Measuring Spatial Ability for Talent Identification, Educational Assessment, and Support: Evidence from Adolescents with High Achievement in Science, Arts, and Sports

Background. Spatial ability (SA) is a robust predictor of academic and occupational achievement. The present study investigated the psychometric properties of 10 tests for measuring of SA in a sample of talented schoolchildren. Objective. Our purpose was to identify the most suitable measurements for SA for the purpose of talent identification, educational assessment, and support. Design. Our sample consisted of 1479 schoolchildren who had demonstrated high achievement in Science, Arts, or Sports. Several criteria were applied to evaluate the measurements, including an absence of floor and ceiling effects, low redundancy, high reliability, and external validity. Results. Based on these criteria, we included the following four tests in an Online Short Spatial Ability Battery “OSSAB”: Pattern Assembly; Mechanical Reasoning; Paper Folding; and Shape Rotation. Further analysis found differences in spatial ability across the three groups of gifted adolescents. The Science track showed the highest results in all four tests. Conclusion. Overall, the study suggested that the Online Short Spatial Ability Battery (OSSAB) can be used for talent identification, educational assessment, and support. The analysis showed a unifactorial structure of spatial abilities. Future research is needed to evaluate the use of this battery with other specific samples and unselected populations.

Achievement Across the Life Span: Perspectives From the Terman Study of the Gifted

The Terman Study of the Gifted presents a unique opportunity to study the implications of achievement for life satisfaction in adulthood and aging. This article uses a life-span developmental perspective to summarize research concerning the lifetime achievement of the Terman sample, their appraisals of living up to their intellectual abilities, and their approaches to aging. A large majority of the Terman men reached high levels of occupational achievement, while the achievements of the Terman women were more varied. The historical context is important in understanding these gender differences. The participants’ appraisals of having lived up to their intellectual abilities were generally positive, and appraisals were related to lifetime achievement pattern and gender. Early knowledge of being labeled as gifted was negatively related to participants’ appraisals of their life accomplishments in adulthood. Finally, the lives of the Terman Study participants provide insight into possibilities for successful aging.

Social origin and compensation patterns over the occupational career in Italy

This paper studies dynamically the direct effect of social origin on occupational destinations among men in Italy over the career. It aims at investigating the existence, the pattern over time and the heterogeneity of differences in occupational achievement related to social origins, net of education (DESO) and occupational allocation at first job. It also analyses if the change of the DESO over the career is related to the effect of specific job change episodes (voluntary job change, involuntary job change, internal career move). Results based on growth curve models show the relevance of first job in shaping the DESO, which also slightly increases over the career. The DESO is stronger among highly educated individuals, confirming a boosting pattern primarily driven by a better allocation at first job. The (smaller) DESO among the low-educated, increasing over the career, depends from the higher probabilities to benefit from voluntary and internal career job changes for the children of the service class. The (stronger) DESO among the highly educated is driven by the higher probabilities of experiencing internal career mobility for the children of the service class as well as by their ability to benefit also from an involuntary job change (e.g. dismissal).

The Modifying Influence of Family Social Background on the Association Between IQ and Unsuccessful Educational and Occupational Achievement

The present register-based study investigated whether family social background modified the association between intelligence and unsuccessful educational and occupational achievement among young men in Denmark. The study population comprised all men born during the period from 1981 to 1991 who had appeared before a draft board until 2015 ( N = 277,938). Family social background was measured by parental educational attainment at the birth of the study population. Intelligence was assessed by IQ scores on Børge Priens Prøve at age 18. Unsuccessful educational and occupational achievement were measured by no completed youth education at age 25, by no completed education leading to vocational qualifications at age 30, by not being in employment, education, or training (NEET) at age 30, and by gross income at age 30. Binary logistic regression and median regression were used to estimate the combined influence of family social background and IQ on unsuccessful educational and occupational achievement. The results showed that family social background modified the associations of IQ with risk of no youth education at age 25 and gross income at age 30, but the modifying influence seemed to depend on both the IQ level and the outcome indicator. Family social background was not found to modify the associations of IQ with risk of no vocational qualification at age 30 and risk of being NEET at age 30. In conclusion, the study findings suggest that several mechanisms might be at work in the complex and intertwined influences of family social background and intelligence on the risk of unsuccessful educational and occupational achievement.

Assessing Tertiary-level ESP Enhancement Criteria for Ameliorating Occupational Mobility: Commerce and Industry Perceptions

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is designed to be learned and practiced as an essential component for employment preparation or occupational mobility. Learners aspire to utilize their ESP skills to enhance their occupational achievement and mobility. The objective of this study is to determine how to effectively enhance ESP learning to meet occupational needs with limited resources and time constraints. This study was conducted using an analytic hierarchy process to prioritize all factors of ESP enhancement plans among participants who often engage in staff acquisition, performance appraisal, and career development planning in the global business community. While aiming to enhance learners’ ESP level to improve their competitiveness in the workforce, this study considers four main criteria. Each criterion has sub-criteria/alternatives; these amount to 19 in total. The results show that among the four criteria, the main concerns of participants are the employees’ ESP proficiency certificate accreditation; and among the 19 sub-criteria/alternatives, the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) ranked the highest for achieving occupational mobility. All these factors can facilitate the determination and prioritization of the targets for ESP enhancement as well as for acquainting ESP practitioners with employers’ requirements and effectively meeting them by altering the lesson plans accordingly. Moreover, learners can strengthen their employment potential by using the ESP qualification to achieve a smoother career path.