Sense of belonging or feeling marginalized? Using PISA 2012 to assess the state of academically gifted students within the EU

Abstract

b gifted Studies, School of teacher education, Western Kentucky university, bowling green, Ky, uSA ABSTRACT There are two competing stereotypes of gifted students: harmony theory (gifted students are well adjusted and successful in life) and disharmony theory (giftedness forms a threat to a harmonious development). In this context, the PISA 2012 data were used to explore middle-school students' experiences in terms of sense of belonging, student-teacher relations and attitudes toward school concerning learning activities/outcomes. Fifteen-year-old students from 13 European countries were selected for this data-set (normative = 79,550, gifted = 1956). Student's scores on the four scales were tested for significant differences with students from that same country. Tests revealed no significant differences for 55% of the comparisons, 40% of comparisons had positive effect sizes for gifted students, and 4% had negative effect sizes. The evidence presented in this study supports the existence of harmony theory. More specifically, the vast majority of gifted students in this study reported equal or higher level of belonging. Contained within the findings in this study on students' to the sense of belonging is a lack of evidence of gifted students reporting higher levels of loneliness. These findings strongly reflect the Terman's assertion almost a century ago stating the lack of gifted children tending to be more socially maladjusted.

Exploring potential differential relationships between social anxiety and emotional eating amongst normative vs. academically gifted students

“…On the other hand, harmony theory asserts that academically gifted children adjust adequately within social and emotional domains, and if anything, excel compared to their normative peers in terms of intellectuality, but also in areas such as emotional wellbeing and social adaptation (Baker, 1995;Baudson, 2016;Godor & Szymanski, 2017;Metha & McWhirter, 1997;Richards et al, 2003;Terman, 1925). Additionally, Godor and Szymanski (2017) found that academically gifted adolescents do not differ from their peers on the majority of comparisons within the construct of sense of belonging at school and where differences were found, gifted students reported significantly higher levels of these concepts compared to their normative peers.…”

Adolescent Perception of Potential High-Performing Classmates: A Cross-National Exploration

“…This pattern is consistent with other studies that capture the views of gifted students in Spain. For example, students, parents, and teachers estimated that highly-able students were more likely to understand feelings and intentions of oneself and others (Godor & Szymanski, 2017;Hernández-Torrano, Ferrándiz, Ferrando, Prieto, & Fernández, 2014). Their ratings of high performers regarding social ability were higher than those of linguistic intellectual ability, logical mathematical ability, and naturalistic ability, all of which are related to academics.…”

“…In addition, the pattern of results produced in this work coincides with the data from the PISA 2012 study. Using data from the recent PISA study, Godor and Szymanski (2017) compared self-reported responses of students' feelings of social connectedness among 13 European students, including those from Spain. High achieving, 15-year-old students ranking in the 95th percentile of math scores identified themselves in a positive way indicating that they had a high sense of belonging among their peers.…”

“…High achieving, 15-year-old students ranking in the 95th percentile of math scores identified themselves in a positive way indicating that they had a high sense of belonging among their peers. The Spanish students captured in Godor and Szymanski's (2017) study were aware of social connectedness to their peers and school (e.g., as indicated by the question: "I feel like I belong at school").…”

How Are the Gifted? Point of View of University Students

“…The gifted can be perceived by their peers as well-adapted or maladapted (Norman, Ramsay, Roberts, & Martray, 2000). These perceptions relate to the hypothesis of harmony, arguing that gifted students are well-adjusted, successful in life (Godor & Szymanski, 2017), and have similar socioemotional skills to their average-capacity peers (Baudson, 2016). The hypothesis of the lack of harmony suggests that the high intelligence of the gifted increases risk factors such as sensitivity, intensity and excess excitability that generates problems in adjustment (Godor & Szymanski, 2017;Preckel et al, 2015), and that they are socially and emotionally inferior to their peers (Baudson, 2016).…”