TEACHING STRATEGIES

What is Giftedness?

2 January 2024/ By Zineb DJOUB

In most classrooms, the range of cognitive abilities is wide. However, we often feel challenged and unable to deal with those students who are exceptional, talented, or precocious. They pose complex questions, answer quickly, and show persistent intellectual curiosity. Research indicates that a majority of teachers have little specific knowledge about this group of children (e.g., Westberg & Daoust, 2003). Indeed, understanding the multifaceted nature of giftedness aids in the creation of environments that cater to their specific needs and provide opportunities for growth across multiple domains.

Giftedness definition

Giftedness was first used by Lewis Terman in 1925 to identify high-ability students (Stephens & Karnes, 2000), who scored high on an intelligence test.

So, this term has often been labeled as a high level of intelligence or “endowed with a special aptitude or ability” (Webber, 1984, p.295).

Yet, it is important to recognize that a high IQ score is not giftedness. It may be a signal that giftedness exists (NAGC, 2011). IQ scores are, in fact, insufficient evidence of giftedness existence.

Giftedness is more than intelligence. It relates to an advanced and accelerated development of functions within the brain, which may be manifested in the areas of cognition, emotion, intuition, and physical sensing.

So, it is not only about possessing high intellectual ability, but “it also comprises creativity, ability in specific academic areas, ability in visual or performing arts, social adeptness, and physical dexterity” (Galbraith & Delisle, 2015, p.31).

Giftedness was seen as involving “a greater awareness, a greater sensitivity, and a greater ability to understand and transform perceptions into intellectual and emotional experiences” (Roeper, 1982, p. 21).

This definition leads us to the nature/nurture debate.

We, teachers, need to understand that giftedness is an inborn personal characteristic. As James Gallagher (2000) suggests, there are children “who, at birth, have a neurological constitution that allows them to learn faster, remember more, process information more effectively, and generate more new and unusual ideas than their age peers” (p. 6).

However, this does not necessarily mean that those gifted children are high-achieving (Merrill, 2012). Gifted students may struggle in class more than others. They may get bored and less engaged because of routine classwork that seems invaluable to their learning needs and interests.

Research evidence suggests that at least 5% of gifted children fail or drop out of school (Renzulli & Park, 2000).

Therefore, the most important aspect of being gifted is the ability to turn gifts into recognizable and valued accomplishments (Grant & Piechowski, 1999).

So, giftedness develops and grows as a result of environmental interactions. As Sternberg (2003) advocated in his theory of successful intelligence, giftedness is manifested in individuals who can take the raw materials of their life situations and transform them into successful experiences.

Therefore, gifted students require more complexity and more opportunities to nurture their rapidly expanding and curious minds. Instead of recognizing them as being intelligent, we need to understand their qualities and identify their unique needs to improve their emotional and behaviour outcomes.

Characteristics of gifted students

Giftedness encompasses not only intellectual development but also various aspects of personal and social development. To this end, we will describe first the intellectual characteristics of gifted students, and then talk about their personality traits.

The intellectual characteristics

The development of gifted children differs from that of average learners. As  Silverman (2013) describes their minds “like new high-powered computers that process greater amounts of information at a more rapid rate, organize that material more efficiently, integrate it with other information more systematically, and retrieve it more easily” (p.78).

So, gifted students usually retain information permanently the first time a concept is presented. They do not need extra practice. They can engage in hypothetical reasoning, discuss complex issues, make abstract inferences, and use systematic procedures in their quest for knowledge.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, Marland Report (1972), gifted and talented children demonstrate potential ability in any of the following areas:

1. General intellectual ability
2. Specific academic aptitude
3. Creative or productive thinking
4. Leadership ability
5. Visual and performing arts
6. Psychomotor ability

 

The learning preferences of gifted students can vary widely. Some have a strong preference for abstract thinking, while others may thrive in hands-on, experiential learning environments. Yet, they may prefer to work independently.

The personality traits

Many gifted students have a high level of creativity, originality, and the ability to think outside the box.  They are more intense, curious, and intrinsically motivated to learn

Driven by the intensity of their cognitive abilities, gifted students often have a strong desire to understand the world, pay attention to detail, and get answers to their questions.

In class, they are not satisfied with superficial explanations and may ask questions that delve into the nuances of a subject.

However, due to their advanced cognitive abilities, gifted students may experience certain social and emotional problems.

