{"title":"Are Teacher Rating Scales of Gifted Student Behavior Just Measures of Personality?","authors":"Jennifer L Jolly, Joni M Lakin","doi":"10.1177/00169862251397381","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00169862251397381","url":null,"abstract":"Standardized and informal teacher rating scales (TRS) are survey tools that include behaviors thought to be representative of giftedness and are often used for nomination or referral to a district’s gifted education program or as a datapoint of a multi-measure approach to the identification of gifted and talented students. One of the critical concerns about TRS is whether there is a credible theory underlying survey development. This study explored whether the constructs measured by TRS could be subsumed in the Five-Factor Theory of Personality (FFTP) which is a broadly recognized personality theory with five cross-culturally stable latent constructs. The standardized scales reviewed for general education students included the Scales for Identifying Gifted Students (SIGS), Gifted Rating Scales (GRS), HOPE Teacher Rating Scale (HOPE), and Scales for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students (SRBCSS). We also included representative examples of non-standardized scales used to identify students from culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse (CLED) backgrounds. Using the five latent constructs as a priori codes, a deductive analysis of the statements from each scale was conducted. The personality traits of Openness and Conscientiousness were most noted for general and CLED scales. Agreeableness was more represented in the general scales, while Neuroticism and Extroversion were more common for CLED scales. This study offered an alternative explanation for the constructs being measured, lending credibility to TRS when they align to the constructs of FFTP, especially Openness and Conscientiousness, and the need for continued critical analysis of how existing TRS implicitly define academic talent, particularly among CLED students.","PeriodicalId":47514,"journal":{"name":"Gifted Child Quarterly","volume":"162 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145770655","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Making a List Requires Checking it Twice: A Call for Empirical Evidence in Characteristics Lists","authors":"Matthew C. Makel","doi":"10.1177/00169862251392934","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00169862251392934","url":null,"abstract":"Countless characteristics lists have been made to describe gifted children. But what evidence exists to support them? If such lists are to be useful, they must be appropriately contextualized and grounded in empirical support. Lacking these, they cannot be useful. And many existing lists are severely lacking in both of these things. In this article, I first provide background on characteristics lists and their uses. Second, I outline six limitations of current lists. Third, I introduce a formal nomenclature for determining what constitutes a characteristic of gifted students. Finally, I propose two possible paths forward. First, stop creating or using characteristics lists. Alternatively, if characteristics lists are to be created and consumed, they need to better align the field’s actions with its aspirations. Without sufficient empirical support, characteristics lists will not help schools and can exacerbate both inequity and distrust in research. Calling something a characteristic is a privilege that must be empirically earned.","PeriodicalId":47514,"journal":{"name":"Gifted Child Quarterly","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145765162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Amanda M. Nickerson, Stephanie A. Stollar, Pam Kastner
{"title":"Utilizing Advanced Decoding and Spelling Lessons to Accelerate Highly Skilled First-Grade Readers","authors":"Amanda M. Nickerson, Stephanie A. Stollar, Pam Kastner","doi":"10.1177/00169862251392214","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00169862251392214","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigates the impact of advanced explicit phonics and spelling instruction on the oral reading fluency of highly skilled first-grade readers, filling a gap in the literature. While the necessity and enjoyment of phonics instruction for this population are debated, evidence suggests benefits for students with high phonemic awareness and alphabet knowledge. Using a single-case multiple-baseline across-subjects design, six students participated in daily 30-min interventions over an 8-week period. Data-based decision-making was used to group students, identify instructional targets, monitor progress, and determine the need for decoding or spelling review. Results showed gains in oral reading fluency for all students, with greater growth among those with more advanced decoding and spelling skills. Both the instructor and students viewed the intervention favorably. This study offers preliminary evidence that advanced explicit phonics and spelling instruction can be enjoyable and improve student outcomes, with implications for early enrichment and data-based differentiation.","PeriodicalId":47514,"journal":{"name":"Gifted Child Quarterly","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145730968","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Equitable Identification Practices for Gifted Refugee Students: A Systematic Review and Comparative Thematic Analysis","authors":"Ali M. Alodat","doi":"10.1177/00169862251392600","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00169862251392600","url":null,"abstract":"While research on underrepresented gifted students, such as those from low-income, minority, and linguistically diverse backgrounds, has informed identification strategies, little is known about their applicability to refugee students. Refugee children face unique challenges, including trauma, interrupted education, and acculturation stress, necessitating tailored approaches. This study examined equitable identification practices for gifted refugee students through a systematic review and comparative thematic analysis. The study synthesized findings from 26 empirical