Research Theses on Giftedness and Creativity

Undertaken in Australian Universities

2008

Creativity and Gifted Education Theses

Creativity Theses ....................................................................................................... 1
Motivation and creative achievement : exploring a positive relationship between intrinsic
motivation and extrinsic influence. ....................................................................................... 1
The relation of some personality and ability variables to creativity and academic achievement. 1
The role of creativity in the education of underachieving secondary students. ........................... 1
The role of inquiry, creativity and conflict in education. ............................................................. 2
Labelled and languishing : perspectives of gifted and creative secondary school students. ........ 2
Creativity and under-achievement: a study of the 1992 Foundation Studies Students at Victoria
University of Technology (Footscray Campus). ................................................................... 3
Development of a unified theory : giftedness, evolution and integrative intelligence. ................ 3
Family and school correlates of adolescents outcomes. ............................................................... 4
Changes in student learning and development in art production across grades and over time at
secondary school level........................................................................................................... 5
A cognitive model for understanding creative thinking. .............................................................. 6
A comparative study of creative problem solving and traditional skill based methods of
instruction in Queensland technology education classrooms. ............................................... 8
Creative spirit in classroom music education. .............................................................................. 8
Creativity and arts education. ....................................................................................................... 9
Creativity and education : an examination of some current views on the nature of creativity and
a discussion of the role and possibilities of creative development in the educative process
today. ..................................................................................................................................... 9
Creativity and embodied learning : a reflection upon and a synthesis of the learning that arises
in creative expression, with particular reference to writing and drama, through the
perspective of the participant and self organising systems theory. ..................................... 10
Creativity and play. .................................................................................................................... 10
Creativity in literacy : making meaning in the middle years...................................................... 11
Creativity in problem solving : uncovering cognitive and non-cognitive systems of reasoning in
the solving of novel mathematics problems. ....................................................................... 12
Creativity: its enhancement in beginning teachers. .................................................................... 12
Creativity under the glass ceiling : a study using a contextual theory of creativity as a
framework............................................................................................................................ 13
Drama education secondary school playbuilding : enhancing imagination and creativity in
group playbuilding through kinaesthetic teaching and learning.......................................... 14
Enhancing creativity : strategies implemented in the senior secondary visual art classroom. ... 14
An evaluation of approaches to teaching creative and divergent thinking. ................................ 15
Family contexts for nurturing young children's creativity. ........................................................ 16
Gender and performance in dance and games. ........................................................................... 17
Growing a sense of place : storythread and the transformation of a school. .............................. 18
Improving student learning in civics and citizenship education through professional learning
communities. ....................................................................................................................... 19
A longitudinal study of school childrens writing abilities: school years 6 - 9 inclusive. ........... 20
Mathematical creativity in upper primary children. ................................................................... 20
The philosophy of creativity. ...................................................................................................... 21
Teachers perceptions of and attitudes to creativity in their students. ......................................... 21

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Gifted Education Theses ......................................................................................... 22
Aesthetics and general music education at primary levels. ........................................................ 22
An analysis of perceived problems facing coordinators of gifted education in NSW independent
secondary schools. ............................................................................................................... 22
The application of savant and splinter skills in the autistic population through curriculum
design : a longitudinal multiple-replication case study. ...................................................... 23
Appropriate curriculum for academically accelerated students : listening to the case
studies of gifted students. .................................................................................................... 24
Aspects of the musical development of talented young instrumental performers...................... 24
The attitudes of educators towards intellectually talented students. .......................................... 25
Attitudes of preservice teachers towards gifted and talented students. ...................................... 26
Attitudes toward gifted girls' abilities in the use of multimedia computer technology to
learn science. ....................................................................................................................... 26
Changes in self esteem of students in full-time (O.C.) classes for gifted students. ................... 27
Children's knowledge of problem solving and the key competencies. ....................................... 28
A class of their own : educational pathways of early achievers. ................................................ 29
Co-ordination of gifted and talented education in primary schools in New South Wales. ........ 29
Cognitive style and social needs of academically gifted children. ............................................. 30
Collaborative problem solving in mathematics : the nature and function of task
complexity. .......................................................................................................................... 30
Community and teacher attitudes toward special educational provisions for gifted
students in ACT primary schools. ....................................................................................... 31
A comparison of factors affecting the establishment and implementation of a gifted and talented
program in a rural primary and secondary school. .............................................................. 32
Conditions of academic underachievement amongst gifted working class adolescents. ........... 32
Confidence building and problem solving skills : an investigation into the impact of the Future
Problem Solving Program on secondary school students' sense of self-efficacy
in problem solving, in research, in team work, and in coping with the future. ................... 33
A consideration of selected issues in the organisation of special programs for children
gifted in the performing arts. ............................................................................................... 33
Cooperative learning: a viable teaching strategy for gifted students in heterogeneous
classrooms? ......................................................................................................................... 34
Critique of the New South Wales government strategy for the education of gifted and
talented students (1991) and associated major policies. ...................................................... 35
The development of a career education program for gifted and talented secondary
students : a case study. ........................................................................................................ 35
Development of a unified theory : giftedness, evolution and integrative intelligence. .............. 36
Development of personal strengths and moral reasoning in gifted adolescents. ........................ 37
Differentiation for intellectual ability: student views with particular reference to
intellectually gifted students. ............................................................................................... 38
The education of the gifted child in the primary school. ............................................................ 39
Educational and administrative provisions for intellectually gifted children. ............................ 39
Educational provisions for gifted and talented children in Victorian schools viewed
from an Australian perspective............................................................................................ 40
The effect of gifted education on gifted students. ...................................................................... 40
The effectiveness of post-graduate courses in gifted and talented education as
evidenced in subsequent intervention within the classroom. .............................................. 41
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Engaging minds: an investigation into gifted and less gifted students pleasure reading. .......... 41
Establishing an infused thinking oriented curriculum. ............................................................... 42
An evaluation of the worth of a partial withdrawal enrichment program for gifted children
based on Maker's curriculum principals. ............................................................................. 43
An examination of the characteristics of young, potentially gifted children from culturally
diverse backgrounds, as the basis for the development of appropriate educational programs.
............................................................................................................................................. 43
A first reader on academically gifted children and adolescents. ................................................ 44
The gifted child movement in New South Wales: public schools and the new class................. 44
Gifted children in the Loddon Campaspe Mallee Region of country Victoria: a parental
and student perspective........................................................................................................ 45
Gifted children's preferred learning styles and culture: a case study. ........................................ 45
Gifted learning disabled children: a pilot intervention program based on teachers'
perceptions........................................................................................................................... 46
Giftedness in early childhood : the search for complexity and connection. ............................... 47
Harold Wyndham : a study in education and administration. .................................................... 47
Identification of and provision for gifted and talented children in Year 1-3 classrooms. .......... 48
The identification of gifted Aboriginal children. ....................................................................... 48
The identification of gifted children under formal school entry age. ......................................... 49
The identification of giftedness in preschool-aged children by analysing responses to
stories................................................................................................................................... 49
The impact of grouping gifted primary school students on self concept, motivation and
achievement. ........................................................................................................................ 50
An individual research program for accelerated science students. ............................................. 51
An information processing study of individual differences in perception of pitch fluctuations in
music. .................................................................................................................................. 52
Integrating Gardner's multiple intelligences theory with a revised Bloom's taxonomy : a new
model for school reform? .................................................................................................... 53
Introducing a gifted program in a rural secondary school. ......................................................... 54
The investigation into the application of chaos theory and fractal geometry as a cross-curricular
enrichment theme for highly able students. ......................................................................... 55
An investigation into the benefits of vertical semester curricula organisation for the education
of gifted and talented middle school students. .................................................................... 55
An investigation into the characteristics of an effective teacher: in particular for gifted and
talented pupils...................................................................................................................... 57
An investigation into the environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behavioural intentions of
elementary school students. ................................................................................................. 58
An investigation of early childhood teachers and their views and behaviours concerning
children nominated as gifted. .............................................................................................. 59
Issues in the establishment of a gifted education model in Surabaya. ....................................... 59
It isn't always about playing the right notes : meeting the needs of gifted secondary school
students with jazz improvisation. ........................................................................................ 60
Labelled and languishing : perspectives of gifted and creative secondary school students. ...... 61
Learning styles of 'gifted' and 'talented' adolescents : student needs and school provisions...... 61
Making changes happen for teachers of the gifted : changing teacher attitudes to gifted students
through professional development. ..................................................................................... 62

