Abstract
Giftedness is an increasingly important research topic in educational sciences and mathematics education in particular. In this paper, we contribute to further theorizing mathematical giftedness through illustrating how networking processes can be conducted and illustrating their potential benefits. The paper focuses on two theories: Renzulli’s domain-general theory on giftedness as an interplay of creativity, above-average ability, and task commitment; and Krutetskii’s mathematics-specific theory on gifted students’ abilities. In a “proof of concept”, we illustrate how the abilities offered in Krutetskii’s theory can be mapped to the three traits described by Renzulli. This is realized through a mapping process in which two raters independently mapped the abilities offered by Krutetskii to Renzulli’s traits. The results of this mapping give first insights into (a) possible mappings of Krutetskii’s abilities to Renzulli’s traits and, thus, (b) a possible domain-specific specification of Renzulli’s theory. This mapping hints at interesting potential phenomena: in Krutetskii’s theory, above-average ability appears to be the trait that predominantly is addressed, whereas creativity and especially task-commitment seem less represented. Our mapping demonstrates what a mathematics-specific specification of Renzulli’s theory can look like. Finally, we elaborate on the consequences of our findings, restrictions of our methodology, and on possible future research.
Highlights
Giftedness and gifted behavior are topics increasingly gaining significance in mathematics education and mathematics education research [1]
One of the major shortcomings of theory use in gifted education research is that connections, similarities, and differences of theories are rarely under investigation or made explicit
The crucial aim of this paper is to contribute to the ongoing research and theory discussion on giftedness, and mathematical giftedness in particular
Summary
Giftedness and gifted behavior are topics increasingly gaining significance in mathematics education and mathematics education research [1]. There is a need for increased research in this area—especially because it is important to give these students the opportunity to seize their potential. They should have the possibility to unfold their abilities in the sense of Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development [3]. They must be offered situations in which they can perform on “the level of potential development through problem-solving” [3] Grounded theories on giftedness and its traits are significant for conceptualizing the characteristics of such behavior
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