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Understanding Underachievement: Mind-Set, Perfectionism, and Achievement Attitudes Among Gifted Students
Abstract
The current study compared differences between mind-set beliefs about intelligence (fixed vs. growth), dimensions of perfectionism (Concern Over Mistakes, Doubt of Action, Personal Standards, Organization), and achievement attitudes among gifted underachievers (n = 15) and gifted achievers (n = 169) in Grades 6 to 8 and examined the relationship between mind-set beliefs and dimensions of perfectionism. Gifted underachievers had higher fixed mind-set beliefs about intelligence (d = .79), lower scores on Organization (d = −1.01), and lower Self-Regulation/Motivation (d = −1.17) when compared with gifted achievers. These factors also were statistically significant in logistic regression models predicting achievement status. In addition, for the entire sample of gifted students (N = 264), fixed mind-set beliefs predicted both dimensions of Evaluative Concerns Perfectionism (Concern Over Mistakes, β = .35, p < .0001; Doubt of Action, β = .28, p < .0001), while growth mind-set beliefs predicted both dimensions of Positive Strivings Perfectionism (Personal Standards, β = .35, p < .0001, and Organization, β = .21, p = .001). Our findings provide a clearer picture of the relationships among underachievement, perfectionism, implicit theories of intelligence, and achievement attitudes, providing guidance for affective interventions.
... If they feel that their efforts improved their performance, they might have the courage to accept a challenge in order to achieve greater success. In contrast to gifted achievers, gifted underachievers in grades 6-8 demonstrated poorer levels of organization, self-regulation, and motivation, according to research by Mofield and Peters (2019). They also exhibited stronger fixed-mindset beliefs about intelligence (Mofield and Peters 2019). ...
... In contrast to gifted achievers, gifted underachievers in grades 6-8 demonstrated poorer levels of organization, self-regulation, and motivation, according to research by Mofield and Peters (2019). They also exhibited stronger fixed-mindset beliefs about intelligence (Mofield and Peters 2019). The fixed mindset of unhealthy perfectionists was significantly higher than healthy perfectionists and nonperfectionists, indicating that targeting mindset adjustment may be a feasible method for unhealthy perfectionists (Chan 2012). ...
... The fixed mindset of unhealthy perfectionists was significantly higher than healthy perfectionists and nonperfectionists, indicating that targeting mindset adjustment may be a feasible method for unhealthy perfectionists (Chan 2012). Additionally, for the whole sample of gifted students, fixed-mindset beliefs predicted both aspects of evaluative-concerns perfectionism (concern over mistakes and doubt of action), whereas growth-mindset beliefs predicted both aspects of positive-striving perfectionism (personal standards and organization) Mofield and Peters (2019). Apparently, gifted students may convert maladaptive perfectionism into adaptive perfectionism if they have good coping skills or constructive thinking. ...
The study compared the differences among gifted students of different grades and genders concerning perfectionism, cognitive mindset, constructive thinking, and emotional intelligence. The study included 908 gifted primary-school students from third to sixth grade. The study used the t-test and analysis of variance methods, and four scales. Furthermore, the following were the conclusions. Firstly, gifted pupils of different grades and genders scored considerably differently on some perfectionism subscales. Second, there were notable differences in the cognitive mindset of gifted pupils in different grades. Lastly, there was a substantial difference between gifted pupils in different grades in the distrust-of-others subscale in the constructive-thinking scale. Finally, there was a substantial difference in introversion, interpersonal relationships, and mood among gifted students of different genders.
... Although it can be theoretically hypothesized that there is an association between cognitive ability and students' mindsets, empirical research to date has mostly shown inconsistent results. Whereas some studies found that high cognitive ability students are more likely to adopt a fixed mindset (van Bemmel, 2015), others found no effects (Mofield & Peters, 2019) or even found that they are less likely to have a fixed mindset (Esparza et al., 2014). Most of these studies used samples of students identified as cognitively gifted on the basis of categorical criteria or looked at samples of students that were allegeable to participate in programs for gifted students. ...
... Past research has mostly used one of these operationalizations of giftedness which might explain some of the inconsistent findings. Given the inconsistent findings regarding giftedness in terms of cognitive ability (Macnamara & Rupani, 2017;Mofield & Peters, 2019;Spinath et al., 2003), we did not a priori specify a hypothesis regarding giftedness in terms of cognitive ability. However, we hypothesized that those identified as gifted in terms of being labeled would display higher levels of a fixed mindset and lower levels of effort beliefs. ...
... The differences between both mindsets have been argued to surface especially in response to setbacks: while failure would encourage students with a growth mindset to look for new strategies and to reinvest efforts in their learning, students with a fixed mindset would perceive failure primarily as a threat to their competence, leaving them more helpless and withdrawing their effort in reaction to failure (Yeager & Dweck, 2012). Congruent with these assumptions, a fixed mindset has been found to relate to a host of maladaptive outcomes, including challenge avoidance , declining learning motivation , self-handicapping (Snyder et al., 2014), and, ultimately, lower achievement (Mofield & Peters, 2019). By contrast, a growth mindset has been shown to predict adaptive self-regulatory processes and goal achievement (Burnette et al., 2013). ...
... Ως αρνητικός ενισχυτής στην προσπάθεια των χαρισματικών παιδιών μπορεί να λειτουργήσει το περιβάλλον του σχολείου, το οποίο δεν υποστηρίζει το ανώτερο νοητικό δυναμικό ή θέτει υψηλούς μαθησιακούς στόχους χωρίς να λαμβάνει υπόψη του τις δυνατότητες των μαθητών του (Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019). Και στις δύο περιπτώσεις, οι προσπάθειες των χαρισματικών παιδιών δεν ευδοκιμούν εξαιτίας της αναντιστοιχίας μεταξύ των μαθησιακών στόχων που θέτει το σχολείο και του γνωστικού δυναμικού του εν λόγω πληθυσμού. ...
... Παρόμοια αποτελέσματα παρατηρούνται όταν το πρόγραμμα διδασκαλίας γίνεται πολύπλοκο ακόμα και για τους χαρισματικούς μαθητές ή όταν προωθείται ανταγωνιστικό κλίμα ανάμεσα στους μαθητές. Όταν παρατηρούνται φαινόμενα σαν και αυτά οι χαρισματικοί μαθητές βιώνουν αισθήματα αναξιότητας αμφισβητώντας τις ικανότητές τους (Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019). Κάποιοι από αυτούς κατορθώνουν να προσαρμοστούν χρησιμοποιώντας κατάλληλες στρατηγικές μάθησης, ενώ άλλοι προσπαθώντας να αποκρύψουν τα αισθήματα φόβου που νιώθουν, ότι δηλαδή δεν είναι όσο έξυπνοι θα επιθυμούσαν, υιοθετούν μια σειρά στρατηγικών αποφυγής της επιπλέον προσπάθειας (McCoach & Siegle, 2003. ...
... Αυτές οι συμπεριφορές οδηγούν τελικά τα συγκεκριμένα παιδιά στην υποεπίδοση. Προκειμένου να αντιμετωπιστούν τέτοιου τύπου συμπεριφορές κρίνεται αναγκαίο οι χαρισματικοί μαθητές να ενθαρρυνθούν έτσι ώστε να αναλαμβάνουν ρίσκα, χωρίς το φόβο της αποτυχίας (Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019. Schultz, 2002. ...
Η υποεπίδοση των χαρισματικών παιδιών αποτελεί θέμα που έχει διερευνηθεί συστηματικά τα τελευταία χρόνια. Ο εννοιολογικός διαχωρισμός ανάμεσα σε χαρισματικότητα και επίτευξη έχει οδηγήσει σε μια συνεχή μελέτη των παραγόντων που συμβάλλουν στην υποεπίδοση των χαρισματικών νέων. Οι παράγοντες κατηγοριοποιούνται κυρίως σε ενδοπροσωπικούς και διαπροσωπικούς. Τα χαρισματικά παιδιά που στερούνται οικογενειακής υποστήριξης είναι περισσότερο πιθανό να εμφανίσουν υποεπίδοση. Η σημασία ενός υποστηρικτικού οικογενειακού και σχολικού περιβάλλοντος αναδεικνύεται στην πλειονότητα των ερευνών. Οι σημαντικοί άλλοι στη ζωή του παιδιού φαίνεται ότι αποτελούν έναν αντισταθμιστικό παράγοντα στα αρνητικά αποτελέσματα. Αντίθετα, ένα σχολικό σύστημα, το οποίο είναι ανέτοιμο να ανταποκριθεί στις ανάγκες του παιδιού μπορεί να συμβάλει στην κοινωνική, συναισθηματική και ακαδημαϊκή περιθωριοποίησή του. Ένα σημαντικό ποσοστό χαρισματικών παιδιών αποσύρεται, εμφανίζοντας κοινωνικές και συναισθηματικές δυσκολίες σε συνδυασμό με υποεπίδοση. Η αναγκαιότητα σχεδιασμού εκπαιδευτικών συστημάτων προσαρμοσμένων στις εξαιρετικές ικανότητες των χαρισματικών μαθητών γίνεται ολοένα και πιο επιτακτική. Οι προαπαιτούμενες αλλαγές του εκπαιδευτικού συστήματος θα πρέπει να είναι ριζικές και να συμπεριλαμβάνουν την οικογένεια ως σύστημα. Η εύρεση και κατανόηση των παραγόντων υποεπίδοσης των χαρισματικών παιδιών αποτελεί τη βάση ενός επιτυχημένου εκπαιδευτικού συστήματος.
... Τα παραπάνω χαρακτηριστικά στοιχεία των παιδιών με την αυτοπροσανατολιζόμενη μορφή τελειοθηρίας (self-oriented perfectionism) αντανακλώνται μέσω της έννοιας της τελειοθηρικής στοχοθεσίας και στοχοπροσήλωσης (Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019. Mofield, Parker Peters & Chakraborti-Ghosh, 2016. ...
... Οι ανωτέρω ψυχικές διαταραχές έχουν συσχετιστεί σε μεγάλο βαθμό με δυσπροσαρμοστικές συμπεριφορές σε ένα φάσμα ακαδημαϊκών, οικογενειακών και ευρύτερων κοινωνικών καταστάσεων (Alodat et al., 2020. Οι δυσλειτουργικές μορφές τελειοθηρίας εκδηλώνονται με καταθλιπτικά συμπτώματα, αρνητικές αυτόματες σκέψεις, έντονη αυτοκριτική, απρόσφορο συναίσθημα, αποφυγή απαιτητικών εργασιών και χαμηλή σχολική επίδοση (Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019. Mofield, Parker Peters & Chakraborti-Ghosh, 2016. ...
... ροφίλ των εν λόγω μαθητών αποτελεί ανασταλτικό παράγοντα θέτοντας περιορισμούς στα επίπεδα της ακαδημαϊκής τους επίδοσης. Τα συγκεκριμένα παιδιά βιώνουν έντονη την ανάγκη να γνωρίζουν εκ των προτέρων, προτού αναλάβουν να φέρουν εις πέρας μια δραστηριότητα την έκβαση της συγκεκριμένης δραστηριότητας και τις συνέπειες ή οφέλη για τα ίδια (Chan, 2012b. Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019. Τα ακαδημαϊκώς χαρισματικά παιδιά χαρακτηρίζονται από έντονη αναβλητικότητα, η οποία αποτελεί στοιχείο της προσωπικότητάς τους αποφεύγοντας να ασχοληθούν με δραστηριότητες που απαιτούν έντονη προσπάθεια και ειδικά στις περιπτώσεις εκείνες που έχουν βιώσει κάποια αποτυχία σε αντίστοιχου τύπου σχολικές δραστηριότητες (Chan, 2010. Mofield ...
Ένας αυξανόμενος αριθμός ερευνητικών ευρημάτων έχει συνδέσει την ύπαρξη τελειοθηρίας σε παιδιά και εφήβους, τόσο με δυσκολίες στη σχολική και κοινωνική προσαρμογή όσο και με συνοδά προβλήματα, συμπεριλαμβανομένων έντονης ψυχικής δυσφορίας και αυξημένων επιπέδων άγχους. Συγκεκριμένα, τα παιδιά με υψηλές ακαδημαϊκές επιδόσεις έχουν την τάση να προσπαθούν έχοντας ως στόχο την τελειότητα και ασκώντας αυστηρή κριτική στους εαυτούς τους με το να αντιλαμβάνονται και το ελάχιστο λάθος τους ως απόδειξη αποτυχίας. Η τελειοθηρία συνήθως αναφέρεται σε δύο βασικές κατηγορίες: την αυτοπροσανατολιζόμενη και την κοινωνικά οριζόμενη τελειοθηρία. Και οι δυο αυτές εκφάνσεις της τελειοθηρίας έχουν επίδραση στην ακαδημαϊκή επίδοση των παιδιών. Όσον αφορά στις συναισθηματικές συνέπειες της τελειοθηρίας έχουν παρατηρηθεί αυξημένα επίπεδα φόβου και μελαγχολίας καθώς και συσχέτιση με άγχος, κατάθλιψη και ψυχοσωματικά συμπτώματα. Ακόμη, τα παιδιά με υψηλά επίπεδα τελειοθηρίας χαρακτηρίζονται από μία συνεχή ανησυχία ως προς τη σχολική τους επίδοση και βαθμολογία αλλά και από έντονο βαθμό ανταγωνιστικότητας έναντι των συμμαθητών τους. Η ανταγωνιστικότητα δε αυτή ενισχύεται από τη σύνδεσή της με έντονη και συστηματική διάθεση αυτοκριτικής ως αποτέλεσμα της εικόνας που τα άτομα αυτά επιθυμούν να εμφανίσουν στους άλλους. Χαρακτηριστικό ερευνητικό εύρημα θεωρείται η υψηλή θετική συσχέτιση μεταξύ τελειοθηρίας, κατάθλιψης και του κοινωνικού άγχους, του βαθμού κοινωνικής υποστήριξης από το περιβάλλον αναφοράς και των στρατηγικών αντιμετώπισης των στρεσογόνων καταστάσεων και επίλυσης των κοινωνικών προβλημάτων.