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A modified agricultural curriculum, for talented students in years seven to ten in selective
agricultural high schools. .................................................................................................... 63
Music education for talented children. ....................................................................................... 64
Musically gifted students in the first year of secondary school: identification and curriculum
differentiation. ..................................................................................................................... 64
Night of the notables: a program for gifted and talented students intended to provide modelling
for life from the lives of the eminent and famous for use as gifted education in schools. .. 65
The optimal context for gifted students: an exploration of motivational and affective variables.
............................................................................................................................................. 65
Padfoot, Pup and Claire : academic acceleration in Aotearoa.................................................... 66
Perceptions of exceptional talent in high school students and implications for a school's
curriculum............................................................................................................................ 67
Perceptions of teachers: a case study of giftedness in young children. ...................................... 67
Policy and practice in gifted education: review of the process in NSW from 1977-1990. ........ 68
Practices employed by participating teachers to differentiate the curriculum for the gifted
students in their class. .......................................................................................................... 68
A preliminary study of young gifted children. ........................................................................... 69
Problem-based learning and primary education. ........................................................................ 69
The relational nature of mentoring gifted children using desktop videoconferencing. .............. 70
Resistance to establishing an opportunity class for gifted and talented students in rural NSW. 71
A review of secondary special placement programmes in Western Australia: clients'
perceptions........................................................................................................................... 71
The role of the principal in implementing information technology (IT) as a learning tool in
schools. ................................................................................................................................ 72
The selection of teachers of the gifted and talented in Western Australian state schools. ......... 73
Shades of giftedness: an ethnographic case study in the identification of giftedness in ethnic
minority children within the early childhood context. ........................................................ 74
A short history of state education policy for gifted and talented children in New South Wales
1788-1989. ........................................................................................................................... 74
Student perceptions of giftedness, gifted students, teachers and education of the gifted........... 75
Student perceptions of subject acceleration in New South Wales secondary schools. .............. 75
A study of the provisions for educating gifted and talented children with special reference to
N.S.W. ................................................................................................................................. 76
A tale of two schools: two organisational patterns for catering for the gifted. .......................... 76
Teacher effectiveness in the education of gifted students : a comparison of trained, trainee and
untrained teachers of gifted and talented students. .............................................................. 77
Teachers' conceptions of gifted young children ; perspectives through the lens of gender. ...... 78
Teaching gifted children in the regular classroom. .................................................................... 79
Teaching twice exceptional children : gifted with learning difficulties : professional
development and provision in a Montessori school. ........................................................... 79
Unleashing talent : an examination of VanTassel-Baska's (1995) integrated curriculum model in
an inclusive classroom......................................................................................................... 80
The vertical curriculum meeting the needs of students of high intellectual potential. ............... 81
Very superior IQ and academic achievement: the tertiary entrance examination performance of
intellectually talented students in the Secondary Special Placement Programme. ............. 82

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Creativity Theses
Title Motivation and creative achievement : exploring a positive relationship
between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic influence.
Author March K
Degree MGiftEd
Institution FLINDERS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Year 2002
Abstract There are few descriptions in the literature on creativity and motivation that
explore the positive effect of extrinsic influences on the creative process. This
study, based on creatively achieving individuals from a variety of domains
across the arts and sciences, explores the notion that extrinsic factors can be
less inhibiting than previous research would suggest and that their existence
and influence may be essential for prolonged creative endeavour. The
individuals in this study clearly demonstrate both the necessity of extrinsic
influences in their creative process, and the employment of particular thinking
strategies to deal with such influences, which serve to promote continued
production and success in their creative fields.

Title The relation of some personality and ability variables to creativity and
academic achievement.
Author Gilchrist M B
Degree PhD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 1970
Abstract Not provided

Title The role of creativity in the education of underachieving secondary students.

Author Lane R S
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 1994
Abstract Underachievement is a difficult and imprecise concept to measure and complex
reasons and experiences trigger disengagement from the process of schooling.
Those students that do not gain the opportunity to develop a feeling of success
and achievement ultimately become alienated, and thus fail to realise their
potential. Success in schooling comes when students are engaged in the
learning process, and stimulated in ways that allow them to gain a sense of
achievement and self worth. A critical but creative examination of existing
school resources can result in student turnaround and generally improve both
the learning environment for the student and the working environment for the
teacher. The study found that the participants desired changes to the school

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 with adjustments to both the organisation and the basic aims of the staff. This
places a responsibility on curriculum planners to be aware of the possibilities
which could be generated by more innovative programming and a closer
liaison with the creative arts and special needs personnel. Ideal practice would
be for all students to have the opportunity to think and be creative across the
whole curriculum and that those teachers involved in creative programming
can sustain the effort over time.

Title The role of inquiry, creativity and conflict in education.

Author Waite I P
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND
Year 1992
Abstract A dedicated commitment to the status quo is the single factor that unites
politicians, bureaucrats, teachers and parents in their educational endeavours.
The children in our schools absorb the same cherished values and set their
faces against the older generation for their conservative stance in the face of
such progress as we have never seen before. Development is at a standstill and
change is purely cosmetic. Private enterprise is growing fat on the proceeds of
the brightly packaged diversions that are being sold to protect the status quo
and society as we know it is stagnating. The marvellous theories of the last
sixty years seem futile and ineffective. But the solution is not to go back to the
drawing board of the curriculum planning office, but to the arena of
educational praxis in the classroom. Once there, however, we are not to take
the easy way out by taking our place with the spectators, shouting support and
advice to the participants, and all the while keeping a safe distance from the
contest. We must be prepared to assume the role of the true theoreticians. This
thesis intends to enter into this process of educational praxis by aiming to
provide timely advice and strategies for the future viability of the education
system. The application of the elements of inquiry, creativity, and conflict to
educational endeavours will help educationalists develop a viable plan for the
future community that will enliven society.

