Book Review: Smith, S. R. (Ed.). (2021). Handbook of Giftedness and Talent Development in the Asia-Pacific. Springer Singapore

Abstract

As an Australian educator and a researcher in the field of Gifted Education, it is somewhat frustrating at times that the majority of research we turn to is American-centric. Borland, in the foreward of this important handbook, reminds the reader that the conceptions with which we work each day and turn to for guidance, are very much American conceptions of gifted education, so much so that the field itself could be considered an American export. However, as Borland also points out, we cannot ignore the sociocultural contexts when thinking about gifted education. Models such as Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT) and the Actiotope Model of Giftedness highlight the need to consider all aspects of the environment and yet perhaps when looking to be informed by research to shape our practice, we forget the larger sociocultural context and ‘make do’ with American research. What is immediately striking about this handbook is the geographical scope and representation of 18 nations from East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania and the Americas. With such diverse sociocultural input, the perceptions and conceptions of giftedness and gifted education are bound to provide the reader with a greater understanding of a variety of ways of working with gifted children and adults. This is particularly relevant for Australian practitioners and academics given our multicultural settings.