Briefly describes six interdisciplinary units of study within one advanced course on scientific and literary thought for secondary students. It identifies aims and objectives for the overall course and suggests activities and a reading list for each unit. Units are on metaphor, psychology, spirituality, mythology, chaos theory, and holism. (DB)

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)

A school counselor recounts the case of a gifted 14-year-old with rheumatoid arthritis and a destructive home situation, to remind teachers that in-school problems have out-of-school roots and that the teacher is not the only professional available to, and concerned with, the well-being of the student. (DB)

Comparison of 14 verbally gifted 6-year olds with equal numbers of chronological-age and mental-age controls using a structural-developmental analysis found that the gifted children organized story plots in ways typical of children 2 years older, elaborated on basic plot structures more than control groups, and demonstrated advanced language…

This study examined the perceptions of 90 gifted students in India about their choices of scientific disciplines to study in depth. Males tended toward engineering; females toward biology. Gender differences that emerged from student responses are discussed, as are suggestions for fostering students' intrinsic motivation to choose nontraditional…

The Brief Symptom Inventory was administered to 274 mathematically gifted secondary students identified by a national talent search and enrolled in a summer precalculus program. Results indicated that these students were significantly better adjusted than the adolescent normative group. Gender, age, achievement level, and verbal ability were…

The attitudes of 563 Finnish parents toward ongoing educational reforms and their satisfaction with the functioning of comprehensive schools were studied. Their appraisals of the schools were fairly positive. Middle-class parents were more likely to endorse selectiveness in the schools; working-class parents were more likely to endorse…

Intellectually gifted children (N=20) and a comparison group (N=79) were administered the Children's Academic Intrinsic Motivation Inventory at ages 9, 10, and 13. At all three ages, the gifted children had significantly higher academic intrinsic motivation across all subject areas and in school in general. Assessment of intrinsic motivation is…

Sixty-two gifted and 61 comparison students (ages 8 to 14) rated hypothetical male and female characters for academic achievement, academic effort, and athleticism. Analysis indicated that perceptions about academic achievement and athleticism were important determinants of a character's acceptance, but that academic effort was not. Gifted and…

A study examined the relationship between self-concept and coping strategies of 457 academically gifted adolescents (ages 10-16). Results found the adolescents used various strategies that assumed responsibility for dealing with stressors and took action-focused approaches rather than ignoring problems. They focused on the positive and on problem…

This paper discusses problems arising from prevailing definitions of intelligence that are based on a rational paradigm, the typical form of acquiring knowledge in the modern world. Argues that perceptions of "being intelligent" are formed by the requirements of traditional scientific method. Suggestions are outlined for understanding…

Children (n=408) age 21-84 months were assessed to investigate the validity of the BRIGANCE Screens in comparison with criterion tests in identifying children who are gifted and talented. Results found that using the BRIGANCE screens in combination with teacher/examiner ratings produced high rates of sensitivity in identifying gifted children. (CR)

This study examined, through a qualitative research design, the differences between underachievement and selective achievement in a gifted university student. Findings indicated that, while the participant demonstrated behaviors typically associated with underachievement, his healthy self-concept, self-regulation, and strong metacognitive…

This interview with Annemarie Roeper, the co-founder of the Roeper School and the "Roeper Review," highlights her views on gifted education, the influences on her thinking, her educational background, her beliefs on the development of the self, the creation of the Roeper School, and the development of the Roeper Review. (Contains 4…

This article examines positions by diverse philosophers (the ancient Stoics and the contemporary moral and political philosopher John Rawls) and shows the relevance of their disagreement concerning moral development. The position produced from this disagreement is then applied to two features of giftedness, sensitivity to justice and desire for…