Drawing out understanding

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 197-209
Author(s):  
Jennifer Eiserman ◽  
Heather Lai ◽  
Chelsea Rushton
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
School Context ◽  
Gifted Students ◽  
School Students ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approaches ◽  
Positive Disintegration ◽  
Gifted Middle School Students

Dabrowski recognized that the creative process is important in the personality development of the gifted and talented. Given the intrinsically creative nature of learning in an arts- infused context, we hypothesize that interdisciplinary approaches to curriculum address the unique needs of the gifted. First, we will summarize Dabrowski’s theory of positive disintegration, providing a theoretical context to discuss an ongoing research project that engages gifted students in arts-based learning. We then briefly describe the implications of positive disintegration in the middle school context, and how art education can support this process. Finally, we describe how two arts integrated projects addressed the process of positive disintegration. In 2013, University of Calgary students in ART 307, “Applied concepts in art with children ages 6-12,” worked with gifted middle school students on an integrated art–social studies–science project called “When Fisher went to Skyland.” In this project, one class of Grade 6 students explored Iroquois culture and sky science through printmaking. In 2014, four classes of Grade 5 students worked with ART 307 students to enhance their understanding of electricity and magnetism through explorations using theatre games, creative movement and animation. We suggest that engaging gifted middle school students in the arts can be a means to facilitate alternative learning methodologies in all subject areas, and provide necessary support in personality development.

Openness to experience and overexcitabilities in a sample of highly gifted middle school students

2021 ◽  
pp. 026142942110532
Author(s):  
Shelagh Gallagher
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Big Five ◽  
Gifted Students ◽  
Openness To Experience ◽  
Cutoff Score ◽  
School Students ◽  
Big Five Model ◽  
Gifted Middle School Students ◽  
Neuroticism Scale

A sample of 108 highly gifted middle school students participated in a study of the relationships between Big Five factors and overexcitabilities. Students completed the NEO-FFI and Overexcitabilities Questionnaire-II (OEQ-II). A cutoff score applied to the OEQ-II created a threshold for overexcitability, ensuring only extreme responses. Analysis groups were based on the number of OEs students possessed based on the cutoff score. An analysis of variance assessed differences in students’ NEO-FFI scores according to the number of OEs they reported. Students with three or more overexcitabilities had significantly higher scores on NEO-FFI openness to experience than students with fewer overexcitabilities. Gifted females had significantly higher scores on NEO-FFI neuroticism scale than gifted males. The results hold implications for understanding the academic and social-emotional needs of highly gifted students and justify use of the Big Five model and overexcitabilities together to further understand the relationship between intelligence, personality, and giftedness.

STAR Experimental Geometry: Working with Mathematically Gifted Middle School Students

1990 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 351-357
Author(s):  
Gary Talsma ◽  
Jim Hersberger
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Gifted Students ◽  
Instructional Approaches ◽  
School Students ◽  
Mathematically Gifted ◽  
Covered Area ◽  
Gifted Middle School Students ◽  
Experimental Geometry

Issues concerning the proper mathematics content for gifted students have been addressed by many researchers, including Harpel (1983), Hersberger and Wheatley (1980), Stanley (1980), Wavrik (1980), and Wheatley (1983). One area of agreement is that geometry is an essential and insufficiently covered area of mathematics content for gifted students. In this article, we describe a course for mathematically gifted middle school students, including the instructional approaches used, along with some exemplary materials.

scholarly journals The Opinions of Gifted Students about Leadership Training

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uzeyir Ogurlu ◽  
Mehmet Naci Sevim
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Leadership Training ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Gifted Students ◽  
Leadership Education ◽  
School Students ◽  
Science And Art ◽  
Gifted Middle School Students

The aim of this research was to identify gifted middle school students’ opinions and suggestions about leadership and leadership education. For this purpose, 65 gifted middle school students who have been attending the Science and Art Center were interviewed by using the focus group. The gifted students were asked open-ended questions about leadership and leadership training. Qualitative content analysis was employed. The results of the focus group interviews showed that majority of gifted students did not want to be a leader in the future because of some reasons including lack of self-confidence and avoiding taking responsibility. But the majority believed that leadership could be improved through training and wanted to participate in leadership training in schools. The participants suggested some various ways for leadership improvement of students in the schools such as teamwork or giving responsibilities.

Communicating about bullying: Examining disclosure among gifted students

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-120
Author(s):  
Rachel Leah Jumper
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
General Education ◽  
Gifted Students ◽  
Specific Area ◽  
The Body ◽  
Gifted Children ◽  
School Students ◽  
General Education Students ◽  
Being Bullied

Although research on bullying has grown in scope in recent years, research specifically focused on gifted children’s experiences with bullying has been more limited. Studies of gifted children and bullying do exist, but the body of research in this specific area is not large. This article asserts that there are differences in the ways that gifted and nongifted middle school students communicate about bullying. This article examines quantitative differences in the ways middle school students who self-identify as gifted, and their peers who do not self-identify as gifted, disclose information about bullying. Data were collected from 343 middle school students at five different schools using the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire. The study found that gifted students were more likely than general education students to disclose to their peers that they were being bullied but were not more likely than other children to communicate about bullying to their teachers or parents. These findings have important implications for schools and families as adults may underestimate bullying among the gifted. Additionally, these findings add to the literature supporting intervention programs that incorporate peer bystanders and add information to how we understand the importance of peers for gifted children.

Epistemological Differences Between Gifted and Typically Developing Middle School Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 164-184
Author(s):  
Shelagh A. Gallagher
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Gifted Students ◽  
Developmental Differences ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
School Students ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Personal Epistemologies

Students’ personal epistemologies, or their beliefs about knowledge and knowing, have a substantial impact on learning, affecting their responses to curriculum, strategy selection, and psychosocial variables. Changes in epistemological reasoning occur similarly to other stage-based developmental schemes, with qualitative shifts in worldviews at each stage. Some research suggests that gifted students tend to develop higher levels of epistemological reasoning earlier than same-aged typically developing peers. The current study extends research in developmental differences to middle school students. A total of 189 sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade gifted or typical students completed the Learning Context Questionnaire. An analysis of variance was conducted to determine differences by Gifted Status and Grade Level. Results of the analysis revealed significant differences between gifted and typical students, with modest effect size, at each grade level. The discussion includes implications for understanding giftedness and related need for rich inquiry-based learning environments.

scholarly journals Impact of an Informal Science Program: Middle School Gifted Science Students

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 641-650
Author(s):  
Dr. Abha Singh
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Accelerated Learning ◽  
Informal Science ◽  
Science Program ◽  
School Students ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Gifted Middle School Students

This research explores an informal science program (ISP) in fulfilling the needs of talented and gifted middle school students. Specifically, it discusses the need of teachers’ continued professional development and the unique challenges and opportunities inherent in instructing gifted middle school students. It further focuses on characteristics of successful teaching strategies and methods for identifying and training teachers. The study uses a constructivist framework to examine teaching methods and suggests that constructivism is an appropriate method for instructing gifted middle school students.The research reflects the results of an embedded descriptive multiple case study of six teachers in the informal science program, an initiative to provide middle school students in rural midwestern states with opportunities for accelerated learning in science.

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