476-893 UNDERSTANDING & IDENTIFYING GIFTED LEARNING

Session 6

Social, Emotional, Moral and Higher Level Personality Development of Gifted Learners.

Objectives

On completion of this session you should be able to:

·  Discuss issues and debates related to the social and emotional characteristics and development of gifted learners.

·  Describe appropriate strategies and practices for promoting the social and emotional development of gifted learners.

·  Discuss some of the theories and issues relating to the moral and higher level personality development of gifted learners.

The Literature on Social/Emotional Characteristics

· empirical and clinical

· possible biases – positive and negative

· reflects advanced cognition

emotional/affective characteristics

intrinsic motivation to learn intellectual curiosity

love of truth social and moral concerns

perfectionism ability to concentrate

creative and fluent thought openness to experience

intense sensitive

empathetic diverse interests

independent thinkers idealistic

sense of justice

well-developed sense of humour

enthusiastic in areas of interest

high expectations of self and others

positive and negative manifestations

Social and Emotional Adjustment

· issues and debates

· levels of giftedness

· endogeneous and exogeneous factors

3 perspectives

·  inherent qualititative differences lead to increased vulnerability (Colombus Group, Geake)

·  inherent differences that advantage gifted

advantaged backgrounds

problem-solving skills

·  differences due to exogeneous factors

appropriate provision

differences from peers

Evidence from the Literature on Social/Emotional Adjustment

Social Cognition

Demonstrate advanced social (and moral) thinking, but not necessarily advanced behaviour

Self Concept/Self Esteem

·  generally positive academic self-concept, less so social and physical

·  lower academic self-concepts among underachievers (cause and effect), gifted learning disabled, gifted minority students, gifted disadvantaged students.

Gender differences

·  early childhood/primary – gifted boys higher physical, gifted girls higher academic

·  adolescence – gifted boys increased academic self-concept, girls lower academic

Selective schools/programmes and self-concept--debate on effects – “big fish, little pond’ theory (Craven & Marsh, Gross)

Social Adjustment

·  literature shows generally positive

·  clinical reports problems

·  factors e.g. gifted level, type of giftedness, endogeneous and exogeneous

·  downturns in early childhood and adolescence

Resilience

·  related to self-esteem/self-efficacy/locus of control

·  greater sensitivity equals more stress

·  high expectations

·  anxieties e.g. being different, questioning authority, “big issues”

·  achieving gifted more likely to have internal locus of control

·  effects of family environments

·  benefits of other supportive relationships e.g. role models, mentors

Promoting Positive Social and Emotional Development

* PROVIDE INTELLECTUAL PEERS*

Promoting Self-esteem

· realistic ideals

· convey faith in ability to succeed

· acceptance of mistakes

· teach how to cope with negative feedback

· promote competencies

· record improvements

Promoting Resilience

· promote autonomy

· identify difficulties

· be emotionally available

· appropriate responsibilities

· attribution training

· provide mentors

· teach and extend coping skills

· provide fun, enjoyment

· supportive and co-operative setting (debate re cooperative learning)


Moral and Higher Level Personality Development

Theories re moral development

Social Learning Theory

Piaget

Kohlberg

Evidence of links between cognitive development and moral reasoning

Dabrowski’s Theory of Developmental Potential

Study of higher level personality development in gifted

Re-organisation of personality through positive disintegration

overexcitabilites

dynamisms

Dabrowski’s five levels of higher level emotional development

1.  egocentric

2.  lack of inner direction/group values

3.  sense of ideal/higher vs lower in oneself

4.  self-actualisation

5.  high ideals/universal love and compassion

Emmon’s components of spiritual intelligence (see Fraser, 2004)

·  Capacity for transcendence

·  Spiritual consciousness

·  Sense of the sacred

·  Spiritual resources

·  Virtuous behaviour


References

Craven, R. G. & Marsh, H. W. (1997). Threats to gifted and talented students self-concepts in the big pond: research results and educational implications. The Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 6(2), 7-17.

Fraser, D. (2004). Some educational implications for spiritual giftedness. Gifted Education International, 18, 255-265.

Gottfried, A. W., Gottfried, A. E., Bathurst, K., & Guerin, D. W. (1994). Gifted IQ: Early developmental aspects—the Fullerton Longitudinal Study. New York: Plenum Press.

Gross, M. U. M. (1997). How ability grouping turns big fish into little fish—or does it?: Of optical illusions and optimal environments. The Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 6(2), 18-30.

Gross, M. U. M. (1998). Fishing for the facts: A response to Craven and Marsh (1998). The Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 7(1), 16-28.

Marsh, H. W. & Craven, R. G. (1998). The big fish, little pond effect, optimal illusions, and misinterpretations: A response to Gross (1997). The Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 7(1), 6-15.

Morelock, M. J. (1996). On the nature of giftedness and talent: Imposing order on chaos. Roeper Review, 19, 4-12.

Piechowski, M. M. (1997). Emotional giftedness: The measure of intrapersonal intelligence. In N. Colangelo & G. A. Davis (Eds.), Handbook of gifted education (2nd Ed.), (pp. 366-379). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Porter, L. (1999). Gifted young children. St Leonard’s, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

Silverman, L. K. (1993). Counselling the gifted and talented. Denver, CO: Love Publishing

Webb, J. T. (1993). Nurturing the social-emotional development of children. In K. Heller, F. Monks & A. Passow (Eds.). International handbook of research and development of giftedness and talent. New York: Pergamon Press.

Also see recent issues of gifted journals and relevant chapters in the latest editions you can find of the following general texts:

Heller, K., Monks, F., & Passow A. (Eds.). International handbook of research and development of giftedness and talent. New York: Pergamon Press.

Colangelo, N. & Davis, G. A. Handbook of gifted education (2nd ed.) Boston: Allyn & Bacon.