Talent Domains Research Articles

Unlocking the transformative power of mentoring for youth development in communities, schools, and talent domains.

Mentoring is a highly individualized educational measure that can support youth development in communities, schools, and talent domains. Depending on the target population, goals, structure, and medium, mentoring for youths can differ considerably. This article first reviews the main types of mentoring programs and practices for youth development in communities, schools, and talent domains. Despite the popularity of mentoring programs, many programs fail to realize the full potential of mentoring as meta-analyses consistently show relatively small effects of mentoring. The discrepancy between the potential and actual effect of mentoring is referred to as the mentoring paradox. Crucial aspects that are held responsible for the mentoring paradox, such as adequate planning and implementation of mentoring programs, adherence to research-based mentoring practices, as well as quality assurance of mentoring programs through systematic program research and evaluation are described. Finally, implications on how to professionalize mentoring are provided for different stakeholders.

Passionate and opportune engagement to accomplish or achieve in talent domains leading to female eminence

ABSTRACT Eminent women’s lives were examined to find the factors which the women perceived to have contributed to their talent development across seven domains of talent. Using feminist methodology, a Talent Development Model of Eminent Women was developed based on emergent themes from semi-structured interviews and demographic data. From this model, two of the themes found to be catalysts to the talent development with these eminent women were explored and explicated: passionate engagement in talent domains; and taking opportunities to accomplish and achieve in talent domains across their lifespan. These two key themes which emerged from the eminent women’s reflections on their lived experience have implications for other talented females, their teaching, and talent development. Additionally, two of the eminent participants in the research, one eminent actor in the arts, and one eminent medical scientist are used to exemplify their talent development to eminence in these themes.

Sosyal Bilgiler Öğretiminde Üstün Yetenekli Çocuklar için Zenginleştirilmiş Program Önerisi

The Gifted and talented students who have a superior potential compared to their peers need a differentiated curriculum. It is considered that the talent domain, potential of intelligence, interest, and development status of the gifted and talented students should be determined, and the curriculum which is to be applied should be differentiated. In this respect, the purpose of the study is to differentiate the social studies curriculum of 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th grades in line with the characteristics, academic, cognitive, and affective expectations of gifted and talented students. In the study, the social studies curriculum is differentiated with the integrated curriculum differentiation method. The document review method, which is one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the data collection process of the study. The content analysis method was used when analyzing the data. A differentiation strategy was determined for the whole class level and for each learning domain separately in accordance with the general characteristics of gifted and talented students, The determined differentiation strategy is composed of affective domain and value objectives, along with thinking, study, and creativity skills. Based on differentiation strategies, cognitive domain, affective domain, value, and skill objectives were determined. Enrichment and reduction practices were made by retaining the present achievements in the curriculum. In the curriculum, in which 68 achievements were differentiated in total, students' creativity, innovation, study and thinking skills, and awareness for national components and social values were prioritized. Social studies curriculum in line with the integrated curriculum model is thought to be an original and framework model for teaching social studies to gifted and talented students.

دور الجمعيات والمؤسسات الأهلية في رعاية الموهوبين بالمملکة العربية السعودية من وجهة نظر العاملين فيها

