Journal for the Education of the Gifted

This study examined cognitive processing differences reported between experts and novices in physics, in order to compare corresponding processes in high and average school achievers. It explored the possibility that the cognitive processes of the high achiever more closely resemble those of experts. Subjects were 12 boys and 9 girls from a grade eleven enriched physics course, divided into groups of high and average achievement. Two graduate students in physics and a high school physics teacher served as experts. All were asked to think aloud while solving five physics problems. The protocols were transcribed and segmented into clauses. Each clause was categorized as a metacognitive, planning, or content statement. Further analysis of the content statements indicated whether they were based on given or prior knowledge. Experts and high performers made more correct metastatements and more references to prior knowledge than the average performers, indicating similarities between high performance at the high school level and expertise in physics.

This study examined locus of control in underachieving and achieving gifted grade 6, 7, 8 and 9 students. It was found that general locus of control measures did not differentiate between the two groups of students. However, underachievers and achievers both scored significantly higher on positive internal locus of control than on negative internal control. There were no gender or grade effects. This result needs to be replicated by further research since it was unexpected.

The purpose of this study was to investigate students' cognitive and metacognitive knowledge of mathematical problem solving. Six students who had been identified as gifted or learning-disabled gifted were interviewed about their math problem solving. Videotape-stimulated recall was used as part of the interview process to help students reconstruct their problem-solving activities and recall strategies they know about and use during mathematical problem solving. Students solved seven novel and textbook problems, viewed themselves solving the problems, and responded to questions pertaining to problem-solving processes and strategies. Observations of performance and examination of interview transcripts provided insight into students' strategies and performance patterns. The importance of understanding characteristics of good problem solvers for designing effective instruction for less proficient problem solvers is emphasized. Several instructional recommendations are provided.

This study attempted to replicate findings that left-handedness and allergy occur more frequently in highly gifted students (Benbow, 1986). Samples of highly gifted and less gifted twelve-year-olds were identified through a regional talent search and subsequently administered questionnaires. In agreement with Benbow's finding, the highly gifted (those with extremely high scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test) were disproportionately male. However, the present study failed to replicate the finding that the highly gifted were more likely to be left-handed and to have allergies. The theoretical importance of these findings as well as their practical implications for the identification of the gifted are discussed.