Our aspirations for gifted learners in talent development programs need to go beyond the development of expertise, creative productivity, and eminence. It is argued that wisdom development should be the ultimate goal of educating gifted learners. It is not merely what talents gifted learners develop, but how they use these talents, which will…

Blogs have become a go-to information resource for members of online communities. In this qualitative study we applied uses and gratifications theory (U&GT) to analyze the experiences and perceptions of four mothers of gifted children who maintain blogs about their homeschooling experiences. Data suggest that this novel context and population…

The study reported on here sought to better understand the development of writing talent from the perspectives of a group of gifted adolescent female writers. Recent shifts in how giftedness and talent are conceptualized has led to an increased focus on domain-specific abilities and the importance of understanding how specific talents can be…

A longitudinal modeling approach was utilized to determine the existence of latent classes with regard to academic intrinsic motivation and the points of stability and transition of individuals between and within classes. A special type of latent Markov Chain model using "Mplus" was fit to data from the Fullerton Longitudinal Study, with…

Defines the concept of autonomous learning. Presents the Strategies Program for Effective Learning/Thinking (SPELT), including its underlying assumptions, instructional model, teacher training procedures, research findings, and anticipated future development. Research results include implications for learning-disabled and gifted students. (KS)

This study is a slice of an overarching research investigation of perfectionism in gifted college students. Utilizing a qualitative interview design, this study examined how gifted college students scoring high on 1 of 2 different dimensions of-perfectionism (socially prescribed or self-oriented) perceived their achievement motivation. Findings…

Presents an interview with Leon Botstein, the president of Bard College and music director and conductor of the American Symphony Orchestra. His history as an exceptional child, the development of his drive to succeed in a musical career and in academia, and his love for music are discussed. (CR)

Twenty-four musically precocious boys (ages 10 to 14) were asked questions regarding the crystallizing experience, which is defined as a dramatic event in a person's life that makes inherent giftedness manifest. Results indicated all participants had had a crystallizing experience and that it had improved their self-concept. (CR)

This article discusses the importance of recognizing and nurturing intrinsic motivation in students and describes an introductory teacher education course that alerted 48 teacher interns to the characteristics of intrinsically motivated students and to the exceptional qualities of non-conforming students who lack the benefit of being teacher…

This study analyzed the lifespan development of 80 women who are contemporary creative writers. Themes in the women writers' lives were characterized by developmental events, including nurturing of talents by both male and female teachers and mentors; professional situations; and core personality/personal attributes that were similar to men…

Explores perfectionism in gifted students and argues that perfectionism needs to be appreciated as a two-edged sword that has the potential for propelling an individual toward unparalleled greatness or plummeting one into despair. Hints for coping with perfectionism in oneself and in gifted students are provided. (Author/CR)

The compulsive perfectionist is compared with "stress seekers" who pursue challenges without judging themselves as harshly. Examples of these types from the literature in terms of economic life, fiction, interpersonal relationships, and sexuality are discussed. Risk-taking and social pressure are seen as key factors in the balanced…

A qualitative study investigated the role of motivation in academic achievement by gifted secondary students in five Australian schools. Results found that "personal pleasure in achievement and long-term goals" was the most significant motivational factor, positive links with a teacher was a high occurrence factor, and competitive…

Research on motivation and gifted students is classified into two broad categories. The first focuses on motivation as a relatively stable characteristic useful for making decisions on identification, counseling, and some programming issues. The second defines motivation as a transitory outcome measure that may be affected by the educational…

Both gifted (n=69) and regular (n=66) French Canadian elementary students were compared for school intrinsic motivation and perceived competence. Results indicated that gifted students perceived themselves as being more competent and intrinsically motivated toward school activities than did regular students. No gender effects were obtained.…