Student development theory has been an important guide in practice; however, few theories focus on both the individual and the influence of the environment. Spencer's (1997) Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST) examines the individual, the environment, and the role of environmental feedback on self-perceptions, with a…

Online and distance learning is a practice situated in environments--places, spaces, and times, with particular people, in particular contexts, with particular technologies, within particular institutions. In other words, the practice of online and distance learning is not wholly individual: it is situated within broader environments. In this…

Individuals of the same species display remarkable variation in behavior, even in identical contexts. Increasing complexity in behavioral phenotypes brings with it an increase in individual variation in the manifestation of those phenotypes, and human behavior undoubtedly stands at the pinnacle of complexity. In this article, we discuss current…

The field of gifted education, historically and contemporarily, is not well-known for being equitable for underrepresented students, specifically, Black, Hispanic, Native American, among others. In this article, we present a short history of gifted education with attention to key historical figures who have significantly shaped the field; their…

An ever changing, ever diversifying, and ever-complex global society needs educational policies and practices that support and prepare all young children. In particular, policies and practices are needed that help children become well-rounded citizens. At the same time, there is no denying the many challenges and issues children, families, and…

This article begins with a brief survey of the recent update of the "Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent" (DMGT). The DMGT defines talent development as the transformation of outstanding natural abilities (called gifts) into outstanding knowledge and skills (called talents). Two types of catalysts, intrapersonal and…

Whereas some four year olds could draw a person with five fingers on each hand and a full set of facial features, others could barely hold a pencil. Some sat quietly in a small group, intently listening to and understanding a story, while others wiggled, fidgeted, and couldn't focus their attention. In those days, before the explosion of…

We report preliminary behaviour genetic analyses of reading and listening comprehension from The Colorado Learning Disabilities Research Center. Although the twin sample with these new measures is still of limited size, we find substantial, and significant, genetic influences on individual differences in both reading and listening comprehension.…

In this study of the origins of individual differences in theory of mind (ToM), the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study sample of 1,116 sixty-month-old twin pairs completed a comprehensive battery of ToM tasks. Individual differences in ToM were striking and strongly associated with verbal ability. Behavioral genetic models of the…

The article describes five diverse secondary schools with successful programs to provide responsive instruction based on individual learning styles. Schools include a school for gifted students in Minnesota, a middle school in New Jersey, and three schools in New York. (DB)

Presents a brief summary of the transformation of a single fertilized ovum into a multi-celled human. Discusses the similarities and differences of identical and non-identical twins. Cites twin pairs that do not neatly fit the monozygotic or dizygotic schemes of human development. (RT)

This paper addresses the unevenness of the existing knowledge base on development and individual differences, and presents a structural model diagraming organismic and environmental influences on development. The model identifies sets of conditions which can result in gifted performance, the development of giftedness, and the maintenance of…

Though many cognitive abilities exhibit marked decline over the adult years, individual differences in rates of change have been observed. In the current study, biometrical latent growth models were used to examine sources of variability for ability level (intercept) and change (linear and quadratic effects) for verbal, fluid, memory, and…

Following a presentation of Rita and Kenneth Dunn's learning styles model at a NAESP convention, staff at a South Dakota elementary school began teaching students according to their own perceptual strengths. This article profiles teachers' efforts and presents an observation checklist for preparing individualized learning style inventories and…

A principal of a New York elementary school describes how implementation of a testing program to determine individual learning styles and modification of the instructional environment to meet individual learning-style needs has been received enthusiastically by teachers, parents, and students. (DB)