Title Labelled and languishing : perspectives of gifted and creative secondary school
students.
Author Fitzpatrick D R
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Year 2005
Abstract This study aimed to utilise a qualitative, postmodernist research approach in
the teaching-learning area of school education in order to investigate
adolescent students' constructs of giftedness, creativity and creative writing.
Case studies of thirteen students who took a Year 10 course in Creative
Writing in a Western Australian government, rural secondary school
engendered a cross-case analysis. Some of the students had been identified as

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 gifted or talented in terms of government school guidelines; all considered
themselves to be creative. The study is innovative in that it aimed to elicit the
perspectives of such fifteen to sixteen year old students. The study related
student perspectives to academic literature. It generated information about the
interrelationships of the main constructs of giftedness, creativity and creative
writing. It also generated perspectives and recommendations on issues
concerning the identification of, the provision for, the monitoring of, and the
inclusivity of gifted, talented and creative students. The study generated
implications for five areas in education: Aims and Policy, Curriculum
Development, Educational Administration and Management, Teaching and
Learning, and Teacher Education. The study made recommendations for
further research, especially in the area of Teacher Education.

Title Creativity and under-achievement: a study of the 1992 Foundation Studies

Students at Victoria University of Technology (Footscray Campus).
Author New B C
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 1993
Abstract This study was undertaken to investigate students enrolled in the 1992
Foundation Studies course at the Victoria University of Technology, Footscray
Campus. This was a one year bridging course, for students whose Anderson
Scores has been insufficient to gain them a place on a degree course. Despite
their low scores, many of these students gave an impression of good academic
ability, coupled with a divergent, creative approach to their work. The
investigation sought to establish: if they really were very able; and if any
academic underachievement thus substantiated could be explained by the
individual's creativity. As a basis for this study, a selective review of the vast
literature on creativity was undertaken, with emphases on the research into the
personality traits of creative people, the effect of environmental influences on
the development of creativity, the interaction of intelligence and creativity and
the relationship between hard work and creativity. The students were
investigated for: ability; academic achievement; creativity; self esteem;
personality; and personal histories. Although this testing confirmed lecturers'
perceptions of the students' good academic ability, it also indicated that
creativity was not a significant factor in the academic underachievement of the
majority of the students. It did appear, however, to be implicated in the
academic under or overachievement of a minority of the students. For most of
the students, issues of self esteem appeared to have been central in determining
academic performance.

Title Development of a unified theory : giftedness, evolution and integrative

intelligence.
Author Clarke J S
Degree MGiftEd

3
Institution FLINDERS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Year 2000
Abstract The most fundamental problem of gifted education is the absence of a unified
theory to explain the physical phenomena of gifted consciousness. However,
this lack of theory is predicated by the absence of a physical theory which
explains the evolutionary emergence and structure of consciousness itself. This
thesis addresses this critical void in physical knowledge by developing Unitive
Theory as a physical deductive theory of evolution from which reflective
consciousness self consistently emerges. The psychological structures and
processes of giftedness may be then framed within a deductive 4-dimensional
evolutionary continuum. The structural self-consistency of unitive theory is
further applied to explain intelligence differentiation; the complementary
construction of knowledge and meaning; the predictive structure of conflict;
and to verify the structural continuity and organisational self- similarity in both
physical and psychological evolution. The advanced cognitive structures of
giftedness are predicted and explained through the evolutionary structure
identified by unitive theory. Unitive theory is verified as a deductive physical
evolutionary theory, including biogenesis and consciousness, by a series of
major scientific discoveries which transform the current educational and
scientific worldview: 1) The identification of the initial numeric structures and
processes of the nested evolutionary continuum, which thereby explain the
origin of the laws of physics. 2) The discovery of cumulative systemic
resonances in physical systems: solar system atomic system & molecular
DNA-RNA system, and thereby disproves current theories which assume that
random and accidental processes determine structural evolution. 3) The
derivation of the numeric values of GUT unification & Planck energy levels
from first principles. 4) The discovery of the reciprocal and geometric
relationship between coupling strengths of electronuclear forces and unifying
energy levels, which thereby confirms the legitimacy of scientific attempts to
formulate a complete unified physical theory. 5) The discovery of correlations
between planetary distancing and GUT & Planck unification values,
confirming structural evolution as a nested evolutionary continuum. 6) The
identification of thermal resonances between earth planetary positioning and
human brain temperature; Planck energy and cosmic background radiation. 7)
The discovery of cumulatively reciprocal relationships in planetary systems. 8)
The discovery of the numeric evidence to confirm that bifurcation processes
operate in spatial organisation and planetary system formation. 9) The
discovery of progressive dimensional emergence, which predicts and explains
evolutionary directionality and differentiative and integrative development. 10)
The demonstration of how the resonant self organisation of attractive matter
and radiant energy form an integrative and complementary evolutionary
system.

Title Family and school correlates of adolescents outcomes.

Author Raw J S
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE

4
 Year 1988
Abstract This study examined relationships between family and school environments
and a number of outcomes for adolescents attending independent schools. In
particular, associations were examined between adolescents' perceptions of
family and school environments and measures of their creativity, morality and
self concept. Six independent schools from the Adelaide metropolitan area
were chosen for the study. The sample included 312 Year 11 adolescents, 158
girls and 154 boys. The schools were chosen to provide a diverse sample with
respect to religious affiliation, single sex coeducation, and socioeconomic
status of families. The study supports prior research which has shown that
while family environment is associated with more variance in outcomes when
compared with the school environment, certain school environment variables
are related to significant and educationally meaningful amounts of variance in
school related outcomes.