هدفت الدراسة إلى التعرف على دور الجمعيات والمؤسسات الأهلية في رعاية الموهوبين بالمملکة العربية السعودية من وجهة نظر العاملين فيها کما هدفت إلى التعرف على الفروق ذات الدلالة الإحصائية في دور الجمعيات والمؤسسات الأهلية في رعاية الموهوبين بالمملکة العربية السعودية من وجهة نظر العاملين فيها التي تعزى للمتغيرات (نوع العضوية، تصنيف الجمعية، مجال الموهبة، المنطقة)، وقد استخدم الباحث المنهج الوصفي لمناسبته لطبيعة الدراسة، وتکونت عينة الدراسة من(271) فردا من العاملين في الجمعيات والمؤسسات الأهلية يمثلون الأعضاء والموظفين التنفيذين، واستخدمت الدراسة الاستبانة کأداة لجمع البيانات، وتوصلت الدراسة في نتائجها إلى: أن دور الجمعيات والمؤسسات الأهلية في رعاية الموهوبين بالمملکة العربية السعودية من وجهة نظر العاملين فيها بشکل عام کان منخفضا حيث بلغ المتوسط الحسابي لاستجابات أفراد العينة ککل (1.81)، وبانحراف معياري بلغ (0.80) ضمن درجة توفر منخفضة،کما توصلت الدراسة إلى عدم وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية عند مستوى الدلالة (α0.05) لمتغير نوع العضوية،کما توصلت الدراسة إلى عدم وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية لمتغير تصنيف الجمعية أو المؤسسة کما توصلت الدراسة إلى أنه يوجد فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية عند مستوى الدلالة (α0.05) لمجال الموهبة الذي تعنى به الجمعية أو المؤسسة بين مجال (العلوم الشرعية واللغة العربية) ومجال (أخرى - الاجتماعي) لصالح مجال العلوم الشرعية واللغة العربية حيث بلغ الفرق بين المتوسطات (0.83) ودلالتها الإحصائية (0.002) ، وهي أقل من مستوى الدلالة (α0.05)،بينما لم تشر النتائج إلى وجود فروق دالة إحصائيا عند مستوى الدلالة (α0.05) بين باقي مجالات الموهبة کما توصلت الدراسة إلى عدم وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية لمتغير المنطقة. This study aimed at identifying the role of the civil societies and institutions in sponsoring the gifted in Saudi Arabia, as viewed by their workers. It also aimed at identifying the statistically significant differences in these civil societies and institutions in sponsoring the gifted in Saudi Arabia as seen by their workers, which could be ascribed to (membership type, classification of the society, domain of the talent, and the region) variables. The researcher employed the descriptive method due its fitness to the study nature. The sample comprised (271) individuals of the workers in the civil societies and institutions, who represent the members and the executive employees. The study further used the questionnaire to collect the data. The results showed that the role of the civil societies and institutions in providing care for the gifted in Saudi Arabia, as viewed by the workers, was generally low. The mean of the questionnaire as a whole was (1.81), with (0.80) standard deviation, within a low availability level. The results did not show statistically significant differences at (α0.05) level attributed to the membership type variable. On the other hand, there were no statistically significant differences attributed to the society or institution classification variable. There were statistically significant differences at (α0.05) level attributed to the talent domain, which the society or the institutions takes care of, between (Sharia Sciences and Arabic language) domain and (others-social) domain, which were in favor of the Sharia sciences and Arabic language domain. In this concern, the difference between the means was (0.83) and significance was (0.002), which is less than (α0.05) level. Furthermore, there were no statistically significant differences at (α0.05) level among the other talent domains, nor were there statistically significant differences attributed to the region variable.

Parents’ roles in talent development

Talent development research has uncovered common conditions for nurturing talented individuals: enriched early environment, appropriate instruction, long-term and deliberate practice, singleness of purpose, and centers of excellence. Talent research also reveals that parents play a critical role in arranging and facilitating these conditions and helping their child’s talent to blossom. This article reports six talent-nurturing things parents do according to case-study research by Kiewra and colleagues across various talent domains such as chess, figure skating, baton twirling, violin, writing, and spelling. Parents provide an enriched early environment, arrange for appropriate instruction, facilitate long-term and deliberate practice, support singleness of purpose, gravitate to or establish a center of excellence, and are fully committed and make life-changing sacrifices to nurture their child’s talents.

Psychological Framework for Gifted Children’s Cognitive and Socio-Emotional Development: A Review of the Research Literature and Implications

A literature review was conducted to examine the shaping of giftedness during childhood, a period when crucial developmental changes that affect academic outlook and psychosocial wellness take place. The search of the literature covered articles published in English without restriction on publication year in the following databases: PsycINFO, Google Scholar, EBSCOhost, ERIC, and ProQuest. A total of 95 sources were categorized into two thematic areas that include (a) cognitive development of gifted children and (b) socio-emotional development of gifted children. The analysis of the literature reveals that although superior performance constitutes a key element in the notion of giftedness, ability alone cannot lead a gifted child to personal excellence and long-term commitment within a talent domain as it is insufficient to explain outstanding achievements across the life course. Indeed, these publications provide some evidence that the process of nurturing giftedness in children is determined by the dynamic interaction between individual strengths and a supportive environment, which can stimulate or inhibit the full use of a child’s ability. Finally, this review is intended to change the way researchers, school practitioners, and policymakers think about the limits and capabilities of gifted children, and to provide suggestions for strategies to support their development.

High ability students with coexisting disabilities: Implications for school psychological practice

AbstractSchool psychologists are well‐positioned to change the educational landscape for twice‐exceptional students, or those who possess high ability in one or more talent domains along with one or more disabilities. Better understanding of the nuanced cognitive and psychosocial assessment patterns within this population may increase well‐needed participation in gifted education opportunities and the likelihood of receiving accommodations, as well as decrease missed diagnoses. Based on our review of the empirical literature within domains of twice‐exceptionality (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and specific learning disability), we provide recommendations for how school psychologists can interpret formative and summative assessments taken by twice‐exceptional students and subsequently help design educational plans that will meet their unique needs.