studies, identifying best practices such as universal screening, culturally responsive assessments, and nontraditional identification methods. Comparative thematic analysis reveals five core themes: identification practices, adaptations for equitable evaluation, identification challenges, impacts on student well-being, and limitations of existing methods. Findings highlighted that, while existing equitable practices can inform refugee student identification, additional modifications are required to address the distinct barriers these students face. The study emphasized the need for culturally and contextually relevant identification frameworks that recognize the diverse expressions of giftedness among refugee students. Policy and practice implications include adopting multimethod assessments, teacher training on gifted refugee identification, and developing flexible identification criteria to ensure inclusivity and fairness.","PeriodicalId":47514,"journal":{"name":"Gifted Child Quarterly","volume":"42 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145730991","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tzu-Jung Lin, Trent N. Cash, Hyun Ji Lee, Saetbyul Kim, Eric M. Anderman, Wonjoon Cha, Xingfeiyue Liu, Ziye Wen
{"title":"School Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study of Academic Motivation, Peer Connectednessss, and School Liking Among Gifted and Nonidentified Early Adolescents","authors":"Tzu-Jung Lin, Trent N. Cash, Hyun Ji Lee, Saetbyul Kim, Eric M. Anderman, Wonjoon Cha, Xingfeiyue Liu, Ziye Wen","doi":"10.1177/00169862251392225","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00169862251392225","url":null,"abstract":"This longitudinal study tracked the trajectories of school well-being of gifted and nonidentified early adolescents before and through the COVID-19 pandemic (2019–2022). We used a prospective cohort panel design that followed students ( <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">N</jats:italic> =1,033) from Grade 3 until the end of Grade 6. Three aspects of school well-being were examined through both hedonic and eudaimonic views of well-being: school liking, peer connectedness, and academic motivation. Longitudinal multilevel modeling showed that the pandemic was associated with negative shifts in students’ academic motivation, but not with school liking or peer connectedness. When considering students’ gifted status, students gifted in superior cognitive abilities, reading, or math showed similar trajectories of school liking but greater declines in peer connectedness than their nonidentified peers, especially during the pandemic years. The gifted students also showed a slower rate of growth in math expectancy than nonidentified students over time, regardless of the state of the pandemic. Students gifted in math experienced a shift from high and stable academic motivation in the prepandemic years to a decline during the pandemic, while other students experienced a shift from growth in academic motivation before the pandemic to maintaining the same or lower levels during the pandemic. Our findings shed light on gifted early adolescents’ resilience and vulnerability during transitions and upheavals like the pandemic, illuminating future research directions on how schools can differentiate their adaptation and support for gifted students at a uniquely important time in their development.","PeriodicalId":47514,"journal":{"name":"Gifted Child Quarterly","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145717543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sabine Sypré, Patrick Onghena, Karine Verschueren, Maarten Vansteenkiste, Bart Soenens
{"title":"Promoting Engagement and Motivation and Reducing Perceived Underachievement of Gifted Male Adolescents: A Mixed-Methods Single-Case Experimental Study","authors":"Sabine Sypré, Patrick Onghena, Karine Verschueren, Maarten Vansteenkiste, Bart Soenens","doi":"10.1177/00169862251388967","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00169862251388967","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigated the effectiveness of a one-on-one counseling intervention for underachieving gifted adolescents, recognizing that not all excel academically despite their high cognitive abilities. Underachievement in this group can lead to detrimental consequences in both the short and long term. The research explored whether a tailored intervention can enhance engagement and mitigate underachievement. It distinguishes between two pathways leading to underachievement and designs specific modules for each. One module targets students’ self-beliefs, fostering a growth mindset and minimizing self-handicapping, while the other aims to boost students’ valuation of schoolwork by influencing various factors. Employing a mixed-methods single-case approach, the study involved eight gifted male adolescents aged 13 to 16, with four participating in each module. Findings indicated that while both modules affected outcomes, particularly in identity development, there were variations in effectiveness. This research sheds light on the development of interventions to address underachievement in cognitively gifted adolescents.","PeriodicalId":47514,"journal":{"name":"Gifted Child Quarterly","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145704031","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yoojoong Kim, Denis Dumas, Selcuk Acar, Peter Organisciak
