Stimulating Curiosity and Science Acquisition

This longitudinal study of students from elementary school through high school examined pathways from parental stimulation of children’s curiosity per se to their science acquisition. Controlling for socio-economic status, parental stimulation of curiosity bore positive and significant relations to science intrinsic motivation and achievement, which in turn related to science acquisition. Results showed that gender neither related to stimulation of curiosity nor contributed to the model. Findings highlight the importance of parental stimulation of children’s curiosity in facilitating trajectories into science, and relevance to science education is discussed.

Gottfried, A. E., Preston, K. S. J., Gottfried, A. W., Oliver, P. H., Delany, D. E., & Ibrahim, S. M. (2016). Pathways from parental stimulation of children’s curiosity to high school science course accomplishments and science career interest and skill.  International Journal of Science Education, 38(12), 1972-1995. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2016.1220690

Identifying Gifted Students

This study found that definitions of what constitute students who are gifted and talented as well as policies and procedures to identify these high-ability students play a critical role in determining which individuals actually receive gifted services. Results indicate substantial changes in definitions and categories of giftedness over the past decade. Results also reveal variability in identification methods. It should be noted that at present, no state advocates use a single-score decision-making model for gifted classification. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for school psychology.

McClain, M. & Pfeiffer, S. (2012). Identification of gifted students in the United States today: A look at state definitions, policies, and practices. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 28, 59–88. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15377903.2012.643757

Longitudinal Study of Gifted Students

The Fullerton Longitudinal Study examines the course of development for intellectually and motivationally gifted children across a breadth of developmental domains including academic, cognitive, self-perceptions, temperament, behavioral, social, family/environmental processes, and adult educational achievement. Major findings regarding these two distinct dimensions of giftedness are presented, with some implications for practice and directions for future research.

Gottfried, A. W., Gottfried, A. E., & Guerin, D. W. (2006). The Fullerton longitudinal study: A long-term investigation of intellectual and motivational giftedness. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 29(4), 430-450. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press Inc. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ746291.pdf