Integrating creativity into career interventions for twice-exceptional students in the United States: A review of recent literature

ABSTRACT In the United States, scholars both in and out of gifted education have been studying twice-exceptional students for the past several decades. These students often face significant challenges and barriers in the process of achieving their educational and career goals, as they are often confronted with combining their talent domains with the limitations associated with their learning, social, and/or behavioral difficulties. Yet studies have also identified distinct strengths within this population, such as their accelerated creativity. In this article, we reviewed the creativity and career development literature specific to twice-exceptional students and considered how creative approaches toward career intervention, such as the inclusion of the creative arts, may facilitate student exploration. Theoretical and research support for this approach are discussed.

Prodigies of the Prairie: The Talent Development Stories of Four Elite Nebraska Youth Performers

This qualitative study addressed this primary question: How does talent develop among four Nebraska youth? Four highly talented Nebraska youth in the domains of baton twirling, swimming, rodeo, and both softball and music were interviewed along with their parents and coaches. Results revealed unique talent stories and commonalities among those stories. The stories described a twirling talent trilogy that involved coordinated efforts among student, parent, and coach; a swimmer with all hands on deck that involved supportive family, strong coaching, and center of excellence; a one-horse talent hotbed with a talent-equipped ranch and rodeo coaching parents; and a father-influenced music and softball double play where a father led the way to dual talents. The commonalities among stories included hard work, focus on fundamentals, prior family links to the talent domain, extraordinary parent involvement, and a parent-engineered environment for talent development. The limited roles schools play in fostering talent and parenting implications were also addressed.

Exploring the Spatial Ability of Undergraduate Students: Association With Gender, STEM Majors, and Gifted Program Membership

Spatial ability has been valued as a talent domain and as an assessment form that reduces cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic status biases, yet little is known of the spatial ability of students in gifted programs compared with those in general education. Spatial ability is considered an important indicator of potential talent in the domains of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This study explored undergraduate students’ spatial ability, focusing on mental rotation, by investigating the relationships of three variables with performance on a spatial ability test, in terms of test scores and test completion time. A three-way analysis of variance revealed statistically significant main effects of gifted program participation, choice of academic major, and gender, suggesting that students who participated in a gifted program, who majored in a STEM discipline, or who were male outperformed their counterparts on a measure of spatial ability when the other conditions were equivalent. No interaction effects existed among the three variables, indicating that none of them functioned as a moderator of students’ performance on the spatial ability assessment. However, when spatial ability was considered as a mediating variable in a path model, gender had the largest total effect on the probability of students majoring in a STEM area. In addition, the more time students spent on the spatial ability test, the better they tended to perform, which is a finding inconsistent with current literature.

Voices From the Field

As a licensed psychologist, educator, and researcher, my primary focus is on twice-exceptional individuals. I am interested in identifying their multifaceted needs, both in their talent domains and areas for growth, and in disseminating research-based intervention strategies that help them reach their full potential. As a psychologist, this focus manifests itself in providing comprehensive assessment, consultation, and therapy services; as an educator, in training future psychologists to understand and best work with this population; and as a researcher, in creating and critiquing the research basis for the other two domains. I truly believe we, as parents, educators, and psychologists, need to become better equipped to understand twice-exceptional students’ individual differences. We need to set them up for success instead of letting them fall through the cracks.

What contributes to gifted adolescent females’ talent development at a high-achieving, secondary girls’ school?

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research was to examine what contributes to gifted adolescent females’ talent development at a high-achieving girls’ school. Using Kronborg’s (2010) Talent Development Model for Eminent Women as a theoretical framework, this research examined the conditions that supported and those that hindered the participants’ talent development in the setting of their secondary girls’ school. In this qualitative study, semistructured interviews were conducted with six gifted females, 17–20 years of age, who were all identified as gifted and who achieved highly in one or more talent domains during their years at their former high-achieving secondary girls’ school. The findings of this research support the theoretical framework. The themes found to support these participants’ talent development were psychological qualities, individual abilities, opportunities to achieve in talent domain(s), allies in the family, allies beyond the family, passionate engagement in talent domain, and feelings and experiences of difference. These findings add support to the themes Kronborg (2010) found in her Talent Development Model of Eminent Women.

