Journal for the Education of the Gifted
Fall 2000, Volume 24, Number 1 Abstracts

Gifted Males Pursuing Careers in Elementary Education: Factors That Influence a Belief in Self
Thomas P. Hébert

This article on identity development and its impact on career selection examines the experiences of 6 gifted males in a university setting. Through a multiple case study research design, the lives of 6 gifted, male, undergraduate students were examined to understand how their life experiences influenced their decision to pursue elementary education as a career. Major findings included the gifted males’ strong belief in self, which incorporated empathy and psychological androgyny. Data analysis on the participants identified the following factors influencing the strong belief in self: formative experiences with difficult issues during childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood; exposure to male teachers as appropriate career models; and open-minded parents who provided emotional support. Implications of the findings are presented with suggestions for meeting the psychosocial needs of intelligent, young men pursuing careers in elementary education.

Exploring the Nature of Giftedness in Preschool Children
Kerry A. Hodge & Coral R. Kemp

Qualitative and quantitative measures were utilized to explore the abilities of 11 young children nominated by their parents as gifted. A part-time preschool enrichment program provided a naturalistic setting in which to investigate measures that might reflect potential giftedness, predict later achievement, and reveal individual profiles of development. The curriculum invited children to display any differences from typical preschoolers. Characteristics nominated by parents as indicators of their child’s giftedness were consistent with indicators in the research literature and were generally supported by norm-referenced test results and teacher observations. In spite of test limitations, both quantitative and qualitative measures played a valuable role in revealing advanced abilities amidst diverse profiles of abilities, skills, and interests. Longitudinal data would help to confirm the potential apparent in some of these children as giftedness.

Gifted and Nongifted Middle School Students: Are Their Attitudes Toward School Different as Measured by the New Affective Instrument, My Class Activities…?
Marcia Gentry, Robert K. Gable, & Penny Springer

This paper describes a study in which the attitudes of gifted middle school students were compared with other middle school students, using a survey instrument that measures the dimensions of interest, challenge, choice, and enjoyment—dimensions rooted deeply in gifted education and central to learning. Although statistical differences were found between the two groups, the effect size was so small that the findings were interpreted to indicate that gifted students viewed their class activities essentially the same as the other students in this study. Each group reported their class activities were only slightly more than “sometimes” interesting, challenging, and enjoyable and that they were slightly more than “seldom” offered choices in their educational activities. These findings offer insight into how gifted and other students view their class activities and have implications for practices that may affect motivation and learning for all students.

Talent Developed:  Conversations with Masters in the Arts and Sciences
Rena F. Subotnik

Martin Seligman: Author and Past-President, American Psychological Association

Martin Seligman is a past-president (1998) of the American Psychological Association and the author of seminal works in the areas of both learned helplessness and optimism. Dr. Seligman is using his wide-ranging skills to guide the field of psychology in the direction of searching for and promoting optimal conditions for human creativity and fulfillment. In this vein, he has advocated further investigation into the ultimate manifestation of positive human abilities: giftedness, genius, and eminence.