... Despite the significant amount of research that has been conducted on the topic of underachievement in gifted students, a consensus definition of underachievement has yet to be established. While some researchers have defined underachievement in terms of discrepancies between intellectual ability and academic performance, others have emphasized the importance of social-emotional factors, such as motivation and self-efficacy, in understanding underachievement (Fong et al., 2023;Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019;Reis & McCoach, 2002;Ryan & Coneybeare, 2013). Furthermore, there is a lack of agreement regarding the threshold at which academic performance can be considered 'underachieving' for gifted students. ...
... Our study hypothesizes that underachievement in gifted students is influenced by multiple factors, including academic performance, motivation, social-emotional factors, and family environment. Recent research supports the multifaceted nature of underachievement, indicating that these factors interact in complex ways (Jackson & Jung, 2022;Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019). This study aims to create a tool for evaluating underachievement in gifted students from multiple perspectives, including parents, teachers, and students themselves. ...
PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT
The underachievement syndrome delineates a disparity between students’ abilities and their academic performance. It constitutes a significant concern within the gifted student population. Empirical investigations reveal that nearly 50% of gifted students may experience episodes of underachievement at various stages of their educational journeys. Discerning underachievement in gifted children has proven to be a complex task, necessitating the inclusion of viewpoints from parents and teachers for early detection. Thus, the principal aim of this study is to develop an integrated assessment tool derived from three distinct instruments. This amalgamated tool aims to pinpoint instances of underachievement in gifted students, incorporating insights from the perceptions of parents, teachers, and the students themselves.
... Gifted students, due to their perfectionistic tendencies, are exposed to a wide range of negative outcomes, such as academic stress (Mofield et al., 2016), avoidance coping strategies (Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019;Mofield et al., 2016), and academic procrastination (Foster, 2007). Perfectionistic learners are more inclined to succeed in their tasks, which results in a heightened fear of failure. ...
... In explaining the research findings, it can be stated that in recent years, the increasing trend of gifted students joining the group of underachieving or unsuccessful gifted students has been one of the most concerning and significant research questions among various researchers, particularly educational psychologists (Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019). Additionally, entry into school serves as the starting point for educational advancement, and the educational system must strive to cultivate effective human capital, enhance the cultural and value levels of society, and prevent the decline and loss of educational opportunities. ...
Objective: This study aimed to identify the factors influencing the academic well-being of gifted students to develop a model. Methods and Materials: The research method used in this study was qualitative, utilizing a grounded theory approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The data were examined and analyzed based on Strauss and Corbin's (1998) grounded theory methodology. The study population consisted of all male and female gifted sixth-grade students in the city of Isfahan in 2022. The research sample was selected through purposive sampling, and after conducting interviews with 23 students, the factors influencing academic well-being were identified. It should be noted that data analysis was conducted using three stages of open, axial, and selective coding. Findings: Based on the results of the study, open codes were organized around 57 concepts, axial codes included 8 concepts, and selective codes were identified and extracted into 4 concepts under the titles of school context, family context, social context, and individual resources. Conclusion: The findings of the research suggest that by recognizing and understanding the factors influencing academic well-being, it is possible to create conditions that enhance the academic well-being of gifted students.
... • high indicators of intellectual, creative potential and low creative productivity; or • high indicators of potential and limited presence of appropriate opportunities for intellectual and creative development. Mofield and Parker Peters (2019) suggested that underachievers may be overt and easily recognizable to educators by their poor grades or work habits, or they may be covert underachievers such as gifted students that choose not to pursue rigorous coursework. Adults must be proactive in screening for underachievement among gifted learners with covert behaviors otherwise they may slip through the cracks. ...
... Gifted underachievers may have low self-concept in contrast to their achieving gifted peers. This is especially true for academic and social self-concept (Baker et al., 1998;Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019;Ritchotte et al., 2014). It is unclear whether this lower self-concept is a result or precursor to underachievement. ...
Gifted learners who persistently exhibit a significant discrepancy between their perceived potential and their actual performance are often referred to as underachievers. Research defines one group of underachievers as "selective consumers," or students who underachieve on tasks that do not interest them but excel in areas of specific curiosity. Some bright learners with learning differences or disabilities, linguistic or cultural differences, and those that attend schools in high poverty areas may be forced to underachieve because the environment in which they attend school lacks appropriate funding, resources, trained teachers of the gifted, and services for advanced learners. Factors that may lead to underachievement include interpersonal factors and social relationships, environmental factors, psychological issues, undiagnosed learning disabilities, and low teacher expectations. This chapter provides an overview of the literature on the challenges gifted underachievers face in school and practical implications for educators.
... Mindsets guide what people focus on trying to achieve. A fixed mindset can prompt maladaptive perfectionism (Shih, 2011), marked by doubt of action and concern about failing (Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019). With the aim of "avoiding looking stupid" (Burnette et al., 2013, p. 673), they worry about potential failures even in domains where they experienced success (Cury et al., 2008;Hong et al., 1999) and are reluctant to engage in activities where potential ability deficiencies may be discovered, underscored, and attributed to ability limitations that cannot be readily rectified (Dweck, 1999). ...
... On the other hand, the inclinations of a growth mindset may also lead to delays. A growth mindset prompts exhibiting adaptive perfectionism focused on setting and attaining high personal standards and organization (Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019;Shih, 2011). Means for doing so include spending time diligently preparing for the tasks ahead (Cury et al., 2008). ...
Why do some potential entrepreneurs promptly engage in entrepreneurial behavior while others do not pursue their entrepreneurial intentions or delay acting? This study investigated whether potential entrepreneurs’ mindset shapes engaging in entrepreneurial behavior and the time until they do so. Over a 16-month period, holding more of a growth (vs. fixed) mindset positively predicted taking various entrepreneurial actions and doing so sooner. Interestingly, these effects vanished when individuals faced a less challenging context for entrepreneurship. Post-hoc exploratory analyses revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic magnified the impact of mindsets on entrepreneurial behavior. These findings pave the way for preliminary research on the viability of growth mindset interventions for fostering entrepreneurial behavior.
... Second, while existing cross-cultural studies on student mindsets have mostly focused on academically disadvantaged students, it is also important to cross-culturally examine the mindset development and cultivation of high-achieving students. It has been noted that highachieving students do not necessarily have positive attitudes toward effort and mistakes, therefore, these students also require opportunities to develop growth mindsets by experiencing challenges and productive struggle in the learning process [59,60]. However, researchers have shown that the patterns of mindset development differ between high-achieving students and other student groups in the United States. ...
... However, researchers have shown that the patterns of mindset development differ between high-achieving students and other student groups in the United States. For example, while ability-based praise has been reported to increase student endorsement of a fixed mindset, this correlation was not found in groups of high-achieving students [59,60]. Further research is needed to better understand the mindsets of high-achieving students and any related cultural variations. ...
Students typically have varying beliefs regarding the changeability of their own abilities in mathematics learning. A growth mindset is the belief that mathematics abilities can be developed, whereas a fixed mindset is the belief that mathematics abilities are unchangeable. Recent studies have highlighted that mindset beliefs regarding mathematics learning vary across cultures. This review summarizes cultural variations in students’ self-reported mindset beliefs, and how culture influences the roles of mindset beliefs in mathematics-learning outcomes, the development of mindset beliefs, and the effects of mindset interventions. Finally, we propose that future research should consider culture-specific factors in the development and measurement of students’ growth mindsets.
... This is in line with Mofield and Parker Peters (2018) who found that gifted children who have a growth mindset have a perfectionist score that is oriented towards the process of achieving goals, while gifted children with a fixed mindset are identical with concerns about self-evaluation. Gifted children with a fixed mindset are often found to be underachievers (Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019). ...
... In gifted children with unhealthy perfectionists, namely when they avoid challenges, teachers and parents can focus more on seeing mistakes and challenges as learning developments and as a basis for determining further learning goals. However, Mofield and Parker Peters (2019) suggest that giving challenges to gifted children becomes absolutely necessary with organizational assistance on how to achieve them. ...
Although gifted children have talents and positive traits in academic area that already been supported, little empirical evidence addresses the need of support for gifted children in non-academic areas in Indonesian context. To fill this void, this study conducted a content analysis of two books about gifted children based on parents’ narratives to explore the need for support for social-emotional problems. “Menyongsong Pagi” and “Menyiangi Petang” are the two books which describe how thirteen gifted children grew up and face obstacle in their learning. Drawing on the theory of positive disintegration and Bronfenbrenner’s theory of ecological development, this study analyzed the two books to describe the uniqueness of gifted students in terms of emotion, intellectual and psychomotor still mostly seen as problems by their teachers and friends which lead to various educational issues. The implication of this study calls for the comprehensive support from teachers and schools’ leader to support gifted children both in academic and non-academic areas.
... These are corroborated by the data about fixed mindset as a predictor of maladaptive perfectionism dimensions such as concern over mistakes and doubt of actions (Stoeber & Otto, 2006). The growth mindset, on the contrary, was found as a prognostic factor of perfectionism's positive aspects such as high standards and organization (Mofield & Peters, 2019). A small number of perfectionists' belief research about morality detected that the moral values have a positive correlation with perfectionism standards and concern over mistakes (Stoeber & Yang, 2016;Yang et al., 2015). ...
... Nowadays we know that adaptive perfectionists tend to hold the incremental theory of intelligence (Mofield & Peters, 2019;Shih, 2011), and we can suppose that adaptive and maladaptive perfectionists are prone to holding the entity theory of morality because they have a high level of perfectionism standards (Yang et al., 2015). However, there is a scarcity of knowledge about non-perfectionists. ...
The main goal of the current study is to examine differences across perfectionists? profiles regarding implicit theories of intelligence, morality and the world. The sample included 202 Russian students, age-range 18?24 (M = 19.62, SD = 1.15), 40% male. Short Almost Perfect Scale and Implicit Theories of Intelligence, Morality, and the World Questionnaire was used for data collection. Correlation and regression analysis, latent profile analysis, and the Student's t-test were conducted. The study results show that adaptive perfectionists tend to hold the entity theory about the world and the incremental theory of intelligence. The world for them is a structured place with fixed rules in which they can improve their cognitive skills, correct mistakes and grow up in experiences. Maladaptive perfectionists tend to hold only the entity theory of morality, so they believe in rigid moral principles. Non-perfectionists tend to hold the entity theory of intelligence and incremental theory of morality and the world. They believe that intelligence has limits, the world is a chaotic and unexpected place and morality is fluid and unstable. The findings are presented in the context of defining the differences between three types of perfectionists in terms of their views on the ability to modify cognitive capabilities, moral principles, and the world in general.
... All statistical analyses were run through SPSS v.24 (IBM Corporation, USA). Missing data (0.38% to 2.17%) were imputed following Mofield and Parker (2019). Four outliers (Field, 2013) were excluded from their respective analyses. ...
... In this line, some PA promotion strategies for gifted students have recently been proposed (e.g., Lutostanski, 2018;Vidal, 2018); one of them even showed improvements in self-concept (Graham & Robinson, 2007). PA proposals in combination with affective interventions, as suggested elsewhere (Mofield & Parker, 2019), might especially benefit those gifted students who suffer from anxiety, maladaptive perfectionism, or even underachievement, as schoolbased PA is also positively associated with school engagement (Owen et al., 2016) and academic achievement (Álvarez-Bueno et al., 2017). Unfortunately, the evidence is scarce, and this line needs more research. ...
Physical activity plays an important role in individuals’ physical and psychological health. However, there is scarce evidence on how physical activity is associated with socioemotional aspects in gifted students. This is of special importance since previous research showed that gifted students scored significantly lower on physical self-concept when compared with their non-gifted peers. This study aimed to measure the associations between physical activity and different dimensions of academic, physical, and global self-concept in a sample of 10- to 18-year-old Spanish gifted students. It also investigated differences with non-gifted students on physical activity, selfconcept, and their associations. The study involved measuring the physical activity levels of 219 gifted and 242 non-gifted students through PAQ-A, following a cross-sectional design. It relied on SDQ-II and CAF to measure academic, physical, and global self-concepts and included the importance accorded to self-concepts. Results showed that gifted students scored
higher on academic self-concept and lower on self-perceived athletic ability. Physical activity was associated with better physical and global self-concepts, with no differences between gifted and non-gifted participants. No interactions between giftedness and physical activity appeared. Both samples’ selfconcept may benefit from physical activity equally. Strategies for promoting physical activity should be endorsed also in gifted students.
... Lau and Chan cautioned that teacher nominations can overlook very high-ability students with average achievement because these students do not perform poorly enough to be recognized as underachievers. More recently, Mofield and Parker Peters (2019) suggested students can be "overt" underachievers and "covert" underachievers. Whereas overt underachievers are easily visible through poor grades, teachers might not recognize covert gifted underachievers, who elect to take less challenging courses but tend to do well in them. ...
