Comparing Academically Gifted and Non-Gifted Students- Supportive Environments in Jordan
Jordan exerts many efforts to nurture their academically gifted students in special schools since 2001. During
the past nine years of launching these schools, their learning and excellence environments were believed to be distinguished compared
to public schools. This study investigated the environments of gifted
students compared with other non-gifted, using a survey instrument
that measures the dimensions of family, peers, teachers, school- support, society, and resources –dimensions rooted deeply in supporting gifted education, learning, and achievement. A total
number of 109 were selected from excellence schools for
academically gifted students, and 119 non-gifted students were selected from public schools. Around 8.3% of the non-gifted students
reported that they “Never" received any support from their surrounding environments, 14.9% reported “Seldom" support, 23.7% reported “ Often" support, 26.0% reported “Frequent" support, and
32.8% reported “Very frequent" support. Where the gifted students reported more “Never" support than the non-gifted did with 11.3%,
“Seldom" support with 15.4%, “Often" support with 26.6%,
“Frequent" support with 29.0%, and reported “Very frequent" support less than the non-gifted students with 23.6%. Unexpectedly,
statistical differences were found between the two groups favoring
non-gifted students in perception of their surrounding environments
in specific dimensions, namely, school- support, teachers, and society. No statistical differences were found in the other dimensions
of the survey, namely, family, peers, and resources. As the
differences were found in teachers, school- support, and society, the
nurturing environments for the excellence schools need to be revised to adopt more creative teaching styles, rich school atmosphere and
infrastructures, interactive guiding for the students and their parents, promoting for the excellence environments, and re-build successful
identification models. Thus, families, schools, and society should
increase their cooperation, communication, and awareness of the
gifted supportive environments. However, more studies to investigate
other aspects of promoting academic giftedness and excellence are recommended.
[1] Al-Shabatat, A., Abbas, M. & Ismail, H. (2010). The Direct and Indirect Effects of the Achievement Motivation on Nurturing Intellectual
Giftedness. International Journal of Behavioral, Cognitive, Educational
and Psychological Sciences 2 (3), 158-166.
[2] Tannenbaum, A. J. (1991). The social psychology of giftedness. In N.
Colangelo & G. A. Davis (Eds.), Handbook of gifted education (27-44).
Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
[3] Csikzentmihalyi, M., Rathunde, K., & Whalen, S. (1993). Talented
teenagers: The roots of success and failure. Cambridge, England:
Cambridge University Press.
[4] Winner, E. (1996). Gifted children: Myths and realities. New York:
Basic Books.
[5] Amabile, T. M. (1983). The social psychology of creativity. New York:
Springer-Verlag New York Incorporated.
[6] Csikzentmihalyi, M., & Rathunde, K. (1998). The development of the
person: An experiential perspective on the ontogenesis of psychological
complexity. In R. M. Lerner (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology. Vol.
1: Theoretical models of human development (5th ed., 635-684). New
York: Wiley.
[7] Li, J. (1997). Creativity in horizontal and vertical domains. Creativity
Research Journal, 10, 107-132.
[8] Bloom, B. S. (1985). Developing talent in young people. New York,
Ballantine.
[9] Haensly, P. (2004). Parenting gifted children. Gifted Child Today, 27, 1,
31.
[10] Ryan, A. (2001). The peer group as a context for the development of
young adolescent motivation and achievement. Child Development, 72,
1135-1150.
[11] Guimond, S. (1999). Attitude change during college: normative or
informational social influence, Social Psychology of Education, 2, 237-261.
[12] Eccles, J. S., Wigfield, A., & Schiefele, U. (1998). Motivation to succeed. In W. Damon & N. Eisenberg (Eds.), Handbook of child
psychology, (5th ed.), 3, 1017-1095. New York, NY: Wiley.
[13] VanTassel-Baska, J. (1997). Guide to teaching a problem-based science
curriculum. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co.
