An Experimental Study Related to Planning Abilities of Gifted and Average Students

Gifted students differ from their average peers in psychological, social, emotional and cognitive development. One of these differences in the cognitive domain is related to executive functions. One of the most important executive functions is planning and organization ability. The aim of this study was to compare planning abilities of gifted students with those of their average peers and to test the effectiveness of a training program on planning abilities of gifted students and average students. First, students’ intelligence and planning abilities were measured and then assigned to either experimental or control group. The groups were matched by intelligence and planning ability (experimental: (13 gifted and 8 average; control: 14 gifted and 8 average). In total 182 students (79 gifted and 103 average) participated in the study. Then, a training program was implemented in the experimental group to find out if it improved students’ planning ability. Results showed that boys had better planning abilities than girls did, and gifted students had better planning abilities than their average peers did. Significant results were obtained in favor of the experimental group in the posttest score

The Use of Bibliotherapy in Classrooms for Gifted Students: A Bibliotherapy Model (Üstün Zekâlı ve Yetenekli Öğrencilerin de Bulunduğu Sınıflarda Bibliyoterapi Kullanımı: Model Önerisi)

Purpose and significance: There are several different opinions about how to use bibliotherapy technique. Most of them suggest that bibliotherapy must be used only by psychologists and psychological counselors for therapeutic reasons. A new approach of developmental bibliotherapy put forth the idea that bibliotherapy can be used in classrooms by teachers. Because most gifted students are good readers or have high ability in reading, the use of bibliotherapy in the classroom can be very important learning experience for gifted students. It can present an opportunity to understand themselves better, to cope with loneliness and being different from their classmates. Bibliotherapy also can provide opportunities for coping with problems, creating insights about different situations and experiencing purification. In this article, a model for bibliotherapy was proposed that could be used by teachers in the classroom. The model consists of three steps. The first step includes pre-reading activities. Teachers select the kind of bibliotherapy to be used (preventive counseling, problem solving, understanding others) and then find criteria for selecting books. Criteria selection should be made according to gifted students’ needs. The second step includes reading process. The purpose of this step is to provide opportunities for the imaginative projection of a subjective state into an object or person, a kind of self-identification and catharsis. This step involves active participation of students. Some general strategies and teacher suggestions are used to in this step. The third step includes after reading activities. This step involves insight and generalization. The main tool of this step is questioning. Students and the teacher discuss the problem in the book and express insights and make generalizations about the problem. The discussion is very important for meeting mental and affective needs of gifted and talented students in the classroom. Matilda, a book by Roald Dahl (2007) can be used to provide an example for the application of the bibliotherapy model outlined in this article. Discussion: Gifted students can gain a deeper understanding from books when they use bibliotherapy compared to regular reading activities. Criteria selection for finding books is an important step in bibliotherapy. Criteria should be selected according to gifted students’ needs. The language of the book and its fit to gifted students interest and reading skills are important. Teacher can provide a new perspective when they use bibliothrapy in the classroom. The model proposed in this article can provide an example about how teachers can use bibliotherapy in the classroom.Conclusions: The use of bibliotherapy with gifted students in the classroom is a new approach for teaching gifted students. Because biblioterapy is a new approach, research should be carried out to investigate its effects on gifted students

THE EFFECTS OF THE BIBLIOTHERAPY TECHNIQUE ON PERFECTIONISM LEVELS IN GIFTED CHILDREN: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Perfectionism is one of the personality traits of gifted children. When this trait, which may have positive or negative effects on the individual, is incorrectly handled by the child, it can cause problems such as anxiety and stress. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the effects of bibliotherapy on perfectionism levels in gifted children. A total of 64 gifted children in the 3rd and 4th years of primary school (that is, children aged 9-10) took part in the study. The scale used to measure their perfectionism levels was the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS) (Özbay & Mısırlı-Tasdemir, 2003), while the Reading Attitude Scale (RAS)(Ünal, 2006) was used to measure attitudes to reading. A random selection of 14 individuals whose scores were above the group average was identified for this study, in which the 2X2 experimental model was applied. Of these 14, 7 who had received high scores in RAS were placed in the experimental group, while another 7 of the same ages and genders were placed in the control group. When equivalence between the two groups had been obtained, the 7-session bibliotherapy-based training program was administered by the researcher to the experimental group. As a result of the study, it was found that the bibliotherapy training program thus applied reduced perfectionism levels to a significant degree. This reduction was found to be significant in terms of the following sub-scales of MPS: excessive concern over making mistakes, personal standards, doubting the quality of one’s actions and preference for order, and organization (but not in the dimension of parental criticism).  Article visualizations

Serving gifted children in developmental and threshold countries — Turkey

The aim of this paper is to reveal the current situation of gifted education in Turkey. The talents that are valued and the concepts of giftedness were discussed according to the country’s cultural and political perspectives. Studies that had been made to analyze the beliefs of lay people, teachers and parents with respect to gifted students and their education were mentioned. Programs such as special schools (science high schools, private school programs), resource rooms and after-school programs (Science and Art Centers [SACs], Education Programs for Talented Students [EPTS], child universities) were introduced. How these programs currently function was also discussed. In addition, it has emerged that the studies carried out in the past 10 years focused on the adaptation of internationally popular intelligence scales, on the development of original intelligence-, talent- and domain-specific creativity identification tests, on the guidance needs of the students and their parents, on the development of differentiated programs in different areas. In conclusion, even though the amount of research and the awareness toward giftedness in Turkey is increasing there is still much to do. In addition, it is recommended that collaboration should be increased among different institutions to be able to serve gifted students effectively