... Males have consistently appeared at 2-3 times the rate of females in underachievement research studies for more than a half century (Baker et al., 1998;Gowan, 1955;Matthews & McBee, 2007;McCall, 1994;McCoach, 2002;McCoach & Siegle, 2001;Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019;Peterson & Colangelo, 1996;Richert, 1991;Ritchotte et al., 2014;Siegle et al., 2006). Research by Reinke et al. (2008) may provide some insight into potential gender differences in underachievement. ...
... General education teachers may need help to meet the specific educational needs of students with gifts and talents in the general classroom, which can impact the quality of instruction for students with gifts and talents (Mathijssen et al., 2021). Furthermore, the students may experience specific vulnerabilities, such as underachievement (Reis & McCoach, 2010;Siegle et al., 2017) and perfectionism (Mofield & Peters, 2019;Schuler, 2002). While many students with gifts and talents experience some emotional and social issues, there may be additional concerns for students with gifts and talents in specific groups. ...
In this study, we used an action research approach and quantitative and qualitative data to investigate the need for, implementation of, and outcomes of a mindfulness curriculum with 52 fourth-grade students identified as having gifts and talents. We gathered data throughout the 15-week semester of implementing a mindfulness curriculum. Regular check-ins, journaling with the four participating teacher-researchers, and creative responses from student participants were also used as data. Coming from an action research background, we were open to discovering new questions as they arose. Still, our primary question was: Will we see any measurable change in the behaviors and indicators of stress, emotional regulation, and mindfulness in our classrooms after implementing a mindfulness curriculum with our fourth-grade students? We discuss the results and the implications of our findings for future research and practice.
... Este hecho contrasta con ciertos rasgos individuales que pueden manifestar estos estudiantes en determinadas circunstancias, haciéndolos susceptibles de experimentar dificultades académicas (Almukhambetova & Hernández-Torrano, 2020). Entre estos rasgos se encuentran las habilidades limitadas de autorregulación, el perfeccionismo y el miedo al fracaso, un bajo autoconcepto académico, la desmotivación debido a la falta de estímulos intelectuales adecuados, la intensidad o la excitabilidad (Glăveanu, 2009;Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019;Muijsenberg et al., 2021). Además, factores contextuales como el aislamiento social (Swenson et al., 2008) o la adaptación a un entorno de aprendizaje más autónomo y menos estructurado como el universitario (Mendaglio, 2013) pueden complicar aún más la situación. ...
Existe escasa evidencia sobre la atención educativa que el alumnado con altas capacidades intelectuales recibe en las universidades españolas, constituyendo un déficit teórico-práctico para la educación inclusiva de este colectivo. El presente estudio explora las experiencias de estudiantes con altas capacidades intelectuales en la educación superior española, tratando de identificar barreras y necesidades en su adaptación universitaria y en la calidad de la respuesta educativa recibida. Mediante un enfoque cualitativo fenomenológico, se entrevistó a 11 estudiantes para analizar sus percepciones sobre el ingreso, la respuesta educativa y los servicios de apoyo disponibles. Los resultados revelan que los estudiantes no contaron con protocolos específicos en el acceso a la universidad y en su mayoría describen el uso docente de metodologías tradicionales que limitan su potencial. Además, perciben los servicios de apoyo como insuficientes para atender sus necesidades psicopedagógicas. En conclusión, es necesario implementar políticas inclusivas, metodologías diferenciadas y formación docente especializada para optimizar una educación superior más equitativa y de calidad para abordar la superdotación
... Gifted adolescents seem to underachieve by applying these strategies because they conceal their abilities. Underachievement, in general, leads to negative consequences for the gifted individual, such as lower well-being, a negative attitude towards school, decreased academic performance, low value of their goals, and reduced overall quality of life (Jackson & Jung, 2022;Mofield & Parker-Peters, 2019). ...
We start from research showing that adolescents with high abilities often codeswitch or face a dilemma of forced choice as they seek security and connection in their social environment. These strategies lead them to hide their high cognitive abilities in an attempt to integrate into the sociocultural environment, which results in a loss, concealment or denial of their identity as gifted adolescents. The aim of this research is to characterize the favourable and unfavourable conditions for the development of the identity of highly gifted adolescents by means of a systematic review of selected publications on the subject. The conclusions show that cases of identity concealment by highly gifted adolescents tend to occur in the absence of recognition and facilitation of the development of their qualities in their family, school or peer environment. Also, we conclude that these cases are difficult to record or recover, so it is recommended to act by prevention and early support.
... The studies of Parker Peters (2018, 2019) identified a perfectionist mindset as common in gifted people. Specifically, gifted people are more likely to hold a perfectionist mindsight than their typically-developing peers (Mofield & Parker Peters, 2018); this mindset leads them to interpret the first difficulty they experience as a major failure which destroys their pre-existing perception of self-perfectionism (Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019). This was further elucidated by Akkaya, Dogan, and Tosik (2021), who found that perfectionism levels in gifted students increase as they progress through schooling initially, but then declines in the later stages of education. ...
Gifted mathematicians often experience challenges developing as mathematicians for the first time during their further education, an educational phase in which national policy prioritises the study of mathematics for lower-attaining students. Institutions do not therefore routinely provide the specialised support gifted mathematicians require to overcome the challenges associated with this phase. To investigate the nature of their challenges and develop a pedagogical model to support their advanced mathematical-development, this study invited three Year 12 gifted mathematicians
from an English 16-19 free school to participate in advanced problem-solving interventions. They kept digital-diaries for four weeks, and participated in interviews to reflect on their experiences. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was refined to facilitate a chronological analysis of their data, which established a detailed picture of their respective successes and challenges. Their views were then critically evaluated collectively, to create a joint understanding of their support needs. The Vygotskian theoretical perspective was honed for application as a theoretical framework to explore the nuances of their perceptions. This facilitated an improved understanding of: adjustment to the abstract nature of problem-solving required throughout advanced mathematical-development; the process through which gifted mathematicians can utilise their feelings of frustration to fuel their motivation to nonetheless continue developing; the strategies through which practitioners can effectively scaffold this development; and, subsequently, how gifted mathematicians might situate themselves within the social context of advanced mathematical- development to facilitate their own success. An effective balance between a gifted
mathematician’s need to make tangible progress and their competing need to perceive the role of their own independence as a significant factor when making that progress was found to be a core consideration which evolved as they developed. The study establishes a first pedagogical model of advanced mathematical-development for supporting a gifted mathematician to make progress with a growing sense of independent capability.
... In the present study, PS functions as a presage variable that cultivates SR, enabling adaptive coping strategies such as strategic goal-setting and diligent preparation for exams. These findings align with previous research, which highlights the role of PS in promoting self-regulatory strategies, including intrinsic motivation, mastery goal orientation, effort, academic engagement and approach coping (Larijani & Besharat, 2010;Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019;Montano, 2023a;Stoeber & Eismann, 2007;Stoeber et al., 2018). PS catalyses positive outcomes through adaptive self-regulated behaviours that are instrumental in goal attainment, with a focus on personal growth rather than solely on external rewards. ...
... Low-achieving gifted students get lower grades in organization and self-regulation due to fixed and inherent mental beliefs about intelligence. These students are less motivated than gifted students who are successful in academic matters (Mofield, & Parker, 2019). Based on this process, low-achieving gifted students perceive their academic competence very little due to lagging behind the school's competitive cycle. ...
The present study was conducted to development of a cognitive empowerment training package based on the executive functions of the brain and its effectiveness on the academic competence of low-achieving gifted students of the sixth grade. The research method was qualitative, Theme analysis according to Attride-Stirling (2001), and the research method in the quantitative part was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group and a two-month follow-up period. The statistical population of the research included low-achieving gifted students studying in the sixth grade of gifted elementary schools in Tehran in the academic year of 2021-2022. The sample in this study included 36 Low-achieving gifted student who were selected by purposeful sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (18 students in the experimental group and 18 students in the control group). The students in the experimental group received the cognitive empowerment training package based on the executive functions of the brain during 10 weeks in 10 sessions of 90 minutes. The results showed that the cognitive empowerment training package based on the executive functions of the brain has sufficient content validity according to experts. Also, this training package had an impact on the academic competence.
... For example, students with learning disabilities often overestimate their capabilities and display weaker motivation, less efficient use of strategies, and less developed working memory and other executive functioning skills than do peers without learning disabilities (De Weerdt et al., 2013;Jitendra et al., 2011;Klassen, 2007). Although research generally supports the premise that gifted students demonstrate more adaptive SRL relative to their non-gifted peers, gifted students can display maladaptive regulatory processes, and when they do, they tend to underachieve in school (Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019;Snyder et al., 2011). ...
... Finally, there should be collaboration and communication with key stakeholders and, including school staff, allied health professionals and parents or carers, to promote positive teacher-student and school-home relationships (Rowan and Townend, 2016), build trust and create a safe environment for students to test ideas, make mistakes and learn. This encourages a growth mindset to develop academic potential (Mofield and Parker Peters, 2019) and improve social-emotional well-being (Blaas, 2014). ...
A troubling misconception exists that high-ability is enough to ensure positive educational, mental health and well-being outcomes for gifted students. Of course, we want all our students to develop their potential in school, so why are so many of our more able children failing in school and enduring the repercussions of reduced well-being? The notion that a student is not highly able if they are receiving poor grades is a common societal misconception, and this is commonly the case for gifted learners with disability, also known as twice-exceptional students. A considerable number of school students globally have intellectual ability in the gifted range, a high number of those are gifted with co-occurring disability, and many remain unidentified. It is, therefore, likely that a significant percentage of our classrooms have students who may be flying under the radar and are likely to be underachieving or unsupported within the school system. The purpose of this article is to highlight the issues around gifted students with disability that may contribute to their underachievement. Also discussed is how educators, counsellors and other key stakeholders can support this unique population of students.
... Third, teachers may feel inferior when working with gifted students due to students' intellectual superiority, leading to concerns about the inadequacy of giftedness training. This can hinder the development of a positive teacher-student relationship and affect the implementation of effective teaching strategies (Allotey et al., 2020), leading to gifted students' underachievement (Allen, 2017;Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019). Teachers may fear intimidation when working with exceptionally bright students, and worried that students' advanced cognitive abilities could surpass understanding or challenge the teachers' authority; creating a delicate balance in the classroom, and causing teachers to hesitate in fully engaging with, and developing gifted students' potential, despite their expertise and experience. ...
This study delves into the cultural perspectives surrounding gifted education practices in Ghana, focusing on 10 junior high school classroom mathematics and science teachers. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and analysis of lesson plans. The results brought to light a notable gender disparity of female participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-intensive courses compared to males. Teachers’ beliefs concerning giftedness tended to be tacitly naive, rooted in traditional notions and influenced gifted students’ development. Spiritual and supernatural giftedness emerged, perceiving the gifted to possess mystical powers. Implications underscore the implementation of gifted education within teacher educational institutions. This, in turn, addresses the tacit opinions and knowledge gaps among educators regarding gifted education in Ghana. The study advocates for a holistic approach to nurturing giftedness that extends beyond conventional academic realms, ensuring a more inclusive and equitable educational landscape.
... They are persistent and dedicated. They make good use of fractions of time to memorize words, recite formulas, solve difficult problems and regulate their emotions [45]. They are diligent in thinking and good at analyzing the intrinsic connection between knowledge points. ...
Labor education is an important part of the overall development of teenagers in terms of morality, intelligence, physical fitness and aesthetics. Family labor education should play a fundamental role in labor education. Previous empirical studies on the influence of family labor education on teenagers' academic performance are not comprehensive enough. In particular, there is still much room for improvement in terms of the authority of the data, the appropriateness of the methodology and the precision of the analyses.
This study analyzes the relationship between housework and teenagers' academic performance through the data of the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS), based on the theory of “Embodied Cognition”, using OLS regression, propensity score matching (PSM), quantile regression and probit regression. The results show that housework is effective in improving teenagers' academic performance; participation in housework had the strongest impact on teenagers with middle and lower academic performance; however, the effect of housework on the academic performance of academic excellence students was not as strong; and addiction to online games was the main factor that prevented teenagers from participating in housework.
... Also, underachievers are students whose academic achievements fall short of their predicted cognitive abilities (Wen et al., 2016). When bright students fail to reach their potential, they miss exciting new experiences that may propel them to greater knowledge and skill heights (Mofield & Parker, 2019). These learners may be sitting on latent abilities that might explode into spectacular displays of skill (Gagné, 1995). ...
The achievement of positive learning outcomes is central to students' educational experience. Various important issues in students' learning outcomes are prevalent in the educational landscape. These issues encompass the significance of using valid and reliable assessments, the mounting pressure on accountability, the necessity for equal access to high-quality education, and the utilisation of technology. Additionally, there is a growing awareness of the importance of preparing students for the demands of the 21st-century workforce, which requires a broader range of competencies beyond traditional academic skills. It is essential to address these issues by continually focusing on and working together among educators, policymakers, and researchers to improve student learning outcomes. This article provides an overview of learning outcomes and the emergence of achievers and underachievers in educational settings. The first section defines learning outcomes and discusses the benefits of stating expected learning outcomes and guidelines for developing good statements. The article then explores the differences in cognitive functioning between achievers and underachievers, along with the classification and identification of these groups through a literature review. The next section delves into the relationship between learning outcomes and the emergence of achievers and underachievers, including factors contributing to students' under-and over-achievement. These factors include home conditions, peer relations, physical and mental well-being, psychological state, academic inclinations, and aspirations and prospects. Finally, the article discusses teachers' important role in improving student learning outcomes. In conclusion, teachers can provide targeted interventions and support to improve their learning outcomes by understanding the factors contributing to students' successes and failures. The paper has significant implications for educators, policymakers, and researchers and can contribute to developing effective educational interventions to improve student success.