{"title":"The Innovative-Adaptive Model of the TTCT Figural Is Invariant Across Ethnicity but Not Gender","authors":"Yoojoong Kim, Denis Dumas, Selcuk Acar, Peter Organisciak","doi":"10.1177/00169862251388487","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00169862251388487","url":null,"abstract":"The Torrance Test of Creative Thinking-Figural (TTCT-F) is the most extensively used creativity measure in U.S. schools, especially for gifted identification. TTCT-F has been thought to be culturally fair across ethnicities and genders, although this belief has rarely been empirically tested. Our study examined the latent structure of the TTCT-F scales: Fluency, Originality, Elaboration, Abstractness of Titles (AT), and Resistance to Premature Closure (RPC), and then investigated measurement invariance across overrepresented and underrepresented ethnicities and across genders. Using data obtained from 379 U.S. elementary school students, we identified that the Innovative-Adaptive model, with an additional cross-loading for the RPC scale, was the best fit. We also found that this two-factor model was invariant across underrepresented and overrepresented ethnicities at configural, metric, and scalar levels. In contrast, even configural invariance did not hold across both boys and girls, suggesting that additional research is needed to understand creative thinking across gender.","PeriodicalId":47514,"journal":{"name":"Gifted Child Quarterly","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145619595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Using Topic Modeling in Gifted Education Research: Drawing Insights From Open-Ended Survey Responses","authors":"Yuxiao Zhang, Nielsen Pereira, David Arthur, Hernán Castillo-Hermosilla, Zafer Ozen, Hua-Hua Chang","doi":"10.1177/00169862251378446","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00169862251378446","url":null,"abstract":"Despite the rich insights they offer, open-ended survey responses remain underutilized in educational research, often due to a lack of awareness of emergent methods that can efficiently analyze such data. This methodological brief addresses this gap by introducing the topic modeling technique, particularly the latent Dirichlet allocation, as a tool for analyzing open-ended responses and facilitating the investigation of relationships between textual responses and measurable outcomes. This brief outlines the rationale behind topic modeling and details the implementation process through the analysis of open-ended responses on students’ career interests as an example. In addition, we discuss the advantages and limitations of this technique and provide practical considerations for its application in educational research.","PeriodicalId":47514,"journal":{"name":"Gifted Child Quarterly","volume":"359 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145575572","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jeb S. Puryear, Melanie S. Meyer, Kristen N. Lamb, Lindsay Ellis Lee
{"title":"Conceptions of Giftedness and Gifted Education: A Q-Sort Approach","authors":"Jeb S. Puryear, Melanie S. Meyer, Kristen N. Lamb, Lindsay Ellis Lee","doi":"10.1177/00169862251384641","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00169862251384641","url":null,"abstract":"Gifted education continues to wrestle with fragmented priorities rooted in differing paradigms. This study used a Q-sort methodology to examine the subjective interests of 66 professionals in the field. Participants sorted 71 items representing key issues, revealing three distinct viewpoints: (a) optimizing equity in advanced academics, (b) supporting the social-emotional needs of the gifted learner or whole child, and (c) instructional practices for developing students’ talents and creativity. These components reflected alignment with Dai and Chen’s paradigms—Differentiation, Gifted Child, and Talent Development—but also illustrated evolving priorities, particularly regarding equity. Participants endorsed system-level changes for expanding access, supporting diverse forms of potential, and challenging traditional assumptions about giftedness. Demographic analyses and open-ended responses showed how participants’ roles and identities shaped their beliefs. Although long-standing divides remain, the findings revealed areas of convergence—especially around personalization and equitable talent development—that may support a more inclusive and dynamic vision for the field.","PeriodicalId":47514,"journal":{"name":"Gifted Child Quarterly","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145472969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, Saiying Steenbergen-Hu, Eric Calvert, Susan Richert Corwith, Sarah Bright
{"title":"A Meta-Analysis of Research on the Relationship Between Overexcitabilities and Giftedness","authors":"Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, Saiying Steenbergen-Hu, Eric Calvert, Susan Richert Corwith, Sarah Bright","doi":"10.1177/00169862251370377","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00169862251370377","url":null,"abstract":"This meta-analysis explored a total of 230 effects that were extracted from 20 empirical studies on overexcitabilities (OEs) to study the relationship between giftedness and OE. Variables studied included operationalization of giftedness, use of explicit benchmarks for identifying giftedness, type of OE instrument, gender, developmental level of participants, and national setting and timing of study. Overall, there was a positive and significant relationship found between OE and giftedness with the strongest relationship being with Intellectual OE and the weakest with Sensory and Emotional OE. However, the strength of the relationship varied significantly by operationalization of giftedness, being strongest when giftedness was operationalized as previous identification as gifted and non-existent when operationalized as general intelligence or cognitive ability. In addition, when no explicit benchmarks were employed for gifted identification, there was no evidence of such a difference between the gifted and non-gifted. When comparing gifted to non-gifted students, differences were found only for high school-aged students, but not for elementary and/or middle school age or adults. The differences obtained in OE between the gifted and non-gifted are likely to be overestimated due to a presence of publication bias, that is, an overrepresentation of studies with relatively small sample sizes. Recommendations include caution about assumptions regarding the prevalence of OEs among gifted students, using OEs as indicators of giftedness in school-based referral and identification processes, and for designing affective education curricula and services targeting gifted students.","PeriodicalId":47514,"journal":{"name":"Gifted Child Quarterly","volume":"85 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145397387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}