Research Methods -A16 &A17

Quantitative Studies

Laura Kay Utgard

Cal Southern University

Linda Fischer

PSY: 87127 Research Methods

July, 2018

QUANTITATIVE STUDIES

Education and the Issue of the Gifted Students and the Related Theories

A lot of challenges are facing the education program of the gifted children since these pupils are not given the necessary resources or attention from the teachers. Different studies have confirmed quite expressively the absence of agreement concerning the need for, or priority of, special educational services for gifted and talented students. Some surveys have shown sturdy conviction that search services are only valuable, but even significant to the entire development of these children. Some embrace the culture of ambivalent attitude; in some cases, they view clientele as less in need than other categories of exceptional children. There is also a group of people who forcefully against any program lay to assist these students. This diversification of attitudes can be observed not only among politicians but as well as among teachers, school administrators, educational specialist and the general public.

There are laws which have been put in place to ensure that there is an improved education for all students particularly the students who are experiencing the threat of academic problems. This means that the laws should be implemented in school to report on Adequate Yearly Progress which implies the larger percentages of the students are to be judged in terms of proficient on yearly basis. This is a great assessment procedure to ensure policies set by the school administration about gifted students are adhered to and implemented.

The hypothetical argument, in this case, is whether gifted students are affected by the dependent variables in their education or does the performance of gifted students affected by the type of program, culture and an approach with which the child is raised. This is questions set and argued to find solutions to the challenges gifted children face in their daily life. Various theories have been developed to explain the relationship the child has to her or his environment, peers, and teachers. These theories are guided by policies that focus on excellence and the how these students perform based on their abilities (American Psychological Association. 2010).

Looking at the “stigma of giftedness” theory, the researcher tries to argue facts that relate to stereotyping which makes the gifted pupils to either fail to fully use their potential and keep away from identifying with stigma. (Creswell, 2013) claims that gifted students are affected by stereotyping of the labeling act which tends to be a challenge for them because they are shaping their personal perception. Looking at the fig.1 in the appendices shows the rating summaries of the “harmonious” group of students (dotted line), which attributes to greater perspective, greater success, no marked pre-eminence and standard evaluations on social and emotional concerns to gifted students, and the “disharmonious” group of students (solid line), that gives a rating to the talented students with the same capabilities, success, and pre-eminence, but elevated in adverse social and emotional attributes. The issue of labeling is affecting the behaviors plus the perceptions of the gifted students (American Psychological Association. 2010).

Lack of emotional and social support to the gifted students is also a challenge. According to the attachment theory, kids who are raised by a socially fit family are able to explore their environment. These students are different from those ones who are not able to reach out to others and return to the caregivers for support and who do not go a mile ahead to exploit their social relationship. Teachers, parents and other relevant stakeholders bring a very big impact to the gifted student social and emotional development in their education. The social and emotional support makes these students to enjoy the relationship built between them and their caregivers. Following this argument, (Carpendale, 2014) stipulates that when gifted students explore their social world through the support of their caregivers, they are more likely to learn from their experience in the social interaction and be motivated towards their classroom.

The relevant stakeholders in the field should profit from the expansion of the knowledge base concerning the education of the talented and enhanced knowledge of these significant explanatory variables. In the situation whereby all the relevant stakeholders understand which characteristics are the best predictors and coordinators of new enrichment programs that are aimed towards changing the attitudes of the talented and improving their education. In addition to, knowledge of these predictors might clarify some of the underlying bases of some of the challenges facing the gifted education, and have a great impact on the content of sensitization activities (Carpendale, 2014).

In summation, considering the information presented by different theories about the education of the gifted children, it is evidence that the process or the steps being taken towards the improvement of the education of the gifted students is still lacking. The education policies in place are not aimed at promoting the learning environment of the gifted students. Insufficient resources plus poor emotional and social support are as well affecting the learning outcomes of the gifted students.

Appendices

Fig. 1: stigma of giftedness theory

Fig. 2: attachment theory

Fig. 3: Dabrowski's theory of positive disintegration into the curriculum for the gifted talented students

References

American Psychological Association (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. (6th Edition). Washington, D.C.

Carpendale, J. (2014). Social interaction and the development of knowledge. Psychology Press.

Creswell, J. W. (2013). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approach. Sage. 9781452226101

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