... The first group in this study, Grade 7 VWO students, was chosen because these students recently transitioned from primary school to secondary school. To get accepted at this VWO level, students must have been excelling at all subjects in primary school and may have been given labels such as "high performing," which might be related to a more fixed mindset (Mofield & Peters, 2019). When they start their first year in VWO these students are in classes with all other "high performing" students. ...
... È la condizione dei cosiddetti gifted underachievers: individui che presentano un sotto-rendimento scolastico (e in molti casi drop out) nonostante dispongano di un eccezionale potenziale cognitivo (Siegle, 2018). Va comunque sottolineato che tale fenomeno è molto più complesso di come si è descritto e deriva dalla convergenza di diverse variabili interne ed esterne (Mofield & Peters, 2019). La discrepanza tra capacità e successo scolastico rilevato in studenti definiti gifted underachievers (Renzulli, 1977) li porta spesso a rifuggire dal cogliere le opportunità educative fornite o dallo scegliere di beneficiarne (Emerick, 1992;Butler-Por, 1993). ...
The paper presents the results of an exploratory research aimed at surveying the perceptions of teachers of different school orders on Distance Learning and how it was managed to ensure the learning and inclusion of all students, including those with disabilities or gifted, with a focus on the latter. From the analysis of the answers, it appears that the majority of gifted learners benefited from the use of technology and flexible teaching that provided for the enrichment and deepening of content according to their interests. On the other hand, difficulties emerged in implementing methodologies capable of stimulating the construction of learning through mutual interaction between all learners. The Distance Learning seems to have emphasised difficulties prior to the lockdown, confirming the need for teachers to provide more training in order to build 'communities of practice' where all learners are called upon to share the knowledge, their learning processes and to develop social-emotional and relational skills.
Studenti plusdotati e didattica inclusiva a distanza: un’indagine esplorativa.
Si presentano i risultati di una ricerca esplorativa volta a rilevare le percezioni di docenti di diversi ordini di scuola sulla Didattica a Distanza (DaD) e su come essa sia stata gestita per garantire gli apprendimenti e l’inclusione di tutti gli studenti, compresi coloro con disabilità o plusdotati, ponendo un focus su questi ultimi. Dall’analisi delle risposte sembra che la maggioranza degli allievi gifted abbia beneficiato dell’uso di tecnologie e di una didattica flessibile che ha previsto l’arricchimento e l’approfondimento dei contenuti in base ai loro interessi. Emergono invece difficoltà nell’attuare metodologie capaci di sollecitare la costruzione degli apprendimenti avvalendosi dell’interazione reciproca tra tutti gli allievi. La DaD sembra aver enfatizzato difficoltà precedenti al lockdown, confermando la necessità per i docenti di una maggiore formazione al fine di costruire “comunità di pratica”, dove tutti gli allievi siano chiamati a condividere le conoscenze, i loro processi di apprendimento e a sviluppare competenze socio-emotive e relazionali.
... Prior to this study, the link between PS and incremental theory have been largely speculative and not well explored empirically. Moreover, the existing studies on PS and incremental ToI were mainly concerned in comparing profiles of gifted and non-gifted students (e.g., Mofield & Parker Peters, 2018) as well as achievers and non-achievers (e.g., Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019). The present study expanded this line of evidence by analyzing how the adoption of incremental theory of PS perfectionists is related to PoM. ...
Perfectionism is a multidimensional trait that has been associated with psychological distress and reduced well-being. The maladaptive Evaluation Concerns (EC) dimension has been consistently linked to maladjustment while the adaptive Positive Strivings (PS) dimension has been occasionally associated with better functioning. The present study examined how the two dimensions are related to peace of mind (PoM) or the state of peace and harmony. The current research also investigated the mediating function of implicit theories of intelligence. It was hypothesized that entity theory would mediate the relationship of EC and PoM. On the other hand, it was expected that incremental theory would mediate the effect of PS on PoM. A total of 451 (477 females, 74 males) Filipino undergraduate students took part in the present study. The results revealed that EC predicted entity theory, but the latter was not significantly related to PoM. Conversely, PS predicted higher incremental beliefs which, in turn, positively predicted PoM. This indicates that EC perfectionists are more inclined to believe that their intelligence is fixed. But their entity beliefs are not necessarily detrimental to their PoM. In contrast, perfectionists with high PS are more likely to experience greater PoM because they believe in the malleability of their abilities. Taken together, the present study provided interesting insights on the differences in the characteristics and motivation of EC and PS perfectionists.
... In addition, previous studies showed that gifted children have a stronger ability to understand and a more accurate self-concept (Litster and Roberts 2011;Duan et al. 2022). As a core aspect of self-concept, the high self-esteem of gifted children makes them have high performance expectations for themselves (Olton-Weber et al. 2020;Mofield and Peters 2019). Those with high self-esteem believed that they can achieve their goals and then face challenges and difficulties with a more positive attitude, and have higher confidence in their ability to complete creative tasks (Topçu and Leana-Taşcılar 2018). ...
Creative self-efficacy is a type of individual creative self-belief, which is an important predictor of creative activities and achievements. For gifted children who have high creative potential, the influencing factors of their creative self-efficacy need to be further explored. This study aimed to explore the relationship between gender, emotional intelligence, self-esteem, and creative self-efficacy in gifted children, with special attention on the mediating role of self-esteem and the moderating role of gender in the relationship between emotional intelligence and creative self-efficacy. Participants in this study included 226 gifted students aged 10–13 (135 boys and 91 girls) from experimental classrooms designed for gifted students in North China. The creative self-efficacy scale (CSE), the emotional intelligence scale (EIS), and the self-esteem scale (SES) were tested. The statistical results indicate that: (1) emotional intelligence significantly positively predicted creative self-efficacy in gifted children; (2) self-esteem partially mediated the link between emotional intelligence and creative self-efficacy; and (3) gender acted as a moderator for the mediation model, in which self-esteem played a complete mediating role in gifted boys, while the mediating role of self-esteem in gifted girls was not significant. The results of this study reveal the influential mechanism of creative self-efficacy in gifted children of different genders and may provide further implications for promoting the creative potential of gifted children.
... However, the conditions in the field today are still many problems faced by gifted and intelligent students, including psychologically, especially in the socio-emotional development of gifted, intelligent children who tend to be perfectionists compared to their friends, causing depression, anxiety (Christopher & Shewmaker, 2010;Gnilka, Ashby, & Noble, 2012;Reyes et al., 2015), and feeling suicidal (Cross & Cross, 2015). The perfectionist nature of gifted children is caused by the ongoing pressure to meet high-performance expectations (Callard-Szulgit, 2003;Colangelo & Wood, 2015;Mofield & Peters, 2019;Mofield, Peters, & Chakraborti-Ghosh, 2016). Gifted children appear to be socially mature but believe they experience loneliness and isolation, feel less accepted by others, and have difficulty socializing (Hidayati, 2016). ...
This case study research attempts to 1) investigate in detail the provision of advocacy services carried out by counseling guidance teachers to gifted and intelligent students in junior high school, 2) know the collaboration between counseling guidance teachers with homeroom teachers and parents in dealing with obstacles in gifted and intelligent students. Referring to the findings in schools, counselors provide two forms of advocacy services: holding academic conferences and collaborating with homeroom teachers for gifted and intelligent children. Meanwhile, to handle the problems of gifted, intelligent children in terms of learning, social, and career, the counselor collaborates with subject teachers to provide enrichment materials and participate in the Olympics. Then, with parents, arrange social activities for gifted, intelligent children. At the same time, at home, and periodically provide group guidance related to career planning. The results of this study can be used as evaluation material for schools and become an inspiration, especially for policymakers in counseling guidance to facilitate the rights of gifted and intelligent children.
... Ser do sexo masculino aparece em diversos estudos como fator de risco não só para baixo desempenho escolar, mas também para comportamentos disruptivos e dificuldades de aprendizagem (Abu-Hamour & Al-Hmouz, 2016; Mofield & Peters, 2019). O que corrobora outros achados desta revisão na categoria FRI, como: "apresentar problemas de comportamento externalizantes e/ou de aprendizagem". ...
INTRODUCTION: Poor school performance is a phenomenon whose origin is based on the interrelationship between biological, psychosocial, cultural, and historical aspects of human development. It is a matter of concern among educators and health professionals, as well as those guardians for affected students. When identified early, the damage caused by poor school performance can be mitigated. Otherwise, the damage can extend into adulthood, harming the individual in different contexts of life, such as social, academic-professional, and emotional OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors associated with poor school performance in children and adolescents based on an integrative literature review METHODS: Search in SciELO, PubMed, ERIC, and PsycINFO databases, between 2009 and 2019 RESULTS: 24 articles related to the topic were found, with observational studies being the most frequent. The risk factors found were categorized into individual, family, and school. The most cited category referred to risk factors from the family context CONCLUSION: The family environment was identified as a major generator of risk factors for school failure
... As a result, adequate facilities and adult supervision from trained professionals are essential for the growth and development of children (Wilfley et al., 2017). The provision of counselling services, the goals of which are to aid talented children in overcoming the attitudes of society and to assist them in finding answers to an educational system that is tailored to maximize their skills, satisfies this need (Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019). ...
The study's overarching goals are to determine the nature of the skills taught in schools, the characteristics of the students who excel under those circumstances, the nature of the services available to gifted children, and the nature of the factors that either stifle or foster the development of students' talents. Quantitative study would not be complete without this aspect. Data is collected through in-person interviews, on-the-job observations, and detailed notes. The method utilized to analyse the data also meets the criteria set out by Miles and Huberman. The findings indicate that gifted children are those who excel in areas where their peers often struggle, who show exceptional skill in select areas, and who reach the greatest levels of accomplishment in those areas. Throughout the course of a typical counselling session, a minimum of five of the seven theoretical components of guidance and counselling will be used. The distinctiveness of the student, the encouragement of teachers and peers, the student's personal interests and drive, the resources available at the madrasa, and the community all play a role in offering aid. Constraints of time, location, and the availability of all required resources, as well as the impression of counselling and guidance instructors' lack of attention, all operate against pupils.
... Specifically, perfectionistic students who also have strong growth mindsets may see challenges and setbacks as expected and normal, and reframe unsuccessful experiences as opportunities to learn. In empirical research, the negative relationship between perfectionistic concerns and growth mindsets in a study among middle school students (Mofield & Peters, 2019) seemed to support this argument. From this point of view, growth mindsets may play a protective role for perfectionistic students-mitigating the negative effects of perfectionism on students' outcomes-and thus contribute to their positive learning experiences. ...
Perfectionism among college students has increased in the past three decades, yet studies of perfectionism in academic contexts are relatively scarce. This study used a person-centered approach to investigate associations between perfectionism profiles and academic indicators (i.e., motivation, behavior, and emotion), whether there are any gender or racial/ethnic differences in perfectionism profiles, and whether growth mindsets moderated associations between perfectionism profiles and academic indicators. Data were collected from 516 college students enrolled in math-related courses. Latent profile analysis revealed four distinct types of perfectionism characterized as Ambitious, Concerned, Perfectionist and Non-perfectionist. The Ambitious group was associated with the best academic indicators overall, whereas the Concerned group had the worst indicators. Students in the Perfectionist and Non-perfectionist groups exhibited more complex patterns across academic indicators, with those in the Perfectionist group having generally more positive motivational/behavioral indicators but more negative emotional indicators, and those in the Non-perfectionist group demonstrating the opposite pattern. Asian American students were over-represented in the Ambitious and Perfectionist groups. Additionally, growth mindset served as a protective factor for the Concerned and Non-perfectionist groups on motivational indicators (task value and perceived cost, respectively). Overall, this study highlights the importance of person-centered approaches and the inclusion of multiple academic indicators (i.e., motivational, behavioral, and emotional) to reveal the complex nature of perfectionism.
... Among gifted students, a low academic self-concept has been traditionally pointed at as one of the main causes of underachievement (Blaas, 2014), although this association is not always evident (see Gilar-Corbí et al, 2019;Mofield & Parker, 2019). As any other student, gifted students present a heterogeneous reality in self-concept (Villatte et al., 2014). ...
Gifted students (i.e., those who are more likely to achieve extraordinary goals in one or more domains) generally differ from the nongifted students in some of the dimensions of self-concept (i.e., a person's perception of him/herself). However, the current research on giftedness has evolved to introduce new possible moderators of these differences so it has become necessary to carry out an update on the topic. The aim of the present meta-analysis (reference: CRD42018094723) was to synthesise the studies since 2005 on differences in self-concept between gifted and non-gifted students. The results showed that gifted students have higher levels of general and academic self-concept, especially in math selfconcept. However, no differences were found in behavioural and emotional self-concepts, and only slightly lower scores in social self-concept. In physical self-concept they scored significantly lower than non-gifted students. The differences in this subdimension are moderated by identification procedures, geographical area, and age, so it is suggested that social stereotypes about giftedness as well as physical activity habits may be some of the reasons for these differences.