[14] VanTassel-Baska, J. (2003). Content-based curriculum for high-ability
learners: An introduction. In J. VanTassel-Baska & C. Little (Eds.). (pp.
1-24). Content-based curriculum for high-ability learners. Waco, TX:
Prufrock Press.
[15] Rogers, K. B. (2002). Re-forming gifted education: Matching the program to the child. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press Inc.
[16] Al-Shabatat, A. M. (2011). Gifted and talented education in Jordan: A
spotlight on programs and activities. Talent Talks, 2(2), 7-10.
[17] Jordanian Ministry of Education, JMOE. (2008). Gifted and talented
programs [online] (accessed 20th December 2010). Available from the
World Wide Web: http://www.moe.gov.jo/-Departments/DepartmentsMenuDetails.
aspx? Menu ID= 319& Department ID=17
[18] Sternberg, R. J. (1985). Beyond IQ: A triarchic theory of human
intelligence. New York: Cambridge University Press.
[19] Al Azzam, D. (2006). Evaluation of King Abdullah II Schools for
Excellence administrations from their staff point view. Unpublished
Master-s Thesis. Al-Yarmouk University. Jordan
[20] Al Momany, S. (2006). Evaluation of the gifted students- programs in
Jordan. Unpublished Master-s Thesis. University of Jordan. Jordan.
[21] Al Kasi, A. (2004). The status of nurturing gifted students in some
educational regions from supervisors- point views in Saudi Arabia.
Unpublished Master-s Thesis. Um Al-Qura University. Saudi Arabia.
[22] Al Sror, N. (2001). Evaluation of the talented program in Kuwait. Field
study for the general secretariat of special education. Kuwait.
[23] Al-Shabatat, A., Abbas, M. & Ismail, H. (2009). The Direct and Indirect
Effects of the Environmental Factors on the Intellectual Giftedness.
International journal of special education. 24 (3), 121-131.
[1] Al-Shabatat, A., Abbas, M. & Ismail, H. (2010). The Direct and Indirect Effects of the Achievement Motivation on Nurturing Intellectual
Giftedness. International Journal of Behavioral, Cognitive, Educational
and Psychological Sciences 2 (3), 158-166.
[2] Tannenbaum, A. J. (1991). The social psychology of giftedness. In N.
Colangelo & G. A. Davis (Eds.), Handbook of gifted education (27-44).
Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
[3] Csikzentmihalyi, M., Rathunde, K., & Whalen, S. (1993). Talented
teenagers: The roots of success and failure. Cambridge, England:
Cambridge University Press.
[4] Winner, E. (1996). Gifted children: Myths and realities. New York:
Basic Books.
[5] Amabile, T. M. (1983). The social psychology of creativity. New York:
Springer-Verlag New York Incorporated.
[6] Csikzentmihalyi, M., & Rathunde, K. (1998). The development of the
person: An experiential perspective on the ontogenesis of psychological
complexity. In R. M. Lerner (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology. Vol.
1: Theoretical models of human development (5th ed., 635-684). New
York: Wiley.
[7] Li, J. (1997). Creativity in horizontal and vertical domains. Creativity
Research Journal, 10, 107-132.
[8] Bloom, B. S. (1985). Developing talent in young people. New York,
Ballantine.
[9] Haensly, P. (2004). Parenting gifted children. Gifted Child Today, 27, 1,
31.
[10] Ryan, A. (2001). The peer group as a context for the development of
young adolescent motivation and achievement. Child Development, 72,
1135-1150.
[11] Guimond, S. (1999). Attitude change during college: normative or
informational social influence, Social Psychology of Education, 2, 237-261.
[12] Eccles, J. S., Wigfield, A., & Schiefele, U. (1998). Motivation to succeed. In W. Damon & N. Eisenberg (Eds.), Handbook of child
psychology, (5th ed.), 3, 1017-1095. New York, NY: Wiley.
[13] VanTassel-Baska, J. (1997). Guide to teaching a problem-based science
curriculum. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co.