Title Changes in student learning and development in art production across grades
and over time at secondary school level.
Author Touloumtzoglou J
Degree PhD
Institution FLINDERS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Year 2002
Abstract Areas of learning where performance is measured through systematic and
responsible assessment can contribute to the conceptualisation and valuing of
art education through the provision of evidence of learning and development of
artistic skills. There is a need for measurement to be undertaken in assessment
in art production, on the basis of a shared symbol system, that allows for
detailed classifications of visual art works. For this purpose, the Aesthetic
Judgement Scale (AJS) was developed in this study to measure secondary
school students' performance in art production, for assigning quantitative
specifications both singly and in combination to corresponding magnitudes of
art work. A general theoretical model was formulated that provided the
structure of the numerical relation among the measures assigned to the art
works. This model was established and tested for comparative purposes and for
the better understanding and interpretation of the AJS scores. In devising this
measurement strategy, the assessable properties or magnitudes of the visual art
objects and the rule for assigning degrees of their magnitudes were specified.
The validation of the AJS measurement model was undertaken through an
investigation of its internal structure and the association of the construct being
measured to external predictors of student performance. With respect to the
internal structure of the AJS, a two-level hierarchical model was proposed as
best reflecting the underlying constructs measured by this instrument. This
implied that a second-order artistic aptitude factor indirectly measured by the
observed variables affected three more specific first- or lower-order factors.
These three inter-correlated first-order factors included the art elements, formal
properties and symbolic level factors. The model also included four additional
observed variables reflecting an alternative form of the higher-order factor that
were represented by an exogenous component, labelled the composite factor.
Hence, artistic production was shown to involve a general underlying trait as
well as lower order factors, indicating that the calculation of a total score in

5
 addition to sub-scores that provide more specific information about students'
performance in the identified sub-domains of artistic production, were
possible. Use of the AJS in this study demonstrated that the instrument can: (a)
discriminate between different levels of performance; (b) make meaningful
comparisons; and (c) measure relative change in student development and
learning between assessment occasions. Furthermore, several instruments were
also employed with the aim of assigning numerical values to constructs
hypothesised as being related to student performance in art production. Of
these measures, variables that were identified as having significant effects on
the AJS scores, enabled clearer interpretations to be made of student
performance in art production, substantiating further the usefulness and
meaningfulness of the particular assessment procedure. Moreover, results
presented in this study, provided evidence of a relationship between AJS
measures and student level characteristics, domain-relevant abilities, as well as
affective and conative variables further supporting the construct validity of the
scale. The temporal stability of these relationships across grade levels and
between assessment occasions assisted in contributing to the validity of the
AJS measures. Teacher ratings obtained from a single public secondary school
were also compared to ratings obtained on the AJS, on the basis of the
meaningfulness and quality of the information provided about students'
learning and development over time and across grades. The findings illustrated
the practical significance and usefulness of the AJS for measuring gains in
student performance in art production and in identifying students' strengths or
weaknesses, compared to teacher marks, which focused on relative rather than
absolute marking performance and failed to measure such increments in
learning and development. The results derived from the multivariate and
multilevel analyses undertaken provided extensive evidence that performance
in art production is best represented by a multidimensional and multilevel
model. Significant teacher effects were found on performance in art
production. Student characteristics such as gender and intellectual potential
were found to be significant predictors of level of performance. Student
attitudes were shown to impact greatly on performance. Greater home learning
provision and favourable parental attitudes towards the arts also appeared to be
associated with higher levels of performance in art production. Domain-
relevant abilities such as visuospatial abilities, visual aesthetic sensitivity and
to some extent figural creativity were shown to contribute significantly to
performance in art production. The aim of this study was to improve validity,
reliability and credibility in measuring student performance in art production,
and thereby increase the positive impact of assessment in the visual arts
discipline. The development and empirical validation of the Aesthetic
Judgement Scale offer an alternative performance-based approach to
assessment of art production. This assessment strategy for monitoring student
progress in art production, is a useful means of demonstrating whether teachers
and students have met their educational goals, as well as for identifying areas
of strength or weakness. In addition to measuring student learning and
development in art production, the AJS may be used to identify implicit
learning outcomes of art production for the specification of curriculum
objectives, and the organisation of instruction.

Title A cognitive model for understanding creative thinking.

6
 Author Yashin-Shaw I
Degree PhD
Institution GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY
Year 2001
Abstract This research proposes a model for creative thinking which is initially derived
from an amalgamation of the creativity literature and the cognitive psychology
literature, and is refined from protocol data. The aim of this research is to
investigate and explain the nature of cognitive activity during creative
problem-solving in an authentic context. A review of the creativity literature
reveals the limitations of existing conceptualisations of creativity, in particular,
the linearity of thinking as it progresses or cycles through various stages during
the creative thinking process. It is argued that the limitations may be addressed
through the inclusion and application of a hierarchical representation of
thinking which is commonly accepted in the cognitive science literature but
absent from the creativity literature. The reconceptualised, theoretically
derived model which is posited, incorporates elements from both literatures,
namely the hierarchical nature of thinking from cognitive science, as well as
the opportunity for an ongoing revisiting of concepts, as represented by the
cycling of thinking, from the creativity literature. In order to test the model, a
fine-grained scrutiny of cognitive activity was needed. To this end the research
methodology was based on an longitudinal, idiographic model which
investigates a single situation in exhaustive detail. Protocol data were gathered
from a subject engaged in authentic problem-solving on two occasions four
and a half years apart. The data therefore provide information at two levels of
expertise. The data were transcribed, segmented and analysed in two ways,
according to the category of thinking and cognitive procedure enacted, to
reveal cognitive activity on a micro-level. This was done using the proposed
model and its associated taxonomy. It was found that the overall structure of
the theoretically derived model was robust. However some modifications were
needed to the sets of procedures characterising each category of thinking in
order to comprehensively describe the creative problem-solving activity
reported in this research. Therefore the final model presented represents a
synthesis of theoretical and protocol derived procedures. The analysed data
were numerically coded for the purposes of undergoing descriptive statistical
analysis. The findings reveal that creative solutions evolved through the
iterative and interactive deployment of cognitive components and not in a
linear or cyclical way as proposed by a number of other models explaining
creative thinking. Cognitive categories and procedures were deployed with
varying frequency at different times during the problem-solving process
according to task demands. However no category of thinking had exclusive
association with any particular stage of the process. Rather, solutions were
'built up' as a result of cognitive activity switching among the categories of
executive control, generation, exploration and evaluation and their
characteristic procedures. The longitudinal design of the study provided
information about the cognitive indicators associated with the development of
expertise in creative problem-solving in authentic contexts. The proposed
model was found to be sufficiently robust to explain cognitive activity at both
levels of expertise. The development of expertise in creative problem-solving
is characterised by the same indicators of problem-solving in general with the
addition of the deliberate maintenance of high cognitive load imposed by the

7
 search for novelty.

Title A comparative study of creative problem solving and traditional skill based
methods of instruction in Queensland technology education classrooms.
Author Case D J
Degree MIndEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE
Year 1996
Abstract The introduction of Technology Studies in 1991, with it emphasis on creative
problem solving through design, challenge the philosophies and teaching styles
of those teaching traditional manual skill based Manual Arts subjects in
Queensland. One hundred and thirty four Year 11 students, from three
Queensland schools, studying one of three subjects in the domain of
'technology education' participated in the comparative study to establish the
relative creative efficacy of Technology Studies and Manual Arts as measured
by Cohen's 'How Creative Are You' test instrument. A pretest/posttest
quasiexperimental design was selected in which instruction in: Technology
Studies was classified as experimental 'Treatment A' ( Subject a); Manual Arts
was classified as experimental 'Treatment B' (Subject b); and Graphics was
classified as the experimental ' Control Group' (Subject c). Potential
confounding factors such as variations in student ability across target groups
and schools were either controlled or taken into account in the analysis. Single
and two factor analysis of variance of the data collected revealed that there was
no significant difference in the mean creativity score gained between treatment
groups albeit significant gain in creativity was observed in each treatment
group. In conclusion, the author cautions against ascribing to Technology
Studies a greater potential for developing creativity in students than the more
traditional manual skill based teaching methods associated with Manual Arts.
While the limitations of the study prevent the conclusion from being
generalised across the public and private education sectors in Queensland at
this time, there is sufficient evidence to justify further research in this field. If
the outcomes of this research are generalised through further research, the
author conjects that the lack of significant difference in creativity gain between
the treatments may be due to either: the publicly unrealised creative
characteristics of the traditional manual skill based style of Manual Arts;
and/or the lack of appropriate inservice training of teachers of Technology
Studies to ensure that the perceived creative advantage of design and problem
solving based instruction is realised.