... The differences between both mindsets have been argued to surface especially in response to setbacks: whereas failure would encourage students with a growth mind-set to look for new strategies and to reinvest efforts in their learning, students with a fixed mind-set would perceive failure primarily as a threat to their competence, leaving them more helpless and withdrawing their effort in reaction to failure (Yeager & Dweck, 2012). Congruent with these assumptions, a fixed mind-set has been found to relate to a host of maladaptive outcomes, including challenge avoidance (Dweck & Leggett, 1988), declining learning motivation , self-handicapping (Snyder et al., 2014), and, ultimately, lower achievement (Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019). By contrast, a growth mind-set has been shown to predict adaptive self-regulatory processes and goal achievement (Burnette et al., 2013). ...
Although it has been hypothesized that gifted students are at risk for adopting a fixed mind-set, research revealed inconsistent results. We aimed to clarify this by differentiating between two operationalizations of giftedness (high cognitive ability and formal identification as gifted) and how these relate to students’ beliefs about intelligence and effort. Also, we examined the role of parental antecedents on students’ beliefs. Participants were 3,329 seventh-grade students and their parents. Only being labeled as gifted was related to adopting a fixed mind-set. Regarding parental antecedents, parents’ intelligence and effort beliefs were related to students’ corresponding beliefs. Furthermore, parental feedback was associated with students’ beliefs, which was most pronounced when student-reports of feedback were used. In particular, person-oriented feedback related positively to a fixed mind-set and negatively to students’ appreciation of the role of effort in academic performance, while process-oriented feedback showed the opposite pattern. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
... Yaman & Sökmez, 2020. Επιπλέον, βιώνουν ένταση, υπέρμετρη ευαισθησία και τελειοθηρία (Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019. Silverman, 1991. ...
Οι χαρισματικοί μαθητές αποτελούν μία ομάδα του μαθητικού πληθυσμού, η οποία έχει απασχολήσει αρκετά την επιστημονική κοινότητα τις τελευταίες δεκαετίες. Οι ιδιαίτερες δυνατότητες αλλά και δυσκολίες που μπορεί να αντιμετωπίζουν οι μαθητές αυτής της κατηγορίας στο σχολικό και κοινωνικό τους περιβάλλον είναι πολλαπλές με αποτέλεσμα να χρειάζονται συμβουλευτική υποστήριξη για να μπορέσουν να διαχειριστούν τη διαφορετικότητα που τους διακρίνει. Η συμβουλευτική μπορεί να αφορά τόσο σε προσωπικές δυσκολίες όσο και σε ζητήματα επαγγελματικής ανάπτυξης και αποφάσεων. Σε αυτά τα ζητήματα είναι χρήσιμη η υποστήριξη των χαρισματικών μαθητών μέσω ενός προγράμματος επαγγελματικού προσανατολισμού, το οποίο θα προσαρμόζεται στο προφίλ και τις ανάγκες τους. Στόχος των διαδικασιών αυτών είναι η αυτογνωσία του μαθητή. Στην ειδική αγωγή –και ειδικότερα στην περίπτωση των χαρισματικών παιδιών– ο επαγγελματικός προσανατολισμός καλείται να λάβει επιπλέον υπόψη τις ιδιαιτερότητες και ιδιαίτερες ανάγκες των ατόμων, τα δικαιώματα που πηγάζουν από τις ανάγκες αυτές αλλά και τη στάση της κοινωνίας απέναντί τους.
... Hal ini seterusnya menajamkan bakat akademik pelajar pintar cerdas kerana maklumat yang diperoleh hasil penerokaan yang teliti dan merentas bidang yang selari dengan Teori Gagne. Ia juga didorong sikap kesempurnaan melampau pelajar pintar cerdas yang sentiasa mengimpikan yang terbaik, kerja yang sangat sempurna serta lengkap (Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019). Tambahan lagi, sikap suka berdebat merupakan tingkah laku yang seringkali dihadapi oleh guru, ibu bapa dan rakanrakan. ...
Tujuan - Tanpa sokongan daripada pihak sekolah dan ahli masyarakat, anak-anak pintar cerdas terdedah dengan peminggiran sosial dan risiko masalah psikologi seterusnya gagal dalam pelajaran. Kajian lepas membuktikan bahawa pelajar-pelajar pintar cerdas memiliki tingkah laku unik yang boleh membantu meningkatkan pencapaian keseluruhan mereka. Kajian ini bertujuan meneroka tingkah laku unik pelajar pintar cerdas yang ditunjukkan semasa berada di rumah, proses pengajaran dan pembelajaran dalam kelas, dan pergaulan bersama rakan di sekolah.
Metodologi - Kajian dijalankan menerusi pendekatan kualitatif di Kolej GENIUS@Pintar Negara yang merupakan tempat pengajian pelajar pintar cerdas berbakat akademik dari seluruh Malaysia. Responden terdiri daripada lima orang ibu bapa pelajar pintar cerdas, tiga orang pensyarah, dan enam orang pelajar pintar cerdas. Pengumpulan data melalui kaedah temu bual mendalam dan temu bual kelompok mengikut protokol temu bual yang dianalisis menggunakan kaedah analisis tematik.
Dapatan - Keputusan menunjukkan tingkah laku unik pelajar pintar meliputi lakuan membaca dalam masa yang lama, suka menyendiri menyiapkan tugasan, kerap bertanya sehingga memperoleh jawapan yang konkrit, berbahas untuk mempertahankan jawapan, memberi komitmen yang tinggi, dan selalu melakukan aktiviti mencabar minda.
Signifikan - Kajian ini menjadi panduan kepada ibu bapa, guru-guru dan masyarakat untuk memahami pelajar pintar cerdas dengan lebih dekat lagi seterusnya mengelakkan risiko peminggiran pelajar pintar cerdas. Implikasi terhadap kaedah dan strategi pengajaran guru untuk disesuaikan dengan keunikan tingkah laku pelajar pintar cerdas di sekolah. Oleh itu, dapatan kajian ini dijangka dapat mengukuhkan program pendidikan pintar cerdas di Malaysia.
... It has repeatedly been found that the constructs referred to in the AOM are implicated in underachievement in the sense that compared (only) to high achievers, underachievers report lower academic self-concept, goal orientation and support from their parents (Balduf, 2009;Landis & Reschly, 2013;McCoach & Siegle, 2003;Mofield & Parker Peters, 2019;Vlahovic-Stetic et al., 1999;White et al., 2018). The AOM's other notion-that motivation must be complemented by skills and strategies that enable make it possible to learn efficiently-is also supported by empirical evidence. ...
Previous studies have associated several variables concerning motivation and other domains with underachievement, i. e. a student's academic achievement falling short of what their cognitive abilities, as the best predictor of academic performance, would indicate. The present study extends these findings using a more rigorous approach in defining underachievers and suitable control groups. Using discriminant analysis, underachievers identified in a German twin family study were compared not only to achievers with comparable IQ scores, but also with students of lower aptitude, but comparably low grades, as well as overachieving students. Results confirm previous findings that compared to successful students, underachievers report lower levels of motivation and parental support; beyond this comparison, underachievers also differed from other low achievers, mostly in terms of their personality. In total, 40% of the variance between the groups were explained. Additionally, the data shed doubt on the common assumption that underachievers are an unusually heterogenous group of students.
This article explores how the teachers and students in Tanzania’s special secondary schools conceptualize giftedness and talent. It draws on focus group discussions and interview data from a sample of 30 teachers and 73 students and analyzed through a reflexive thematic analysis procedure. The findings revealed commonalities in conceptualizing giftedness and talent between the teachers and students while suggesting the need for more information on the constructs among the participants. It implies that the development of students’ academic talents in the schools is at stake despite the efforts put in place. The study recommends training teachers on giftedness and talent to improve their understanding and promote a growth mindset among teachers and students to develop the students’ academic potential adequately. Further, the findings suggest the potential to embrace the students’ prior knowledge to develop their academic talents and as an essential resource for improving their provisions in Tanzania.
In this chapter, I will outline the labels of giftedness and underachievement and present the theoretical debates surrounding these labels. A historicist examination of these labels follows, highlighting how the gifted underachievement (GUA) label emerges through the negation of “giftedness.” Subsequently, I explore the concept of GUA and its negative connotations, stemming from the positive valuation inherent in the term “giftedness” and its implications for what is considered “normal.” This chapter also reviews perspectives on shifting the focus away from the individual within the current paradigm of labeling giftedness and explores insights from systemic thinking and symbolic interactionism (SI). The conclusion underscores the necessity of a symbolic interactionist perspective to address the gaps in research on the labeling of giftedness and underachievement. Finally, I propose a generic definition that can be used in GUA research in the light of SI.
In recent years, there has been a substantial research and numerous reviews on the subject of gifted students. The current systematic review is dedicated to explore the underachieving in gifted students, aiming to identify and classify the internal and external factors contributing to this phenomenon. In this study, 282 research articles published from 2010 to 2024 were reviewed using three databases including Google Scholar, ERIC, and Science Direct. Applying specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, 33 articles were selected among the total ones and then a narrative synthesis approach was applied. In this regard, a theoretical model was developed, the observed patterns were described, intersections among studies were explored, and the synthesis was evaluated in light of the theoretical background. The analysis revealed that internal factors such as motivational, emotional-social, and demographic factors, as well as external factors including environmental perception, family, peers, and socio-economic/cultural factors, play significant roles in the underachievement of gifted students. The study underscores the importance of understanding and addressing these factors in all stages of a gifted student's educational journey, from screening and assessment to identification, planning, and rehabilitation. It highlights the need for a comprehensive strategy that goes beyond solely focusing on the psychological empowerment of students. The study emphasizes the critical role of considering contextual factors, including the influence of the parents, teachers, and peers relationships. Recognizing the multifaceted nature of underachievement in gifted students is essential to prevent this phenomenon and by considering a holistic approach that considers both internal and external factors, educational stakeholders can develop more effective interventions and support systems.
The current study aims to develop an efficient, reliable and valid assessment, the affective states for online learning scale (ASOLS), for measuring learners’ affective states during online learning using a sample of 173 young learners. The assessment consists of 15 items which assess five affective states, including concentration, motivation, perseverance, engagement, and self-initiative. To improve efficiency, five items (one for each affective state) are randomly selected and presented every 30 min during online learning. In addition, 14 among the participants were further invited to perform on-site online learning, and their affective states were validated by observations conducted by two psychologists. The ASOLS was found to be reliable and valid, with high internal consistency reliabilities and good construct, convergent and criterion validity. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the hypothesized five-factor structure demonstrated a satisfactory fit to the data. Moreover, engagement was found to be positively associated with learning performance. Our findings suggest that the ASOLS provides a useful tool for teachers to identify students in upper primary and junior secondary schools with deficits in affective states and offer appropriate remedy or support. It can also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions aimed at enhancing students’ affective states during online learning.
Bu çalışmanın amacı; özel yetenekli öğrencilerin işbirlikli öğrenmeye yönelik tutumları ile mükemmeliyetçi yapıları arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemektir. Bir diğer amaç ise özel yetenekli öğrencilerin mükemmeliyetçiliğe ve işbirlikli öğrenmeye ilişkin görüşlerini araştırmaktır. Araştırma karma yöntem araştırmasıdır. Araştırmanın nicel kısmında ilişkisel tarama deseni kullanılmıştır. Özel yetenekli öğrencilerin mükemmeliyetçilik düzeyleri ile işbirlikli öğrenme ortamlarına katılma durumları arasındaki ilişki incelenmiştir. Çalışmanın nitel kısmında ise durum çalışması kullanılmıştır. Yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme soruları ile daha detaylı incelemeler yapılarak, özel yetenekli öğrencilerin mükemmeliyetçi yapıları ile işbirlikli öğrenme ortamlarına katılmak isteyip istemediklerini etkileyen temel düşüncelerin altında yatan sebeplere değinmek amaçlanmıştır. Bu araştırmanın evrenini İstanbul ilinde 2022- 2023 eğitim öğretim yılında eğitim gören 5.sınıf özel yetenekli öğrenciler oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmanın örneklemini ise İstanbul ilinde Bilim ve Sanat Merkezlerinde öğrenim gören 5.sınıf 242 özel yetenekli öğrenciler oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmanın örneklemi belirlenirken, kolay ulaşılabilir örnekleme yöntemi benimsenmiştir. Verilerin toplanmasında, öğrencilerin işbirlikli öğrenmeye yönelik tutumlarını belirlemek amacıyla Özel Yetenekli Öğrencilerin İşbirlikli Öğrenmeye Yönelik Tutum Ölçeği (Güler ve Doğan, 2022) ve mükemmeliyetçilik düzeylerini belirlemek amacıyla Baş (2010) tarafından Türkçeye uyarlanan Uyumlu-Uyumsuz Mükemmeliyetçilik Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. İki uzman görüşü ve bir dil bilimi uzmanının görüşlerinden yararlanılarak hazırlanan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme soruları ile öğrencilerin mükemmeliyetçiliğe ve işbirlikli öğrenmeye yönelik görüşleri alınmış, nitel olarak araştırılmıştır. Araştırmanın sonucunda öğrencilerin işbirlikli öğrenmeye yönelik tutumlarının yüksek düzeyde, uyumlu mükemmeliyetçilikleri yüksek düzeyde, uyumsuz mükemmeliyetçilikleri ise düşük düzeyde olduğu ifade edilebilir. Araştırmada öğrencilerin uyumlu mükemmeliyetçilik ve uyumsuz mükemmeliyetçilik puanları ile işbirliğine yönelik tutum puanlarının cinsiyete göre anlamlı farklılık göstermediği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Araştırmada öğrencilerin uyumlu mükemmeliyetçiliği ile kaçınma ve işbirlikli öğrenmeye yönelik tutumları arasında zayıf düzeyde, pozitif ve anlamlı bir ilişki olduğu belirlenmiştir. Öğrencilerin uyumlu mükemmeliyetçilik ile yatkınlık arasında ise orta düzeyde, pozitif ve anlamlı bir ilişki olduğu belirlenmiştir. Uyumlu mükemmeliyetçiliğin, öğrencilerin işbirlikli öğrenmeye yönelik tutum ölçeği kaçınma ve yatkınlık alt boyutu ve işbirlikli öğrenmeye yönelik tutum puanları için anlamlı bir yordayıcısı olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bu sonuca göre öğrencilerin uyumlu mükemmeliyetçilik puanları ya da durumları incelenerek işbirlikli öğrenmeye yönelik tutumlarındaki kaçınma alt boyutu puanları tahmin edilebileceği söylenebilir. Bu sonuçlardan yola çıkarak özel yetenekli öğrencilerin uyumlu mükemmeliyetçilik düzeylerinin belirlenmiş olması işbirlikli öğrenme ortamlarına katılma tutumları ile ilgili bilgi verebileceği düşünülmektedir. Yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme soruları sonucunda elde edilen bulgular ise öğrencilerin işbirlikli öğrenme ve mükemmeliyetçiliğe yönelik olumlu ve olumsuz tutumlara sahip olduğunu göstermektedir. Çalışma sonucunda elde edilen bulgular doğrultusunda çalışmaya ve gelecek araştırmalara yönelik önerilere yer verilmiştir.
