Every country--and even every community--has populations of students who severely underperform relative to other groups and to their own potential. These performance differences are generally called achievement gaps, and they tend to focus on gaps at basic levels of academic proficiency. But such gaps also exist among the highest levels of…

Multidimensional models of giftedness specify individual and environmental moderators or catalysts that help transform potential into achievement. However, these models do not state whether the importance of the "individual boxes" and the "environmental boxes" changes during this process. The present study examines whether,…

In their introduction to the idea of a systems approach to understanding talent and giftedness, Ziegler and Phillipson broach the larger issue of the positivistic or mechanistic mindset to knowing and understanding that pervades much of what is called educational research. This worthy tactic brings to light the need to move away from the status…

A. Ziegler and S. N. Phillipson draw upon the Actiotope Model of Giftedness (AMG) to give an overview of a systemic approach to gifted education. They argue the value of such a systemic approach for understanding the development of exceptionality. The reviewers certainly agree that the achievement of excellent performance is not only the result of…

In their commentary, from the very start, the authors welcome the opportunity to face the inefficacy of the currently existing educational paradigm gifted people. For many years, they have verified and supported the difficulties of a paradigm whose philosophy and anthropological foundation are incapable of guaranteeing the promotion and…

This article describes the development of an instrument--the "Career and Talent Development Self-Efficacy Scale (CTD-SES)"--for assessing students' self-efficacy in applying life skills essential for personal talent development, acquisition of positive work habits, and career exploration. In Study 1, data were obtained from a large sample of…

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of research in which the Finnish public discussion of giftedness and gifted children, and conceptions of giftedness and gifted children presented in it, were examined. The research was conducted by analyzing articles from the Finnish newspaper "Helsingin Sanomat" and the teachers' periodical…

This article begins with a brief survey of the recent update of the "Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent" (DMGT). The DMGT defines talent development as the transformation of outstanding natural abilities (called gifts) into outstanding knowledge and skills (called talents). Two types of catalysts, intrapersonal and environmental,…

The current study elucidated the reasons for athletic performance differences between individuals who (1) engage in similar workloads, and (2) develop in similar environments. 8 elite and 11 sub-elite swimmers, with confirming data provided by 17 of their parents and 6 of their coaches, participated in this investigation. Findings revealed that…

Technological advances and widespread access to the Internet are facilitating new educational approaches that go beyond the traditional face-to-face classroom setting. Distance education has emerged as a valuable option for a number of special populations of learners whose needs are more difficult to meet in the classroom, of which gifted students…

This article describes implementation of the talent search model developed by Julian Stanley at the Center for Talent Development of Northwestern University. While remaining true to the basic components of the talent search, the talent center at Northwestern has emphasized using talent search as a means to influence programming in local schools…

The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY) is celebrating 25 years of working with gifted children both in the USA and from throughout the world. Beginning in 1979, its mission has been to identify students of exceptional academic promise and to offer them distinctive and challenging educational opportunities. More than one…

The Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT) presents the talent development process (P) as the transformation of outstanding natural abilities, or gifts (G), into outstanding systematically developed skills which define expertise, or talent (T) 3 in a particular occupational field. This developmental sequence constitutes the heart of…

The main goal of this paper is to investigate cross-cultural factors that predict academic ability among mathematically gifted Olympians in Finland and the United States. The following two research problems are formulated: (1) What factors contribute to or impede the development of the Olympians' mathematic talent? and (2) Do the Olympians fulfill…

Robert Sternberg's WICS model for identifying gifted individuals broadens the standard conception of giftedness and makes many helpful suggestions on how to conceptualize and assess the relevant dimensions of giftedness. There is one area, however, where the authors would propose an alternate viewpoint. "In a sense, this essay is about how to…