Academic and Affective Profiles of Low-Income, Minority, and Twice-Exceptional Gifted Learners: The Role of Gifted Program Membership in Enhancing Self

Abstract

This study examined the academic and affective profiles of gifted students who were classified under the five prototypes of low-income White students, low-income African American students, low-income other minority students, high nonverbal and low verbal students, and twice-exceptional students. A total of 37 vignettes were developed and analyzed based on interviews with selected students, their teachers, and parents. Within and cross-prototype themes were derived. Both cognitive and affective impacts were found, suggesting the power of gifted program membership on enhancing self-confidence and building higher level skills of communication and thinking. All groups interviewed appeared to think that the gifted program had been good for the students in the study, providing challenge at the cognitive level and self-confidence at the affective level. Differences that emerged through the analysis of stakeholder perspectives suggested that students were the least aware of learning problems, but more aware than their parents or teachers of the affective and social issues affecting them. Parents seemed most attuned to their child's heightened self-esteem as a result of identification and program participation. Teachers seemed very aware of learning problems displayed by the child, typically related to perceived motivation, organization, and social skills.

A Comparison of Perceptions of Barriers to Academic Success Among High-Ability Students From High- and Low-Income Groups: Exposing Poverty of a Different Kind

“…The African American gifted students in their sample tended to have higher self-esteem and more confidence in their social competence, however. Low-income African American gifted students in VanTassel-Baska, Feng, Swanson, Quek and Chandler's (2009) qualitative study were not socially integrated in their gifted classes. They were perceived as loners by teachers and expressed a desire to maintain friendships outside their gifted classes.…”

Learning Experiences of Young Artists with ASD in a University Enrichment Program

“…Van Tassel-Baska, Feng, Swanson, Quek and Chandler [36] pointed that participating in gifted and talented program is beneficiary in boosting the confidence of twice-exceptional students; and will advance their communication and thinking skills. The establishment of a distinctive teaching structure in classes, the provision of an appropriate learning contain that meets the needs of twice-exceptional students, and a curriculum design with distinction hence became the important index when designing curriculum [7,34,35].…”

“…The young artists were profit from an open environment which increased their positive learning attitude, creativity, art performances and interpersonal abilities. These indicated that the twice-exceptional individuals can be benefited from a positive support environment in boosting their confidence, advance their communication and increase thinking skills [36]. Based on the aforementioned successful experience of the enrichment program implemented by NTNU, each local bureau of education in Taiwan have started the enrichment programs for discovering and nurturing twice-exceptional students with Talent Centered Model.…”

Student voice: What can we learn from twice-exceptional students about the teacher's role in enhancing or inhibiting academic selfconcept

“…Coleman (2001) reports that twice-exceptional students have feelings of frustration in school due to the pressure to perform and the barriers to performance. If twice-exceptional students do not typically demonstrate levels of giftedness in the classroom with high levels of academic achievement, they are likely to disengage and some might present disruptive classroom behaviours, and an overall resistance to schoolpossibly due to the difficulty in finding true or like-minded peers in the classroom context (Barber & Meuller, 2011;Foley Nicpon et al, 2013;Neihart, 2008;VanTassel-Baska, Feng, Swanton, Qeck, & Chandler, 2009).…”