Students were asked to make up a mathematics problem that would be difficult for a friend to solve: a subsample of 11- to 13-year-olds was interviewed as they solved the problems. Made-up problems were found to be a useful tool for studying mathematically talented children. (MNS)

Three gifted and three learning-disabled gifted students (ages 13-15) viewed themselves on videotape solving mathematical problems and responded to questions pertaining to their problem-solving strategies. The non-learning-disabled students applied substantially more cognitive and metacognitive knowledge to the problem-solving task. (Author/DB)

Annual mathematics talent searches for 12-year-old students were conducted in Hamburg, West Germany. One-hundred-fifty students took part in a long-term Saturday enrichment program to train them in problem finding and problem solving. The philosophy of this program is explained and illustrated with preliminary data. (MNS)

Uses the case study of a new private school to investigate the implementation of a curriculum designed to incorporate project-oriented, problem-based learning, and a constructivist approach to challenge gifted learners. Discusses the origins of the school, influencing factors, and implications for initiating similar efforts. (MJP)

These two newsletters from the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented (NRC/GT) contain the following articles: (1) "NRC/GT: Professional Development--Not an Event" (E. Jean Gubbins), discusses NRC/GT research-based principles related to professional development and the importance of ongoing professional development; (2)…

Two experiments with a total of 37 college students showed that metacognitive training influenced strategic flexibility and metacognition of students. The studies also found it was much easier to enhance performance on closed problems than with open problems calling for creativity. (Author/DB)

A 20-year study of 31 artists as students and as professionals reveals that skills in finding and formulating problems are significantly related to creative achievement. Accordingly, educators should turn their attention to teaching such skills. (MCG)

Reanalysis of the data from a 1984 study on making and breaking problem-solving mental sets with 50 children found that gifted subjects who failed to initially form the set made the most errors of any group and were least likely to recognize their own errors. Results suggest that motivational reasons may underly this inferior performance by some…

Documents the different problem-solving styles and approaches of two first-grade children having strong mathematical abilities. One child demonstrated an extrinsic, algorithmic style of problem-solving, while the other used an intrinsic, individual-in-control style. (NH)

This study investigated several nontraditional identification methodologies for their efficacy in identifying both minority and nonminority gifted students. Sixth graders (n=433) were given drawing and problem-solving tasks. Peer and teacher nominations were also used. The assessments identified a proportionate number of minority and nonminority…

This study examined the problem-solving protocols of 21 students in a grade 11 enriched physics course as well as 3 adult "experts" in physics. Experts and high performing students made more correct metastatements and more references to prior knowledge than did average performing students. (DB)

This study compared the use by 6 gifted and 6 nongifted students (ages 10 and 11) of a software package designed to develop cognitive control strategies. Bright students more often used a plan in their strategy, offered suggestions for improving the software, and monitored their own performance. (Author/DB)

A study of 12- to 14-year-olds was conducted to investigate which components of spatial ability may be dependent on general cognitive functioning level and to compare possible differences in carrying out certain spatial operations in children of equal intelligence, but who are not specifically gifted for mathematics or visual arts. (MBR)

The differential effects of two different types of problem-solving training on the problem-solving abilities of gifted fourth graders were studied. Two successive classes of gifted fourth graders from Weslaco Independent School District (Texas) were pretested with the Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM) and Thinking Creatively With Pictures…

Thirty-four authors have joined to produce this book. Among them are natural and physical scientists, psychologists, historians, writers, scholars of curriculum and instruction, teacher educators, and teachers of the young. The contributors probe many methodologies including the place of unified concepts and processes; the interaction of the…