[14] VanTassel-Baska, J. (2003). Content-based curriculum for high-ability
learners: An introduction. In J. VanTassel-Baska & C. Little (Eds.). (pp.
1-24). Content-based curriculum for high-ability learners. Waco, TX:
Prufrock Press.
[15] Rogers, K. B. (2002). Re-forming gifted education: Matching the program to the child. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press Inc.
[16] Al-Shabatat, A. M. (2011). Gifted and talented education in Jordan: A
spotlight on programs and activities. Talent Talks, 2(2), 7-10.
[17] Jordanian Ministry of Education, JMOE. (2008). Gifted and talented
programs [online] (accessed 20th December 2010). Available from the
World Wide Web: http://www.moe.gov.jo/-Departments/DepartmentsMenuDetails.
aspx? Menu ID= 319& Department ID=17
[18] Sternberg, R. J. (1985). Beyond IQ: A triarchic theory of human
intelligence. New York: Cambridge University Press.
[19] Al Azzam, D. (2006). Evaluation of King Abdullah II Schools for
Excellence administrations from their staff point view. Unpublished
Master-s Thesis. Al-Yarmouk University. Jordan
[20] Al Momany, S. (2006). Evaluation of the gifted students- programs in
Jordan. Unpublished Master-s Thesis. University of Jordan. Jordan.
[21] Al Kasi, A. (2004). The status of nurturing gifted students in some
educational regions from supervisors- point views in Saudi Arabia.
Unpublished Master-s Thesis. Um Al-Qura University. Saudi Arabia.
[22] Al Sror, N. (2001). Evaluation of the talented program in Kuwait. Field
study for the general secretariat of special education. Kuwait.
[23] Al-Shabatat, A., Abbas, M. & Ismail, H. (2009). The Direct and Indirect
Effects of the Environmental Factors on the Intellectual Giftedness.
International journal of special education. 24 (3), 121-131.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:53144", author = "Mustafa Qaseem Hielat and Ahmad Mohammad Al-Shabatat", title = "Comparing Academically Gifted and Non-Gifted Students- Supportive Environments in Jordan", abstract = "Jordan exerts many efforts to nurture their academically gifted students in special schools since 2001. During
the past nine years of launching these schools, their learning and excellence environments were believed to be distinguished compared
to public schools. This study investigated the environments of gifted
students compared with other non-gifted, using a survey instrument
that measures the dimensions of family, peers, teachers, school- support, society, and resources –dimensions rooted deeply in supporting gifted education, learning, and achievement. A total
number of 109 were selected from excellence schools for
academically gifted students, and 119 non-gifted students were selected from public schools. Around 8.3% of the non-gifted students
reported that they “Never" received any support from their surrounding environments, 14.9% reported “Seldom" support, 23.7% reported “ Often" support, 26.0% reported “Frequent" support, and
32.8% reported “Very frequent" support. Where the gifted students reported more “Never" support than the non-gifted did with 11.3%,
“Seldom" support with 15.4%, “Often" support with 26.6%,
“Frequent" support with 29.0%, and reported “Very frequent" support less than the non-gifted students with 23.6%. Unexpectedly,
statistical differences were found between the two groups favoring
non-gifted students in perception of their surrounding environments
in specific dimensions, namely, school- support, teachers, and society. No statistical differences were found in the other dimensions
of the survey, namely, family, peers, and resources. As the
differences were found in teachers, school- support, and society, the
nurturing environments for the excellence schools need to be revised to adopt more creative teaching styles, rich school atmosphere and
infrastructures, interactive guiding for the students and their parents, promoting for the excellence environments, and re-build successful
identification models. Thus, families, schools, and society should
increase their cooperation, communication, and awareness of the
gifted supportive environments. However, more studies to investigate
other aspects of promoting academic giftedness and excellence are recommended.", keywords = "Academic giftedness, Supportive environment, Excellence schools, Gifted grouping, Gifted nurturing.", volume = "5", number = "12", pages = "1834-5", }