Previous research supporting differentiated instruction (DI) has led to its adoption in different countries as a promising pedagogical framework for addressing diverse learners’ needs. To date, there exists little information on DI from Tanzania especially when competence-based education and inclusion are being embraced. To address this gap, this study explored how Tanzanian teachers perceived DI in their working with academically high-achieving secondary school students. The study was strongly informed by a constructivist research tradition, adopting a multiple case study design. Focus group discussions and interviews were used as data sources and thematically analyzed. The analysis revealed teachers’ limited perceptions of DI, although consonance with the existing literature on DI practices for high-ability learners. After discussing the findings, as conclusion, the article stresses the importance of training teachers on DI to enhance their instructional practices for high-ability learners in Tanzania, along with setting the grounds for future research.
The study examined the relationship between implicit theories of intelligence and psychosocial competencies (measured as adaptability, general mood, intrapersonal skills, interpersonal skills, and stress management), the differences in these competencies between gifted students and nonidentified gifted students, and typologies of these variables among 81 gifted students in grades 6–8. Findings indicated that malleable beliefs about intelligence were related to adaptability, general mood, and to a small degree total emotional intelligence. Gifted students had higher scores on adaptability (d = .51) compared to a normative sample and lower scores on intrapersonal skills (d = −.30). Hierarchical cluster and discriminant function analyses yielded three distinct clusters indicating within-group differences, with Cluster 1 showing lowest scores on all measured scales. Findings imply how the interplay of psychosocial variables facilitates talent development.
Background:
Much confusion exists about the underachievement of gifted students due to significant variations in how the phenomenon has been identified. From a review of the literature, five methods were found to be commonly used to identify gifted underachievement.
Aims:
The purpose of the study was to assess the equivalence of the commonly used methods to identify gifted underachievement, and to determine which of these methods may be optimal.
Sample:
Data were collected from a school in Sydney, Australia.
Method:
Three measures of convergence (i.e., difference in proportions, phi association, and kappa agreement) were used to assess the equivalence of the identification methods, while latent class analysis was used to determine the optimal identification method.
Results:
The convergence evidence suggested that the commonly used identification methods may not be considered convergent, while the criterion evidence indicated that one of the five identification methods may have strong levels of criterion validity.
Conclusions:
A conclusion was reached that the simple difference method may be the most valid method to identify gifted underachievement.
The idea that success in mathematics is only available to those born as “mathematics people” has been challenged in recent years by neuroscience, showing that mathematics pathways develop in the brain through learning and practice. This paper reports on a blended professional learning model of online and in-person meetings during which 40 teachers in 8 school districts in the US learned about the new brain science, challenging the “math person” myth, as well as effective mathematics teaching methods. We refer to the combination as a Mathematical Mindset Approach. Using mixed methods, we conducted a one-year study to investigate teacher and student learning in a Mathematical Mindset network. We collected data on teacher and student beliefs, teacher instructional practice, and student learning gains on state achievement tests. The results from our quantitative analyses found statistically significant positive improvements in student beliefs, teacher’s instructional practice, and on students’ math test scores. The mindset approach particularly raised the achievement of girls, English learners, and economically disadvantaged students. Based on our qualitative analysis, we propose that the success of the intervention rests upon two central factors: (1) The different forms of PD served to eradicate the learning myths that had held up teachers and learners; and that (2) Teachers had space for identity work as mathematical learners.
The study compared mindset beliefs, perfectionism, and achievement attitudes among gifted, advanced, and typical students in Grades 6 to 8 (N = 416) and explored the relationship between these variables. Welch’s F tests revealed no statistically significant difference in growth or fixed mindset beliefs about intelligence among groups. Gifted and advanced students scored higher on Personal Standards (gifted, d = .68; advanced, d = .62) and Academic Self-Perception (gifted,d = .72; advanced, d = .58) compared with typical students. In hierarchical regression models, giftedness was a statistically significant predictor for Concern over Mistakes (β = .20) and Personal Standards (β = .27); both gifted (β = .31) and advanced (β = .17) status were statistically significant predictors for Academic Self-Perception. Various models showed a positive association between growth mindset and Positive Strivings Perfectionism and achievement attitudes and a positive association between fixed mindset and Evaluative Concerns Perfectionism. Findings suggest that gifted students are not more vulnerable to develop fixed mindsets.
The beliefs and values students hold toward themselves, given tasks, and achievement itself can influence what tasks students seek, and whether they are able to obtain them. On the basis of previous research on underachievement and motivation, we developed the Achievement Orientation Model (AOM) to explore the issue of student achievement. The model posits that individuals’ self-perceptions in three areas (self-efficacy, goal valuation, and environmental perceptions) interact to motivate students to self-regulate their behaviors and subsequently engage and achieve. Further, societal and cultural values influence students’ attitudes in the three areas of self-efficacy, goal valuation, and environmental perceptions, as well as their ability to self-regulate, through students’ interactions with their peers, parents, and teachers. In this paper, we discuss the components of the AOM, as well as the importance of talent development perspectives on shaping student attitudes that promote engagement and ultimately high levels of achievement.
Perfectionism can influence how one approaches challenges and deals with setbacks, and, consequently, can inhibit or facilitate achievement. The present study (1) explored the relationship between Frost’s six dimensions of perfectionism and five types of coping strategies; (2) examined how dimensions of perfectionism predict coping in response to academic stress; and (3) investigated differences between gifted underachievers and other gifted students on perfectionism and coping among 130 American gifted students in grades 6–8. Results of stepwise regression models revealed approach coping was predicted by adaptive perfectionism (Positive Strivings-notably Organization), whereas avoidance coping (Internalizing, Externalizing, and Distancing) was predicted by various combined models. Gifted underachievers displayed lower Positive Strivings perfectionism scores and lower positive coping when compared to achievers. This information is helpful when considering ways to guide gifted students to high levels of academic achievement while utilizing adaptive approaches.
Growing attention is being paid to individuals’ implicit beliefs about the nature of intelligence. However, implicit beliefs about giftedness are currently underexamined. In the current study, we examined academically gifted adolescents’ implicit beliefs about both intelligence and giftedness. Overall, participants’ implicit beliefs about giftedness and intelligence were significantly positively correlated while also having statistically significant mean differences, suggesting that they perceived the nature of the two constructs differently. Specifically, many students viewed intelligence as malleable (incremental view) and giftedness as fixed (entity view), whereas very few students viewed giftedness as malleable and intelligence as fixed; however, heterogeneity was observed. The beliefs identified in the current study provide important insight into the domain-specific nature of implicit beliefs of gifted students and suggest that caution be used against using terms like giftedness and intelligence interchangeably.
Researchers explored the typology of perfectionism among 153 (46% male, 54% female; 88% White, 8% African American, 5% Asian American, 4% Hispanic, 1% Other) suburban gifted adolescents and compared perfectionism scores (using the Goals and Work Habits Survey, a modification of Frost’s Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale [F-MPS]) to samples of gifted students from previous studies. Nonhierarchical k-mean cluster analyses revealed a three-type classification of unhealthy, functional, and nonperfectionists; unhealthy perfectionists displayed higher levels of avoidance internalized coping than functional perfectionists, but functional perfectionism was not differentiated by approach-oriented coping. Sample t-tests revealed that the present sample had significantly higher scores of perfectionism (especially unhealthy dimensions) than previous studies. Plausible explanations for higher perfectionism scores include the present educational climate and related cultural factors. Researchers recommend additional analyses of perfectionism among broader samples and enhancing the psychometric properties of the F-MPS, facilitating more practical application. Implications for addressing perfectionism are also discussed.
The efficacy of academic-mind-set interventions has been demonstrated by small-scale, proof-of-concept interventions, generally delivered in person in one school at a time. Whether this approach could be a practical way to raise school achievement on a large scale remains unknown. We therefore delivered brief growth-mind-set and sense-of-purpose interventions through online modules to 1,594 students in 13 geographically diverse high schools. Both interventions were intended to help students persist when they experienced academic difficulty; thus, both were predicted to be most beneficial for poorly performing students. This was the case. Among students at risk of dropping out of high school (one third of the sample), each intervention raised students' semester grade point averages in core academic courses and increased the rate at which students performed satisfactorily in core courses by 6.4 percentage points. We discuss implications for the pipeline from theory to practice and for education reform.
© The Author(s) 2015.
Gifted underachievement represents a frustrating loss of potential for society. Although attempts have been made to develop interventions to reverse gifted underachievement, the theoretical underpinnings of these interventions have yet to be empirically validated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of the Achievement-Orientation Model for gifted middle school students. Based on a sample of 156 gifted sixth- and seventh-grade mathematics students, results of the current study suggest two unique clusters of gifted students, those whose attitudes toward each of the model’s constructs are positive and those who attitudes are not as positive. Furthermore, results of a path analysis demonstrate that most of the relationships posited by the model do appear to exist. The findings of this study suggest that the Achievement-Orientation Model may hold promise for the development of interventions to address gifted underachievement.
The seeming lack of motivation of many academically gifted students is an area of frustration and concern for many parents, teachers, and psychologists. This article explores two studies in which researchers designed interventions to improve academic achievement. Both interventions were created using the Achievement-Orientation Model. The first study matched the intervention to the student and found that the students' grades increased over the intervention period, t(45) = 2.56, p = .014, d = .38. Students using treatments linked to goal valuation and environmental perceptions showed the greatest academic grade growth; the self-efficacy and self-regulation groups showed little or no grade improvement. Building on the finding that goal valuation was important, the second study used a mixed-methods design to pilot an intervention focused on goal valuation and student autonomy. The results of this study were mixed, as the intervention appeared to help two of the three students. Although these studies offer further insight into possibilities for promoting academic achievement among gifted students, further research examining how to best support and foster academic achievement in underachieving gifted students is needed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Most contemporary achievement goal conceptualizations consist of a performance goal versus mastery goal dichotomy. The present research offers an alternative framework by partitioning the performance goal orientation into independent approach and avoidance motivational orientations. Two experiments investigated the predictive utility of the proposed approach-avoidance achievement goal conceptualization in the intrinsic motivation domain. Results from both experiments supported the proposed framework; only performance goals grounded in the avoidance of failure undermined intrinsic motivation. Task involvement was validated as a mediator of the observed effects on intrinsic motivation. Ramifications for the achievement goal approach to achievement motivation and future research avenues are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between decision making styles, self-esteem and self-beliefs about decision-making ability and the differences linked to academic performance. A sample of 100 students split into two groups aged 15-16 years and 17-18 years participated in the study. All subjects compiled the Multidimensional Self-esteem Test (T.M.A. – Bracken, 1993) for the evaluation of academic success and competence of environmental control and How I Make my Choices (H.M.C. – Filippello et al., 2011), a structured interview, specifically designed to measure decision-making styles in two different contexts (school context vs. social context) and decision-making self-efficacy (Low vs. High Self-efficacy in making decisions). The exploratory factor analysis reflects the theorized construction. Age and gender differences were found. Furthermore, as expected, low academic performance was associated with lower self-esteem, lower decision-making self-efficacy and more dysfunctional decision-making styles. Students with a high academic performance, instead, showed higher self-esteem, higher decision-making self-efficacy and more functional decision-making styles. Data encourages the use of H.M.C., not only in the research of personality but also for educational and counseling purposes.
The study aimed to empirically verify findings from qualitative studies that showed selective consumers could be distinguished from underachievers with regard to academic self-perception and thinking style preference. Participants, gifted males from an independent secondary boys’ school in Sydney, Australia, were categorized as achieving, underachieving, or selective consuming and administered the School Attitude Assessment Survey–Revised and the Thinking Style Inventory to assess academic self-perception and thinking style preference. A multivariate analysis (MANOVA) with a Bonferroni-adjusted alpha level to control for Type I errors showed a statistically significant difference in academic self-perception between achievers and underachievers only. Selective consumers could not statistically be distinguished from achievers or underachievers. Results, although not statistically significant, supported the trend currently reported in the literature that selective consumers differ qualitatively from underachievers.
