest that considerable assortativemating has occurred among the parents of these extremely gifted youth, but that extreme giftednesscannot be predicted reliably solely as a result of the mating of bright parents.Fernández, A. T., Gay, L. R., Lucky, L. F., & Gavilan, M. R. (1998). Teacher perceptions of giftedHispanic limited English proficient students. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 21, 335-351.This study examined the relationship between teachers’ ethnicities and the way they rated characteristicsfor gifted Hispanic LEP students and any gifted student. There were 373 teachers from Dade CountyPublic Schools, Dade County, Florida who participated. Of this sample of teachers, 162 were Hispanic,137 were White, and 74 were African American. Using the Survey on Characteristics of Gifted andTalented Hispanic Students (Marquez et al., 1992) and an adapted form that removed all of thecharacteristics that related specifically to Hispanic students, the researcher found similarities anddifferences in teacher perceptions. Teachers perceived the characteristics “is curious” as importantacross both groups; however, teachers rated “has a large vocabulary” and expresses himself/herself wellorally” differently for the two groups. While teachers do not view artistic, musical, and kinesthetic abilitiesas important characteristics of giftedness, they view these as more favorably for gifted Hispanic LEPstudents. Stereotypic impressions may influence ratings of students. Some variation was found in ratingsby African American and Hispanics who viewed “likes to study” and “does well in school” as moreimportant characteristics of giftedness than Whites. The authors conclude that teachers tend to perceivelanguage abilities as important characteristics of giftedness that may have negative implications for giftedHispanic LEP students.Peterson, J. S. (2002). A longitudinal study of post-high-school development in gifted individuals at riskfor poor educational outcomes. Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, 14, 6-18.Examined the subjective experience of post-high school development in 14 intellectually gifted lateadolescentsat risk due to academic underachievement, depression, or family situation/conflict withparents. The 4-yr longitudinal study focused on 4 developmental tasks: gaining autonomy, becomingdifferentiated, establishing career direction, and developing a mature relationship. Assessments includedthe FACES III: Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales, the Family Satisfaction Scale, the51