For many years there has been ongoing, lively debate about the use of the term "gifted" when referring to able, talented, and creative students, or students who have the potential to achieve at a high level. Pro-giftedness supporters who use the term appear to lean on the fact that the term "gifted" has been successfully used…

Gagné's (1985, 2003, 2008, 2015, 2018) Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT) is one of the most widely used conceptual models in the field (Robinson, 2017), and as Merrotsy pointed out (2017), is claimed to be the most commonly applied conceptualisation in Australia. Merrotsy's recent article, published in the December 2017 issue of…

This article is drawn from a doctoral study that investigated initial teacher educators' views of giftedness and the apparent consequences of those views for pedagogical practice in early years educational settings. The aim of the study was to describe teacher educators' understandings and meanings of giftedness because their perspectives can…

The complex learning and socio-emotional profiles of students who are twice exceptional are often accompanied by challenges to their identification and support in the primary school. This exploratory research project, conducted in a primary school in New South Wales, Australia, focused on developing and trialling a comprehensive and useful…

Academic acceleration is used as an educational intervention within a majority of girls' schools in New Zealand that provide secondary education. This article reports on the findings of a national survey of single-sex girls' schools (N=40) that allows for a general overview of acceleration practices and provisions for this group. The findings of…

Most Australian education departments' gifted policies are guided by Gagne's Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT; Gagne, 2003, 2004; 2008). In this examination and critique of the DMGT, an argument is made that the DMGT is based predominantly on behavioural/biological research, leaving out genuine environmental factors, and that…

This article argues for the reintroduction of cognitive assessment for all New South Wales (NSW) school children to ensure the early identification of those who are intellectually gifted. The article is based on a review of the literature, and includes discussion on the development of cognitive assessments, and historical and current practices in…

There is a need to identify young gifted children so that their cognitive and socio-emotional needs may be better met by teachers and schools. This study reports on Australian teachers' perceptions of the benefits and limitations associated with the use of a multiple assessment instrument process for identifying intellectually gifted 6- and…

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of dynamic testing as a method for identifying high academic potential in Australian Aboriginal children. The 79 participating Aboriginal children were drawn from Years 3-5 in rural schools in northern New South Wales. The dynamic testing method used in this study involved a…

Despite calls over the past several decades for increased attention to the needs of gifted and advanced learners, little is known about how South Australian schools currently identify and provide for these students. An online questionnaire was sent to all schools in the state and was completed by participants from 71 schools. Findings suggested…

The study investigated New Zealand primary school teachers' understandings and experiences of talented young writers. Data were gathered using semi-structured interviews in Auckland schools. The interview data were thematically analysed using an interpretivist framework. The focus of this report is on the teachers' selection and interpretation of…

Teachers continue to face the challenge of identifying efficaciously gifted students' learning capacity in its multiple forms. While most educators acknowledge its multidimensional characteristics, the protocols used to identify it are frequently evaluated as unnecessarily restrictive. This study investigates an assessment tool that could…