Title Creative spirit in classroom music education.

Author King G
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 2005
Abstract Nurturing creativity by responding to students' unexpected initiatives requires
teachers themselves to be models of spontaneity and improvisation. Thirty-one

8
 anecdotes were collected from practitioners of the Orff Approach to classroom
music education and discussed online, uncovering a variety of responsive
strategies that resulted in increased collaboration and engagement. The study
drew on the Social Constructivist models of education and creativity
expounded by Vygotsky, Csikszentmihalyi, Gardner and Anna Craft, and on
the epistemology of Wittgenstein as Alice made sense of her Wonderland
conversation with Humpty Dumpty. Practical solutions were offered to an
apparent dilemma, that nurturing student creativity appears to require a state of
anarchy to exist in the classroom. Four themes emerged from the data. These
documented teachers' insightful responses to classroom 'shenanigans' and
aggression, the benefits that followed when teachers were willing to 'go the
extra mile', the desire of teachers to create and sustain a cooperative classroom
atmosphere and the importance of linking classroom music activities to
children's lives in a meaningful way. The study findings suggest that
responsiveness is an important key to nurturing independent creative thinking.

Title Creativity and arts education.

Author Chapman L R
Degree MEd
Institution FLINDERS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Year 1995
Abstract Creativity' is a term which occurs in academic articles on education and in
Australian government curriculum documents. Despite an extensive debate in
the 1960s there is a vagueness attendant upon this term and considerable
inconsistency in its application. This is a matter for concern because creativity
is an important concept in that aspect of culture which we designate as the arts
and it is by that token a significant concept in arts education. The writings of
three educational theorists have been important in the discussion of 'creativity':
White Olford and Elliott. In the field of arts theory and aesthetics the writings
of Maitland, Beardsley and Hospers provide a framework for considering the
concept. Out of these writings in the fields of educational theory, arts theory
and aesthetics six issues relating to creativity arise. These issues are, the locus
of creativity, creativity as problem solving, as novelty, as discovery, as
inspiration, and creativity and knowledge. Proceeding from a consideration of
these issues and of Degenhardt's three criteria of creativity a set of five criteria
of creativity are suggested. The implications for arts education of the six issues
and the five criteria move consideration of the concept away from notions of
creativity as inspiration or discovery and towards a view of creativity which is
based on knowledge of the domain in which it occurs. This leads to a rejection
of the notion that creativity is something which can be taught and transferred
from one domain to another. The consequence of that is an affirmation of
knowledge of any particular domain as the focus for creativity within the
curriculum.

Title Creativity and education : an examination of some current views on the nature
of creativity and a discussion of the role and possibilities of creative
development in the educative process today.

9
 Author Nolan J E
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Year 1965
Abstract Not provided

Title Creativity and embodied learning : a reflection upon and a synthesis of the
learning that arises in creative expression, with particular reference to writing
and drama, through the perspective of the participant and self organising
systems theory.
Author Wright D G
Degree PhD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN SYDNEY
Year 1998
Abstract Through a discussion of personal experiences of creativity and learning this
thesis looks at the way in which drama education constructs opportunities for
learning. Important in this discussion is the relationship between participants in
the learning process. Accordingly, the author uses constructivism and self-
organising systems theory to further the understanding of the way in which
individuals and societies construct their own learning. Important in this process
is the self-conscious experience of the learner. The notion of being 'in learning'
rather than outside of and observing the learning is central. This consciousness
facilitates the creation of meaning. That meaning plays a role in determining
the manner in which further participation in learning occurs, hence further
learning. This emphasises the process of learning over the product of learning.
The function that language and emotion serve in this process also deserves
consideration. The author argues that, like learning, we live 'in language' and
'in emotion'. This perspective upon process has a considerable impact upon the
way in which we make meaning and the way in which we approach learning.
Questions surrounding a consciousness of participation bring the senses, the
feelings, the emotions and other physical experience to the fore. They require,
in turn, that the learning of the body be considered. Embodied learning, it is
argued, is insufficiently acknowledged and insufficiently theorised in drama
education. Considerably more attention is paid to the body in contemporary
performance theory, though not specifically in relation to learning. Through
bringing together constructivism, systems theory, drama education and
contemporary performance theory the author argues for a greater recognition of
the relationship between the body and learning.

Title Creativity and play.

Author Wiley K
Degree MEd
Institution ROYAL MELBOURNE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Year 1996

10
 Abstract This is a qualitative study the conclusions of which rely on a detailed
collection of observations and descriptive data. The major undertaking of this
project was to look at children's potential to be creative, to transform their own
reality of the world into new and interesting ideas, and to measure it. The
children were presented with varied experiences which allowed for verbal and
nonverbal responses and encouraged physical as well as cognitive skills. All
experiences had the potential for a multitude of responses, hence for many
transformations to occur. The activities were chosen because they contained
elements of fun and potential play. The experiences presented to the children
also contained challenges of different degrees, for which the children
demonstrated their cognitive skills, transformational ability and playful
behaviour. All the subjects demonstrated some creative potential, because all
had the ability to transform ideas by developing perceptions which had an
element of uncommonness. Not all children performed their transformations at
the same rate, level of quality or interest. Some children showed strong
motivation to succeed, and they also enjoyed the challenges. Working together
with another child, or in a small group, seemed to be an incentive to greater
production of transformations for some children. In this project, not all
children demonstrated 'playfulness'. However, the majority of children were
playful in most experiences, and this project shows that greater playfulness is
related to greater ability to transform. The 'playful' children demonstrated more
humour and enjoyment in the company of the investigator even when they
were not engaged in the experiences. The playful subjects were also more
positive about their school life.

Title Creativity in literacy : making meaning in the middle years.