Because of their need to be perfect, they are resistant to taking risks. They fear failure and making mistakes and get disappointed and anxious when not reaching their high goals.

Many gifted students become so worried about their performance in school that they develop physical symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, and other ailments.

Further, for some, school is not so fun mainly when classrooms focus more on rote information rather than on creative problem-solving. This can lead to not only disengagement from the learning process but also underachievement and academic failure.

Gifted students may also suffer emotionally. They may find themselves unable to connect with same-aged children.

Challenges in connecting with their peers can be due to difficulty finding peers with similar intellectual interests or abilities, and their quick learning pace.

Besides, gifted students’ expectations of perfection and leadership qualities may be perceived as bossiness by their peers. These social difficulties make them feel isolated, alienated, or alone.

So, we educators must understand their striving, their search for meaning, their yearning for connection, and their sensitivity and intensity. But, this requires first identifying who the gifted are in our classes.

Identifying giftedness

Giftedness is a multifaceted trait. Gifted students may demonstrate their abilities in various ways. So, identifying them in a classroom should not be based on personal opinion and interpretation or test scores alone.

There needs to be a comprehensible approach that reflects the complexity and uniqueness of these students.

Besides IQ and achievement tests, teacher observations can help.

You can notice signs of giftedness through observable behaviours. These can include, for instance, a love for learning, interest in complex topics, asking probing questions, grasping new concepts quickly, showing a deep understanding of material beyond their grade level, and a high level of imaginative thinking.

Incorporating inquiry-based learning can help you identify giftedness. When using projects look for students who exhibit creative thinking, problem-solving skills, and the ability to generate original ideas. Allow them opportunities to showcase their abilities through portfolios and making decisions.

In addition, consider social and emotional factors. Gifted students may display intense emotions, sensitivity, difficulties connecting with their peers, and preference to work alone.

Examples of the student’s work are also accepted as evidence of his/her giftedness. Yet, remember that gifted students may excel in some areas while falling short in others.

Finally, talking to students and also parents can provide useful information about their interests, abilities, and developmental history.

To conclude, giftedness is a multidimensional trait, encompassing not only exceptional intellectual abilities but also unique social, emotional, and creative qualities. Still, those unique characteristics may impact the learning experience and pose certain challenges. So, recognizing and nurturing giftedness is critical for creating educational environments that celebrate diversity and meet the specific needs of these exceptional students.

References

Galbraith, J, & Delisle, J. (2015). When gifted kids don’t have all the answers: how to meet their social and emotional needs. USA: Free Spirit Publishing Inc.

Gallagher, J. J. (2000). Unthinkable thoughts: Education of gifted students. Gifted Child Quarterly, 44, 5–12.

Grant, B., & Piechowski, M. M. (1999). Theories and the good: Toward a child-centered gifted education. Gifted Child Quarterly, 43, 4–12.

Marland, S. P., Jr. (1971/1972). Education of the gifted and talented: Report to the Congress of the United States by the U.S. Commissioner of Education, Volume 1. Pursuant to Public Law 91–230, Section 806. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Merrill, J. (2012). If this is a gift, can I send it back? Surviving in the land of the gifted and twice exceptional. Ashland, OR: GHF Press.

National Association for Gifted Children. (2011). Redefining giftedness for a new century: Shifting the paradigm. Retrieved January 25, 2012, from www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=6404

Renzulli, J. S., & Park, S. (2000). Gifted dropouts: The who and the why. Gifted Child Quarterly, 44, 261–271.

Roeper, A. (1982). How the gifted cope with their emotions. Roeper Review, 5(2), 21–24.

Silverman, L.K. (2013). Giftedness 101. New York: Springer Publishing Company.

Stephens, K. R., & F. A. Karnes. 2000. State definitions for the gifted and talented revisited. Exceptional Children 66(2): 219–38.

Sternberg, R. J. (2003). Giftedness according to the theory of successful intelligence. In Handbook of gifted education, 3rd ed., ed. N. Colangelo and G. A. Davis, 55–60. Boston: Allyn & Bacon

Webber, H., (ed.) (1984). Webster’s II new Riverside dictionary. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Westberg, K. L., & M. E. Daoust. (2003). The results of the replication of the classroom practices survey replication in two states. The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented Newsletter Fall: 3–8. Available at: www.gifted.uconn.edu/nrcgt/newsletter/fall03/fall032.html.