Over the past 20 years we have gained a comprehensive understanding of self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism, but our understanding of other-oriented perfectionism (OOP)—and how it differs from the other two forms of perfectionism—is still underdeveloped. Two studies with university students are presented examining OOP’s relationships with social goals, the dark triad, the HEXACO personality dimensions, and altruism. OOP showed unique positive relationships with narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy and unique negative relationships with nurturance, intimacy, and social development goals. Furthermore it showed unique relationships with social dominance goals (positive) and emotionality, agreeableness, and altruism (negative) dependent on the OOP measure used. The findings suggest that OOP is a “dark” form of perfectionism associated with antisocial and narcissistic personality characteristics.
The current intervention tested whether a metacognitive self-regulatory strategy of goal pursuit can help economically disadvantaged children convert positive thoughts and images about their future into effective action. Mental contrasting with implementation intentions (MCII) entails mental contrasting a desired future with relevant obstacles of reality and forming implementation intentions (if-then plans) specifying when and where to overcome those obstacles. Seventy-seven fifth graders from an urban middle school were randomly assigned to learn either MCII or a Positive Thinking control strategy. Compared to children in the control condition, children taught how to apply MCII to their academic wishes and concerns significantly improved their report card grades (η(2) = .07), attendance (η(2) = .05), and conduct (η(2) = .07). These findings suggest that MCII holds considerable promise for helping disadvantaged middle school children improve their academic performance.
The present text addresses the laxity in terminology that afflicts our field, especially the definitions of our two central constructs: giftedness and talent. A differentiated model is proposed, based on a distinction between two types of abilities, natural abilities and systematically developed skills, labeled respectively gifts (or aptitudes) and talents. Both types of abilities are clearly described and exemplified. The model also specifies the developmental relationship between these two types of abilities, aptitudes being the constituent elements of talents, the crucial role of learning and practice in the transformation of natural abilities into the systematically developed skills of a talent field, and the contributive role of various related constructs (motivation, temperament, surroundings, significant persons, events, etc.) to that developmental process. The model is then used as a guide for a series of comments on the appropriate use of labels to describe more accurately our target population(s), emphasizing the predominance of IGAT (intellectually gifted and academically talented) pupils, and to situate other related concepts, like precocity, able‐ness, genius, and prodigy.
This study investigated the effects of an affective curriculum on multiple dimensions of perfectionism among middle school (grades 6–8) gifted students. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design was employed; all participants (N = 153) completed pre- and posttests of the Goals and Work Habits Survey. The experimental group received affective curriculum consisting of nine 45–50-minute lessons in a gifted classroom for 6 weeks. Among participants with moderate to high levels of unhealthy perfectionism, t-tests showed the experimental group reported lower scores on Concern over Mistakes than the control group. Results of paired t-tests further revealed significant decreases in Concern over Mistakes, Doubts about Actions, and Personal Standards among unhealthy perfectionists in the experimental group. Translating multidimensional perfectionism theory into classroom-based interventions was successful in helping students decrease self-critical evaluative tendencies; however, the study showed no evidence of enhancing healthy perfectionism. Future directions and recommendations are discussed.
The purpose of this research was to determine the relationship between the academic self-concept and academic performance. The sample consists of 363 students from 10 high schools were chosen by using multistage cluster sampling method. The data collection instrument for academic self-concept was a researcher made questionnaire. For obtaining data regarding the participant's self-concept used of the total score of SCQ questioner, and regarding their scholastic performance through marks assigned by their teachers. After verifying the scale's factorial structure, established levels of association between self-concept and academic performance, and predictive power of academic self-concept. The research finding showed a close relationship between academic self-concept and measures of academic performance. Academic self-concept powerfully and positive predicts general performance in literature and mathematics. Feel it is necessary to give adequate and sufficient attention to self-concept and self-esteem and teachers should be offered methodological guidance in order to work on these throughout the educationalprocess.
We document a typology of perfectionism in a sample of academically talented adolescents and directly examine its relationship to indices of psychiatric symptomatology, adjustment, self-esteem, and coping. Adolescents enrolled in a state-funded residential academy for academically gifted high school students (N = 141) responded to the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (Frost, Marten, Lahart, & Rosenblate, 1990), the Hopkins Symptom Checklist, the Mastery Coping and Superior Adjustment scales from the Self-Image Questionnaire for Young Adolescents, the Perception of Personal Security and Academic Competence scales from the Self-Esteem Index, and the Coping Inventory (COPE). A 2-step cluster analysis of perfectionism scores revealed four clusters: Mixed-Adaptive (n = 51), Mixed-Maladaptive (n = 20), Pervasive (n = 30), and Self-Assured Nonperfectionist (n = 39). The Pervasive and Mixed-Maladaptive clusters showed a uniformly poor profile of mental health, adjustment, and coping relative to Mixed-Adaptive and Nonperfectionists. The Mixed-Adaptive cluster reported greater academic competence and superior adjustment than did the Nonperfectionist cluster, although these cluster groups were statistically similar on other dimensions of mental health and adjustment. These results suggest that maladaptive perfectionism takes two forms: pervasive and mixed. Implications for intervention and directions for future research are discussed.
Questionnaires were administered to 295 students in summer programs for 9-15 year old academically gifted and artistically talented students, asking for their conceptions of giftedness and talent and their perceptions of the causes and consequences of being so identified. Findings suggested that their stereotypes regarding gifted and talented students were highly positive. These students reported that giftedness can be attained by hard work, that they are not very different from others, and that others treat them well. A minority reported negative reactions from peers.
The process of defining underachievement, identifying underachieving gifted students, and explaining the reasons for this underachievement continues to stir controversy among practitioners, researchers, and clinicians. Despite this interest, the underachievement of gifted students remains an enigma. This article reviews and analyzes three decades of research on the underachievement of gifted students in an attempt to clarify the present state of research. The problems inherent in defining and identifing underachieving gifted students are given special attention. The authors also include suggestions for those interested in pursuing potentially promising new lines of research and inquiry in this area.
This article discusses salient components of the research base on the psychological and social aspects of educating gifted students in three areas: the psychological and social needs of gifted students, school-based issues common to gifted students, and the social coping strategies gifted students employ in school settings. An information management model (IMM; Coleman & Cross, 1988) is discussed as a means to anticipate and understand gifted students' psychological and social experiences and behaviors. Practical recommendations enabling teachers, parents, and counselors to provide effective guidance for gifted students complete the manuscript.
The psychometric properties of the Frost, Marten, Lahart, and Rosenblate Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (1990) are investigated to determine its usefulness as a measurement of perfectionism with Australian secondary school girls and to find empirical support for the existence of both healthy and unhealthy types of perfectionist students. Participants were 409 female mixed-ability students from Years 7 and 10 in two private secondary schools in Sydney, Australia. Factor analyses yielded four rather than the six factors previously theorized. Cluster analysis indicated a distinct typology of healthy perfectionists, unhealthy perfectionists, and nonperfectionists. Healthy perfectionists were characterized by higher levels on Organization, whereas unhealthy perfectionists scored higher on the Parental Expectations & Criticism and Concern Over Mistakes & Doubts dimensions of perfectionism. Both types of perfectionists scored high on Personal Standards.
The purpose of this study was to examine whether gifted achievers and gifted underachievers differ in their general academic self-perceptions, attitudes toward school, attitudes toward teachers, motivation and self-regulation, and goal valuation. The sample consisted of 56 gifted underachievers and 122 gifted achievers from 28 high schools nationwide. Gifted achievers and gifted underachievers differed in their attitudes toward school, attitudes toward teachers, motivation/self-regulation, and goal valuation, but not their academic self-perceptions. In addition, the logistic regression analysis correctly classified over 81% of the sample as either gifted achievers or gifted underachievers using their motivation/self-regulation and goal valuation self-ratings. This study represents an important step toward quantifying factors related to the underachieviement of gifted adolescents.
The evaluation of an elementary classroom self-regulated learning program aimed at the central causes of academic underachievement is recounted. The participants of the study were 36 Fourth Grade gifted underachievers in mathematics, who were identified in a sample of 1200 students. The training program developed by Zimmerman, Bonner and Kovach (1996) was conducted within the framework of regular classroom instruction of the subject of mathematics over a period of six weeks. A number of positive training effects could be statistically confirmed. In general, the training was deemed to be suitable for interventions to reduce underachievement.
International comparisons of student achievement are generating renewed interest in the academic underperformance of intellectually gifted students, however, government responses to this problem are seldom grounded in empirical research evidence. This may be due to the quantity, type and quality of available research, which can make it difficult to distinguish factors that are associated with gifted underachievement. In this systematic review, we examine the methods used to identify both giftedness and gifted underachievement in empirical research investigating factors associated with gifted underachievement, and identify the factors this research associates with gifted underachievement. Findings reveal that most studies investigating factors associated with gifted underachievement do not employ research designs capable of distinguishing differences between gifted achievers and underachievers. Of the studies that did employ appropriate research designs, the methods used to identify giftedness and gifted underachievement differed widely and most focused on individual factors with much less focus on school-related factors.
This study examines whether self-concept of ability in math and reading predicts later math and reading attainment across different levels of achievement. Data from three large-scale longitudinal data sets, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development–Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, and Panel Study of Income Dynamics–Child Development Supplement, were used to answer this question by employing quantile regression analyses. After controlling for demographic variables, child characteristics, and early ability, the findings indicate that self-concept of ability in math and reading predicts later achievement in each respective domain across all quantile levels of achievement. These results were replicated across the three data sets representing different populations and provide robust evidence for the role of self-concept of ability in understanding achievement from early childhood to adolescence across the spectrum of performance (low to high).
The goal of this article is to convey a summary of research and conversation on talent development on the part of a small group of European and American researchers who participated in the Inaugural American European Research Summit in Washington. In the final hours of the summit, participants discussed the state of research on talent development and giftedness and a way forward that would benefit the field and, most important, children and educators. Collectively we identified four broad themes: (1) expanding our conceptual horizons through increased exposure to international scholars, (2) shifting the paradigm of gifted education toward talent development, (3) promoting key elements of talent development in research and practice, and (4) finding the most effective policy and advocacy strategies to promote talent development.
The aim of the present study is to examine the relationships among achievement motivation orientations and academic achievement and interest and whether achievement goals mediate these relationships. A sample of 503 students aged 14-16 years from 8 secondary schools in two Australia cities responded to a questionnaire package, comprising measures of individual-oriented achievement motivation (IOAM), social-oriented achievement motivation (SOAM), achievement goals, and academic interest. Results of the study showed IOAM and SOAM correlated positively. Students endorsed higher levels of IOAM than SOAM. IOAM correlated positively with a mastery-approach goal whereas SOAM correlated positively with mastery-approach, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goals. Performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals mediated the relationship between SOAM and academic achievement. Mastery-approach goals mediated the relationship between IOAM and SOAM and academic interest.
Through secondary analysis of data collected in middle school science classrooms, this study (a) compared gifted and regular students' beliefs about the malleability of intelligence in science; (b) investigated whether teaching gifted and talented middle-school students about malleability of the brain and study skills helped them to develop a growth mindset (Dweck, 2000), and (c) examined whether there were teacher effects in the impact of the intervention. Compared to the general student population, gifted and talented students were more likely to endorse the idea that intelligence is malleable, but there was considerable variability among gifted students' mindset beliefs. Results of a mixed between-within subjects ANOVA showed a large effect size in the impact of the six week mindset intervention (Brainology) among the gifted and talented students. While strong teacher effects on growth mindset were found among students in the general population who participated in the intervention, similar teacher effects were not found among the gifted and talented students. A growth mindset is particularly important for gifted students because they are at risk for both under-achievement and perfectionism, which may hinder them from reaching their potential.
This study used clustering to classify Chinese gifted students based on their scores on the High Standards and Discrepancy subscales of the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R). The interpretation of the three clusters as nonperfectionists, unhealthy perfectionists, and healthy perfectionists was supported by results comparing these groups on their responses to measures of mindset and well-being. Healthy perfectionists were the happiest and the most satisfied with life. Unhealthy perfectionists scored significantly higher than healthy perfectionists and nonperfectionists on the measure of the fixed mindset, suggesting that targeting mindset change could be an effective intervention for unhealthy perfectionists. Finally, a simple method with suggested cutoff scores on the two APS-R subscales was developed for practitioners to identify unhealthy perfectionists for intervention.
Much has changed (and stayed the same) since the first edition of "Reversing Underachievement Among Gifted Black Students" was published in 1996. Although our nation and schools have changed racially and culturally, with more Black, Hispanic, and Asian students than ever before, our gifted programs and Advanced Placement (AP) classes remain much the same--primarily White and middle class. Two thorny issues that continue to exist in education are the underrepresentation of Black students in these classes and the persistent underachievement of Black students even when identified as gifted. In this edition, these two issues are addressed, with updated information on key social, familial, educational, and psychological factors that contribute to underachievement and underrepresentation. Underachievement and underrepresentation are placed squarely within the larger context of the achievement gap and deficit thinking. A central proposition is that we cannot close the achievement gap unless we eliminate deficit thinking and desegregate gifted education and AP classes. "Reversing Underachievement" is a must-have text that affords readers a comprehensive understanding of how schools, families, and the social, cultural, and psychological matrix all interact to affect both achievement and underachievement.