Author Walters F
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 2004
Abstract Literacy is often described as either a social phenomenon or a functional one; it
is rarely viewed as an imaginative or creative phenomenon. Yet the processes
involved in the development of literate identities are akin to role-play; readers
and writers try on different stances as they engage in various ways with diverse
texts, and this requires a capacity for imaginative projection. A 'creative age'
has been proclaimed in Western societies. Creativity and high levels of literacy
are prized for their perceived capacity to fit people for the anticipated rapidly
changing circumstances of the future. However, while vast resources are
devoted to developing literacy in education, aspects of schooling may
discourage creativity; and, indeed, the kind of literacy (or 'literacies') required
for this new era. This thesis argues that much might be gained by reconsidering
imagination and creativity for educational purposes. It recounts psychological
approaches to studying creativity, which, despite limitations, have led to a
model that is useful for identifying the 'locus of creativity' - a systems model of
creativity. This model is re-evaluated so as to theorise a systems model of
student creativity. The term 'literacy' has come to signify many different things
in education, and the complexity of the phenomenon is discussed to show how
imagination and creativity are integral to it. An acknowledgment of their role
offers exciting possibilities for middle years curriculum in particular. This

11
 investigation into the place of imagination and creativity in literacy involved
the analysis of 'official' curriculum documents and of two case studies: one
Year 9 and one Grade 5/6 teacher and their English/literacy classes. This
permitted observations of the ways in which curriculum is enacted in
classrooms. The fieldwork revealed data about common constructions of
creativity, and where it inheres in literacy.

Title Creativity in problem solving : uncovering cognitive and non-cognitive

systems of reasoning in the solving of novel mathematics problems.
Author Aldous C R
Degree PhD
Institution FLINDERS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Year 2005
Abstract Two questions lie at the heart of research conducted in this thesis. The first
'From where do new ideas come?' is intrinsic to understanding the mystery of
creativity and the solving of novel problems. The second, 'Can feeling be used
to help navigate a path to a solution in a novel mathematics problem solving
event?' seeks to identify and describe non-cognitive as well as cognitive
systems of reasoning used in solving novel mathematics problems. Given the
tendency for discourses in both cognitive psychology and mathematics
education to target the cognitive and overlook the non- cognitive component,
the answers to these and other related questions, represent both a potential
advance and challenge to each field of endeavour. A series of cognitive and
non-cognitive elements identified from verbal data collected from five
protocols is used to construct a conceptual framework of creative problem
solving. These elements include the visual-spatial and linguistic circuits of the
brain, conscious and non-conscious mental activity and the generation of
feeling in listening to the self. Through the development of a self-report
instrument and the involvement of exploratory and confirmatory factor
analyses triangulated in three structural equation modelling programs, a set of
scales is produced. These scales map to components of the conceptual
framework, making the framework operational on a large scale. The process
scales are a Strategic approach, a Free-flowing approach, a Spatial-verbal
approach, a Feeling approach and a Systematic approach to reasoning. Finally,
using the conceptual framework as a process model of creativity, a
comprehensive model of creative problem solving that also incorporates the
person, product and environment dimensions of creativity, is developed
through the construction of a causal model. The structural relationships arising
between variables within the comprehensive model are tested in two novel
mathematics problems solved by 405 students in the Mathematics Challenge
for Young Australians. This is done initially with Partial Least Squares(PLS)
path analysis and subsequently with maximum likelihood, multigroup
modelling procedures using Analysis of Moments Structures (AMOS)
software.

Title Creativity: its enhancement in beginning teachers.

Author Whitton D

12
 Degree MEd
Institution CHARLES STURT UNIVERSITY - MITCHELL
Year 1993
Abstract The possibility of the enhancement of creative thinking skills of beginning
teachers was researched. The Torrance Test of Creative Thinking, Figural
Form, was used as the pretest and posttest instrument to assess the variance in
creative thinking skills. This research was designed to determine what effect
the methods of teaching had on the creative ability of the students within the
Faculty of Education at the University of Western Sydney, Macarthur. Three
groups were used in this research, first year primary and early childhood
students and second year primary students. A total of 251 students participated
throughout the second semester in 1992. The comparison was between the
traditional structured lecture tutorial presentation, problem based and
situational based learning. Following a treatment period of twelve weeks it was
found that the situation based learning enhanced creative thinking more than
either problem based learning or the traditional lecture tutorial structure. The
pretest and posttest total scores had been compared using an analysis of
variance, and the subtests scores analysed using an analysis of covariance. In
particular four of the subtests showed significant statistical differences for the
experimental group.

Title Creativity under the glass ceiling : a study using a contextual theory of
creativity as a framework.
Author Botticchio M
Degree EdD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG
Year 2006
Abstract The purpose of a study of creativity under the glass ceiling was to make a
contribution to a viable theory of creativity. Six case studies were constructed
in which each of six women talked about an individual experience of creative
work in a distinct domain. These data were not fully included in the early
development of a contextual theory of creativity. The initial proposal of a
contextual theory of creativity was developed by asking questions of visibly
creative people. Because women were not found in sufficient numbers at the
top of many domains or professions, these important questions were not asked
of them. When women’s data appeared in the research they were not valued. In
this way contextual theory failed to show a complete understanding of
creativity phenomena and was not tested on diverse populations. The six
stories came from interviews with women who demonstrated a serious
commitment to their work in different domains. The interviews and the
analysis were structured on the contextual framework developed by
Csikszentmihalyi and Gardner. The cases challenged the contextual view of
creativity by using the contextual framework with women and by trying to
determine whether the contextual theory could accommodate these and other
different experiences of creativity. Analysis of the case studies showed that the
women’s experience of creativity was captured and explained by the contextual
framework. The new dimensions of creativity discovered by this research
extend the theory, enabling greater flexibility in further testing on other

13
 populations and situations. This study of creativity under the glass ceiling
offers support for a social theory of creativity that is inclusive of varied
experiences of creative enterprise. The theory, made inclusive by this process,
provides a more comprehensive understanding of creative phenomena.

Title Drama education secondary school playbuilding : enhancing imagination and

creativity in group playbuilding through kinaesthetic teaching and learning.
Author Lovesy S C
Degree PhD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN SYDNEY
Year 2003
Abstract This research investigates the drama education form of playbuilding, and
particularly the phenomenon of kinaesthetic teaching and learning which is
aimed at enhancing group imagination and creativity. Playbuilding is a process
whereby groups of students devise and act in their own plays using a variety of
dramatic elements and theatrical conventions. This research explores the
playbuilding learning experiences of two secondary school drama classes and
the playbuilding teaching experiences of four drama teachers. The research
underpins current drama and theatre education praxis that relates to learning
through embodiment, symbolic creativity, and the purpose and function of
metaxis in a secondary drama classroom. The study relied on qualitative
research grounded theory techniques, focus groups, student workbooks,
classrooms practices, closed questionnaires, face to face interviews and
videotaped materials. Central to this research are the phenomena of imagining
and creating that occur in secondary drama playbuilding groups learning
through a group kinaesthetic paradigm. This study concludes that there is a
paradigm which identifies secondary drama students as group kinaesthetic
learners, and that kinaesthetic teaching and learning practices open up
pedagogic spaces in playbuilding that significantly improve the effectiveness
of group embodied learning in drama education.