Antecedent and concurrent psychosocial skills that support high levels of achievement within talent domains

Motivation and emotional regulation are important for the sustained focused study and practice required for high levels of achievement and creative productivity in adulthood. Using the talent development model proposed by the authors as a framework, the authors discuss several important psychosocial skills based on the psychological research literature that are antecedent and concurrent to the types and level of motivation needed for transitions from ability to competence, competence to expertise, and beyond.

Parenting Talent: A Qualitative Investigation of the Roles Parents Play in Talent Development

Previous research has linked talent development to four factors—early experience, coaching, practice, and motivation. In addition to these factors, contemporary talent experts suggest that parents play a critical role in talent development. The purpose of the present study was to uncover parents’ in-time perspectives on the talent development roles they play, especially with regard to previously established talent factors. The present study used qualitative methods to collect and analyze data from the parents of 24 supremely talented children in a variety of talent domains such as chess, baton twirling, figure skating, and music. Results reconfirmed that talent is linked to the four factors and newly established that parents play a central, if not critical, role in enacting all four factors.

Cognitive, Adaptive, and Psychosocial Differences Between High Ability Youth With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder

Research on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is thriving; however, scant empirical research has investigated how ASD manifests in high ability youth. Further research is necessary to accurately differentiate high ability students with ASD from those without the disorder, and thus decrease the risk of misdiagnosis. The purpose of the present study is to provide an empirical account of the intellectual, adaptive, and psychosocial functioning of high ability youth with and without ASD utilizing a group study design. Forty youth with high cognitive ability and ASD and a control group of 41 youth with high cognitive ability and no psychological diagnosis were included in the study. In comparison to the control group, the ASD group showed poorer functioning on measures of processing speed, adaptive skills, and broad psychological functioning, as perceived by parents and teachers. These findings have significant implications for diagnosing ASD among those with high ability, and the development of related psychological and educational interventions to address talent domains and areas of concern.

A Proposed Direction Forward for Gifted Education Based on Psychological Science

In this monograph, the authors advanced a set of interrelated arguments: The abilities of individuals do matter, particularly their abilities in specific talent domains; different talent domains have different developmental trajectories that vary as to when they start, peak, and end; and opportunities provided by society are crucial at every point in the talent development process. The authors argue that society must strive to promote these opportunities, but that individuals with talent also have some responsibility for their own growth and development. Furthermore, the research knowledge base indicates that psychosocial variables are determining influences in the successful development of talent. Finally, preparing young people for outstanding achievement or eminence ought to be the chief goal of gifted education.

Rethinking Giftedness and Gifted Education

Rethinking Giftedness and Gifted Education

What Contributes to Talent Development in Eminent Women?

The lives of ten eminent Australian women across seven talent domains were explored for factors that contributed to the development of their talent. Nine themes and related sub-themes emerged that were linked to the Model of Adult Female Talent Development (MAFTD) developed by Noble, Subotnik & Arnold (1996, 1999). Results provided support for this MAFTD as an appropriate representation or framework of talent development for gifted females. In addition, these themes expand and elucidate elements of this MAFTD thereby adding a depth of knowledge based on the lives of eminent Australian women. This is the first study to investigate the talent development of Australian women from a feminist perspective.

Neurodevelopmental Variation as a Framework for Thinking About the Twice Exceptional

Developmental exceptionalities span the range of learning abilities and encompass children with both learning disorders and learning gifts. The purpose of this article is to stimulate thinking about these exceptionalities, particularly the complexities and variations within and across people. Investigators tend to view learning disabilities or abilities, and gifts or high-end exceptionalities, as if they were necessarily and completely independent. This approach has led many in the field to look upon only limited aspects of the exceptional child, culminating in an inability to resolve the great variation and covariation that exists within and across children. Although there are a number of cognitive differences models that correctly advocate for an appreciation of profiles of strengths and weaknesses in the exceptional child, there remains a need for a neuroscientific approach that can help us better understand and accommodate the twice-exceptional individual—one with developmental disorders but also with high skills in the talent, creativity, or intellectual domains. We propose a model that will help us to fully appreciate that the brain that produces developmental learning abilities across the spectrum must be viewed as an integrated and multifaceted organ that is more than a simple reflection of its separate parts or domain-specific symptoms. We use developmental reading disability or dyslexia and the twice-exceptional individual as a means to illustrate how this model can aid in our thinking about these conditions.

Talent Development in Economically Disadvantaged Populations

There are no known limits to the kinds of talent [the human psyche] can demonstrate and to the heights to which it can climb in any talent domain. But the mind is not motivated to achieve every possible form of excellence. The cultural milieu makes that decision in the broadest possible sense. (Tannenbaum, 2000, p. 24)