Research on underachieving gifted students has uncovered a large number of characteristics differentiating gifted underachieving and achieving students. However, less is known about the way in which underachievement develops across schooling. Using a person-centered theoretical framework and key constructs from current motivational theories, we propose that there are multiple developmental trajectories in underachievement that arise from early school experiences. Two primary pathways are proposed: (a) a Maladaptive Competence Beliefs Pathway whereby underachievement results from the development of particular beliefs about giftedness and maladaptive coping behaviors, and (b) a Declining Value Beliefs Pathway in which underachievement develops from declining value beliefs and increasing perceptions of costs associated with academics. Avenues for future empirical research with these pathways are discussed.
For nearly a century, scholars have sought to understand, measure, and explain giftedness. Succeeding theories and empirical investigations have often built on earlier work, complementing or sometimes clashing over conceptions of talent or contesting the mechanisms of talent development. Some have even suggested that giftedness itself is a misnomer, mistaken for the results of endless practice or social advantage. In surveying the landscape of current knowledge about giftedness and gifted education, this monograph will advance a set of interrelated arguments: The abilities of individuals do matter, particularly their abilities in specific talent domains; different talent domains have different developmental trajectories that vary as to when they start, peak, and end; and opportunities provided by society are crucial at every point in the talent-development process. We argue that society must strive to promote these opportunities but that individuals with talent also have some responsibility for their own growth and development. Furthermore, the research knowledge base indicates that psychosocial variables are determining influences in the successful development of talent. Finally, outstanding achievement or eminence ought to be the chief goal of gifted education. We assert that aspiring to fulfill one’s talents and abilities in the form of transcendent creative contributions will lead to high levels of personal satisfaction and self-actualization as well as produce yet unimaginable scientific, aesthetic, and practical benefits to society.
To frame our discussion, we propose a definition of giftedness that we intend to be comprehensive. Giftedness is the manifestation of performance that is clearly at the upper end of the distribution in a talent domain even relative to other high-functioning individuals in that domain. Further, giftedness can be viewed as developmental in that in the beginning stages, potential is the key variable; in later stages, achievement is the measure of giftedness; and in fully developed talents, eminence is the basis on which this label is granted. Psychosocial variables play an essential role in the manifestation of giftedness at every developmental stage. Both cognitive and psychosocial variables are malleable and need to be deliberately cultivated.
Our goal here is to provide a definition that is useful across all domains of endeavor and acknowledges several perspectives about giftedness on which there is a fairly broad scientific consensus. Giftedness (a) reflects the values of society; (b) is typically manifested in actual outcomes, especially in adulthood; (c) is specific to domains of endeavor; (d) is the result of the coalescing of biological, pedagogical, psychological, and psychosocial factors; and (e) is relative not just to the ordinary (e.g., a child with exceptional art ability compared to peers) but to the extraordinary (e.g., an artist who revolutionizes a field of art).
In this monograph, our goal is to review and summarize what we have learned about giftedness from the literature in psychological science and suggest some directions for the field of gifted education. We begin with a discussion of how giftedness is defined (see above). In the second section, we review the reasons why giftedness is often excluded from major conversations on educational policy, and then offer rebuttals to these arguments. In spite of concerns for the future of innovation in the United States, the education research and policy communities have been generally resistant to addressing academic giftedness in research, policy, and practice. The resistance is derived from the assumption that academically gifted children will be successful no matter what educational environment they are placed in, and because their families are believed to be more highly educated and hold above-average access to human capital wealth. These arguments run counter to psychological science indicating the need for all students to be challenged in their schoolwork and that effort and appropriate educational programing, training and support are required to develop a student’s talents and abilities. In fact, high-ability students in the United States are not faring well on international comparisons. The scores of advanced students in the United States with at least one college-educated parent were lower than the scores of students in 16 other developed countries regardless of parental education level.
In the third section, we summarize areas of consensus and controversy in gifted education, using the extant psychological literature to evaluate these positions. Psychological science points to several variables associated with outstanding achievement. The most important of these include general and domain-specific ability, creativity, motivation and mindset, task commitment, passion, interest, opportunity, and chance. Consensus has not been achieved in the field however in four main areas: What are the most important factors that contribute to the acuities or propensities that can serve as signs of potential talent? What are potential barriers to acquiring the “gifted” label? What are the expected outcomes of gifted education? And how should gifted students be educated?
In the fourth section, we provide an overview of the major models of giftedness from the giftedness literature. Four models have served as the foundation for programs used in schools in the United States and in other countries. Most of the research associated with these models focuses on the precollegiate and early university years. Other talent-development models described are designed to explain the evolution of talent over time, going beyond the school years into adult eminence (but these have been applied only by out-of-school programs as the basis for educating gifted students).
In the fifth section we present methodological challenges to conducting research on gifted populations, including definitions of giftedness and talent that are not standardized, test ceilings that are too low to measure progress or growth, comparison groups that are hard to find for extraordinary individuals, and insufficient training in the use of statistical methods that can address some of these challenges.
In the sixth section, we propose a comprehensive model of trajectories of gifted performance from novice to eminence using examples from several domains. This model takes into account when a domain can first be expressed meaningfully—whether in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood. It also takes into account what we currently know about the acuities or propensities that can serve as signs of potential talent. Budding talents are usually recognized, developed, and supported by parents, teachers, and mentors. Those individuals may or may not offer guidance for the talented individual in the psychological strengths and social skills needed to move from one stage of development to the next. We developed the model with the following principles in mind: Abilities matter, domains of talent have varying developmental trajectories, opportunities need to be provided to young people and taken by them as well, psychosocial variables are determining factors in the successful development of talent, and eminence is the aspired outcome of gifted education.
In the seventh section, we outline a research agenda for the field. This agenda, presented in the form of research questions, focuses on two central variables associated with the development of talent—opportunity and motivation—and is organized according to the degree to which access to talent development is high or low and whether an individual is highly motivated or not.
Finally, in the eighth section, we summarize implications for the field in undertaking our proposed perspectives. These include a shift toward identification of talent within domains, the creation of identification processes based on the developmental trajectories of talent domains, the provision of opportunities along with monitoring for response and commitment on the part of participants, provision of coaching in psychosocial skills, and organization of programs around the tools needed to reach the highest possible levels of creative performance or productivity.
African American college students tend to obtain lower grades than their White counterparts, even when they enter college with equivalent test scores. Past research suggests that negative stereotypes impugning Black students' intellectual abilities play a role in this underperformance. Awareness of these stereotypes can psychologically threaten African Americans, a phenomenon known as “stereotype threat” (Steele & Aronson, 1995), which can in turn provoke responses that impair both academic performance and psychological engagement with academics. An experiment was performed to test a method of helping students resist these responses to stereotype threat. Specifically, students in the experimental condition of the experiment were encouraged to see intelligence—the object of the stereotype—as a malleable rather than fixed capacity. This mind-set was predicted to make students' performances less vulnerable to stereotype threat and help them maintain their psychological engagement with academics, both of which could help boost their college grades. Results were consistent with predictions. The African American students (and, to some degree, the White students) encouraged to view intelligence as malleable reported greater enjoyment of the academic process, greater academic engagement, and obtained higher grade point averages than their counterparts in two control groups.
This paper examines the connections between perfectionism and procrastination. The element of high-level ability (i.e., the gifted experience) is incorporated into the discussion. Important considerations addressed here include educational setting, mastery orientation, metacognitive capacities, and motivation. The focus moves from theoretical underpinnings to a comprehensive overview of practical classroom applications.
Good, better, best. Never let it rest, Til your good is better And your better best.
This familiar rhyme from generations past was used by parents and teachers to motivate children. Children may, in fact, internalize its message towards reasonable excellence, or may interpret it in a manner that causes them to never feel good enough unless they're “the best”. Parents and teachers want children to strive for excellence. It is attainable and provides a sense of accomplishment. Excellence is advantageous whether it involves children's school grades, figure skating, music, art, gymnastics, written work, or almost any skill. Striving for perfection in an area of expertise can represent a healthy development of talent. However, when perfectionism becomes pervasive and compulsive, it goes beyond excellence. It leaves no room for error. It provides little satisfaction and much self-criticism because the results never feel good enough to the doer. Perfection is impossible for children who apply unrealizable high standards to too many activities, too frequently.
The purpose of the present study was to create and test a model that (a) illustrated variables influencing the development of perfectionism, and (b) demonstrated how different types of perfectionism may influence the achievement goals of high-ability students. Using a multiple-groups path analysis, the researchers found that parenting style was related to attachment, with authoritative and permissive parenting associated with secure attachment and authoritarian and uninvolved parenting associated with insecure attachment. Attachment, in turn, was related to perfectionism, with insecure attachment associated with either self-oriented or socially prescribed perfectionism. In addition, the model then illustrated that perfectionism would influence achievement goals, with self-oriented perfectionists more likely to set mastery or performance-approach goals, and socially prescribed perfectionists more likely to set performance-approach or performance-avoidance goals. The findings of this study are interpreted in the context of the existing literature, and implications for working with high-ability perfectionistic students are discussed.
Underachievement among the gifted has been a focus of research for over 35 years. With few exceptions, studies of interventions for gifted underachievers have demonstrated only limited success. This study investigated factors which had influenced the reversal of the underachievement pattern in 10 gifted students, ages 14 to 20, who moved from chronic underachievement to academic success. Results indicated six factors were influential in reversing poor school performance. There was evidence that some gifted underachievers may respond well to interventions incorporating educational modifications which focus on individual strengths and interests.
Explores the hypothesis that alcohol use and underachievement may serve as strategies to externalize the causation of poor performance and to internalize the causation of good performance. Such a strategy may be prominently used especially by those who have a precarious but not entirely negative sense of self-competence. The etiology of this strategic preference may follow either of two scenarios. The child may attach desperate importance to this competence image because competence is the condition for deserving parental love. Or the child may have been rewarded for accidental attributes or performances that do not predict future success, thus leaving him in a position of one who has reached a status he fears he cannot maintain through his own control. The linkage of alcohol appeal to underachievement strategies is stressed; both are seen as expressions of the same overconcern with competence.
Underachievement in gifted students has been researched since the 1940s, when Terman and Oden (1947) identified underachieving students in their longitudinal study. Most of this research focused on quantitative approaches aimed at fixing the learner, yet provided little insight into means of alleviating the phenomenon. Underachievement remains a complex phenomenon in need of additional research to gain an understanding of the many variables interacting in any particular setting. This study explored experiences of adolescent high school students using a phenomenological case study approach highlighting their perceptions, expectations, and experiences as learners. Kate and Shawn (serving as examples from the data set) provide a glimpse of the complexities (both theoretical and practical) involved in ability and achievement, and how schools are underachieving them; rather than how they and their peers are underachieving in schools.
A group of exceptionally gifted adolescents between the ages of 14 and 25 were each treated in individual psychotherapy over the course of a number of years. They were referred for symptoms of anxiety, depression, self-destructive behavior, and underachievement. Each phase of their gifted development was accompanied by particular anxieties and conflicts. In adolescence they developed a powerful personal vision, a sense of destiny, and a charismatic personality. Their inability to resolve conflicts about these particular gifted traits led to their most dramatic forms of underachievement and self-destructive behavior.
This study is part of a larger research investigation of perfectionism in gifted college students. Employing a qualitative interview design, this study examined factors contributing to the development of two dimensions of perfectionism, socially prescribed and self-oriented, in gifted college students. Findings indicated that exposure to parental perfectionism and an authoritarian parenting style led to the perception of stringent expectations, self-worth tied to achievement, and a fear of disappointing others, which collectively influenced the development of socially prescribed perfectionism. Factors contributing to the development of self-oriented perfection included mastery of early academic experiences without effort, no previous experience with academic failure, and modeling of parental perfectionism. Implications for future research and recommendations for parents and educators of gifted children are suggested.
This study examined components of perfectionism and their relation to other personality constructs, based on data on the Frost et al. [Frost, R. O., Heimberg, R. G., Holt, C. S., Mattia, J.S., & Neubauer, A. L. (1993). A comparison of two measures of perfectionism. Personality and Individual Differences, 14, 119–126; Frost, R. O., Marten, P., Lahart, C., & Rosenblate, R. (1990). The dimensions of perfectionism. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 15, 245–261] Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the NEO Five-Factor Inventory and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in a population of academically talented students. The six scales of the MPS had been well recovered factor-analytically before. On a somewhat higher level of generality, four intercorrelated factors, Concerns and Doubts, Personal Standards, Organization and Parental Pressure were found to underlie self description on the MPS. This finding was consistent with previous observations. Two orthogonal higher-order factors were extracted from the intercorrelations of these four dimensions. These two factors could be clearly interpreted as healthy and unhealthy perfectionism; similar factors had been observed before in analyses of the scale scores on the MPS. This hierarchical structure of four first-order and two second-order factors could be well replicated in a second sample of subjects. The various factors on both levels showed distinct patterns of correlations with a large range of personality characteristics as measured by the other questionnaires mentioned above. In particular, healthy perfectionism was correlated with conscientiousness, unhealthy perfectionism with lack of self-esteem. Given this pattern of correlations, healthy and unhealthy perfectionism appear not to be opposite poles of one continuum, but distinct, independent factors, which are embedded in the overall personality in different ways.