Title Enhancing creativity : strategies implemented in the senior secondary visual art
classroom.
Author Corcoran K
Degree PhD
Institution GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY
Year 2006
Abstract This thesis examines issues involved in teaching for creativity in a senior
secondary school Visual Art classroom. The study begins where professional
knowledge is enacted within the classroom. Through a focus on this, the study
represents a close examination of the role of the teacher as researcher. This
approach is informed by a knowledge generated from reviewing literature in
the fields of creativity, teacher pedagogy and strategies that enhance creativity
and action research. Using the findings of the study, the author argues that if
teachers are to enhance their students' creativity, they must engage their
students in strategies that centre on social interaction by creating an
environment that encourages motivation and facilitates the creative process. To

14
 teach for creativity, teachers need to embed strategies that offer a structure by
which students can be guided through problem solving processes within the
social interaction of the group, and therefore, generate enhanced creative ideas
for their art works. Creativity is broad in its scope and difficult to define.
Consequently, there is no single, clear indication of how it can be clearly
understood, let alone improved. However, relevant theorists do propose models
that could be applied in the Visual Art classroom. While a strong focus has
been directed towards the importance of internal determinants on creativity,
much less emphasis has been placed on external determinants; investigations
have focused on research into creative persons, but there has been little
appreciation for contextual situations or circumstances that influence creative
behaviour. In more recent years, the study of the social psychology of
creativity has endeavoured to understand and explain how particular social and
environmental conditions influence the creative behaviour of individuals. The
work of Amabile was significant in influencing the perspective of this study in
relation to motivation and aspects affecting creativity. Amabile argued that
there are certain influences that when associated together contribute to
enhancing creative performance. Amabile identified the social environment,
task motivation, domain related skills and creative related processes as being
paramount in the enhancing of creativity. The concept that creativity can be
taught and improved by the alliance of certain factors is the theoretical
framework for this study. Research into teaching strategies that specifically
promoted positive social environment, that generated motivation and enhanced
learners' creative thinking was undertaken. This study investigates the
implementation of the strategy of cooperative learning and embedded within
this context, the strategy of the Parnes Creative Problem Solving model. These
strategies combined, acted as the catalyst for adolescent senior secondary
students to develop their creative abilities. Research also focused on teachers'
pedagogy and the characteristics that make a 'good' teacher in the classroom.
Extensive studies have identified the importance of the teacher and the role
they play in enhancing a students' creativity. The participants were senior
secondary Visual Art students from two different schools. Evidence was drawn
from the teaching and learning of Visual Art in which there were twenty four
students involved in the first spiral in 2000 and another fifteen students
involved in the second spiral in 2001. A further eleven students were involved
in the finalizing of spiral two in 2003. A spiral is defined in this thesis as the
structural device that groups together the planning, the investigation and
reflection of issues viewed by the teacher that require 'change' to enhance the
students' creativity. The study does not offer any generalisations but, rather
provides insights into the productive engagement of post compulsory Visual
Art students productively in the creative learning process. The study does raise
concerns that, for creativity to occur, teachers have to be willing to relinquish
control in their classrooms and be more open to risking their established beliefs
about effective teaching by introducing strategies aimed at enhancing their
students' creativity, the outcomes of which may be as much about their own
learning as that of their students. The study offers a methodology for the
critical examination of teacher practice in the Visual Art classroom that may be
useful to teachers from different subject areas of the curriculum who strive to
enhance the problem solving of their students.

Title An evaluation of approaches to teaching creative and divergent thinking.

15
 Author Hannaford J
Degree EdD
Institution MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY
Year 2001
Abstract The focus of the research was a comparison of interventions designed to
develop students' creative and divergent thinking within the primary
classroom. Two approaches were used: an infused approach that integrated
creative and divergent thinking into the existing curriculum, and a stand-alone
approach. The research was conducted with grade 5 primary school students in
a state primary school located in the western suburbs of Sydney, in the state of
New South Wales, Australia. Grade 5 was selected because previous research
indicated that there is a decline in creative and divergent thinking at this age
level. As there were insufficient grade 5 classes in the school to allow two
classes for each intervention, data were collected over a two year period,
giving 140 subjects in the sample. The infused approach was taught in the
context of the social science area, and the stand-alone approach used Edward
de Bono's Six Thinking Hats for Schools and CoRT Thinking. To investigate
the effect of the intervention, a 2 (gender) by 3 (treatment) by time (2)
MANCOVA was performed. Gender and treatment were independent factors
and time a repeated measures factor. The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking
(TTCT) were used as an outcome measure, with Form A as the pre-test and
Form B as the post-test. In the replication, the range of measures was expanded
to the collection of examples of students' creative writing and drawing as an
indicator of change in creative production rather than divergent thinking, and
the inclusion of a measure of the affective domain, namely the MY Class
Inventory (MCI). The study showed that the effect of an intervention, whilst
mild, was consistent in that the groups receiving interventions improved whilst
the control groups declined. This research did not support however, a clear-cut
superiority of one intervention over another. Although there were significant
time by treatment interactions on the figural measures, the main feature,
however, was again the decline in performance over time for the control
groups. One of the most significant findings was that intervention effects were
confounded by gender. This study's male students were verbally less creative
than their North American peers but results indicate the interventions helped
them catch up with their female counterparts. It was found that in the verbal
domain, the stand-alone approach favoured male students to a greater extent
than female students. Analysis of the creative production measures used in the
replication gave results consistent with the results from the TTCT. Results
from the MCI showed little effect in regards to creative and divergent thinking
but the issue of classroom climate is worthy of further investigation. Given the
overall decline of the control groups and the minor differences between the
two treatments, it appears that an intervention can improve students' creative
and divergent thinking but the nature of the intervention, whether infused or
stand-alone, does not appear relevant. It is argued that what is important in any
intervention is time and the qualities of the classroom that are associated with
teaching creative and divergent thinking.

Title Family contexts for nurturing young children's creativity.

16
 Author Tennent L J
Degree MEd
Institution QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
Year 1995
Abstract This study was concerned with the examination of several environmental
features, that are considered to be influential in the development of young
children's creativity. The study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase
of the study, a sample of 121 mothers of children aged 4-6 years completed a
questionnaire on specific aspects of the environments they provided in the
home, their valuing of particular personality characteristics in children, and
their valuing of self-directing and conforming behaviours in children. Factor
analyses revealed that most mothers provided home environments that could be
considered nurturant of creativity and valued highly those personality
characteristics that have been associated with the nurturing of creativity.
Mothers also valued the behaviours that were thought to be reflective of the
encouragement of self- direction in child behaviour. Maternal education level,
occupational level, and occupation status were found to be related to these
values and practices that nurture creativity both in terms of the characteristics
in children that mothers prefer and the manner in which family environments
are organised. In support of previous research, high levels of education and
occupational status were associated with the valuing of self- directing
characteristics. The second phase of the study surveyed 72 mothers who had
participated in the first phase of research and had agreed to further
participation in the research. This phase of the study identified the parenting
styles of mothers and examined the links between maternal parenting styles,
and the valuing of childrens' personality characteristics and provision of home
environments as measured in the first phase of the study. Analyses revealed
that mothers who were authoritarian in parenting style were less likely to
provide a home environment that nurtured creativity. The results are discussed
in terms of two identified positions on parenting - traditional parenting versus
modern parenting.

Title Gender and performance in dance and games.

Author Tye M E
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Year 1986
Abstract The aim of this study was to determine whether any gender differences in task
mastery (competence) and social reciprocity ( cooperation) were observable in
game and dance environments. The relationship between the specific personal
attributes of self esteem, classroom behaviour, locus of control, creativity,
cognitive maturity, and performance capabilities was also examined. Thirty
three children aged seven and eight years, were observed participating in a
game environment and a dance environment, for a period of two school terms.
The children were allocated scores for game competence (catching, throwing,
rolling, bouncing, striking), dance competence (rhythm, body awareness,
spatial awareness, effort, inventiveness), and cooperation in games and dance

17
 (working individually, with a friend, with any partner, in a small group, in a
large group). In addition, the children completed tests of self esteem and locus
of control. Measures of cognitive maturity ( reading age, and spelling age) and
behaviour rating were allocated by the children's class teacher. Results of the
study indicated no significant gender difference for game competence but
significant differences for dance competence and dance cooperation, and a
trend toward a relationship for game cooperation. In all instances where a
relationship was indicated, girls achieved higher scores when compared to
boys. Significant relationships were noted between creativity, cognitive
maturity, and competence in dance. Behaviour rating, self esteem, and
cooperation in dance, also exhibited significant relationships. A trend toward a
relationship between behaviour rating and game cooperation was also noted.
Outcomes of the study, particularly the results pertaining to gender, were felt
to be a reflection of the socialisation process as it related to young children.
That is, at a young age, boys and girls have equal physical capabilities
providing they have been given the same opportunity to develop the necessary
skills. In contrast, the same socialisation process was seen to have allowed
girls to develop more refined skills relating to the dance components through
approval and encouragement of their participation in 'expressive' activities.
Boys, on the other hand, could possibly have been discouraged from
participation in an activity stereotyped as feminine. Similarly, the socialisation
process was felt to be responsible for the higher scores of cooperation for girls
compared to boys in each of the environments.

Title Growing a sense of place : storythread and the transformation of a school.

Author Tooth R C
Degree PhD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND
Year 2007
Abstract This thesis is premised on the idea that schools can be described as complex
self-organizing systems where networks of interacting values mix together as
part of a web of dynamic human relationships. For schools to maintain their
viability and vitality, it is assumed that they must continue to innovate at the
creative edge of chaos. But this is a dangerous and challenging place to be, and
even the most resilient of reformers and innovators may become weary if they
are not supported. Complex organizations demand and produce change, and
this generates not only creativity, but also significant levels of anxiety. This
anxiety can easily breed resistance and does not always lead to renewal and
transformation. What is certain, however, is that leaders must find ways to deal
with both this creativity and anxiety if they are to be successful in initiating
and maintaining transformative change that brings benefits to a whole
organization. There are growing demands in society and in schools for the
formulation of a new purpose for education that offers leaders, teachers and
students a way into more sustainable ways of living and learning. This is part
of the move towards more ecological and culturally situated approaches to
whole school reform where environmental education and sustainability are
seen as critical to implementing mainstream educational agendas. How this
transition might actually be achieved, is however, anything but clear - more
detailed studies that describe how leaders have actually used environmental

18
 education to achieve a vision of sustainability are needed. One such study of
whole school reform is presented in this thesis. It provides insight into how an
educational leader used Storythread (an arts and place-based approach to
environmental education) to move an educational community through a
process of profound cultural change. What this thesis proposes, based on
insights drawn from a nine year journey of change in a school, and building on
understandings taken from a combination of Complexity, Psychoanalytic,
Activity and Socio-cultural theory, is that effective leaders must find ways to
deal with the creativity and anxiety generated by change by providing the right
mix of 'transitional objects' and 'cultural tools' that provide teachers with the
'emotional support' and 'practical mediation' they need to stay engaged. In this
case, the principal kept Eco State School willingly balanced on what often felt
like the creative edge of chaos as teachers experimented with new forms of
place-based teaching and learning. In this way, the principal created a 'safe
space' where teachers felt free to experiment and a 'practical space' where they
could begin to master new forms of practice. What emerged almost
spontaneously from this, was a re-vitalized and invigorated learning
community.

Title Improving student learning in civics and citizenship education through

professional learning communities.
Author Tudball E
Degree PhD
Institution MONASH UNIVERSITY
Year 2005
Abstract This thesis aimed to develop understanding of how teachers in two
'professional learning communities' (PLCs) worked to develop their teaching
practice and improve their students' learning in civics and citizenship education
(CCE). The study investigated the structure, characteristics and functions of
the PLCs, and tested the hypothesis that PLCs can influence the improvement
of student learning in CCE. In each of the two detailed case studies, the
operation of the PLC, the teachers' practice, the students' learning, and whole
school and classroom approaches in CCE were observed, documented and
analysed. The study investigated the extent to which each community achieved
the enhancement of student learning, and assessed what factors were influential
in this process. This study found evidence in both of the case study schools that
the collaborative efforts of teachers within the PLCs did influence the
improvement of student learning in CCE. The core characteristics of the PLCs
included: shared mission, vision and goals; supportive structural and physical
conditions; temporal conditions to allow development of program goals; shared
leadership; collective creativity; social and human resources (to encourage
development of the CCE initiatives); shared personal practice and reflective
dialogue, and, a continuous focus on student learning. However, it was
concluded that to be able to improve student learning, teachers require deep
knowledge and understanding of the scope of CCE. Where teachers in a school
do not have this existing knowledge, they require access to effective PD in
CCE both within their schools, and through external PD to enable them to
expand their goals and programs in the future. In addition, the study found that
that the provision of external support through the Grants to Schools process,

19
 funding for teacher release for planning, wider opportunities for PD, and the
provision of new resources, encouraged the improvement of student learning in
CCE in the case study schools. Finally, the study analysed the implications of
the findings to inform the further development of PLCs in schools, theoretical
views on future professional development of teachers, and most importantly, to
suggest strategies for the continued improvement of student learning in CCE.

Title A longitudinal study of school childrens writing abilities: school years 6 - 9

inclusive.
Author Arnold R M
Degree PhD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Year 1987
Abstract This research project involved a four year longitudinal study of the
development of school childrens writing abilities in Years 6 to 9 inclusive. It
included an intervention program of particular writing tasks with experimental
students from two Sydney primary schools and their subsequent high schools,
in order to test an hypothesis that self expressive, reflective writing tasks
would promote students writing development. To assess development in
writing, annual writing tests were conducted in the two experimental schools
and in four control schools. Four criteria were developed: audience; creativity;
thinking and language. The results of the criteria marking provided evidence of
significant linear trends in writing development and a significantly higher rate
of development in the thinking category for the experimental group (N equals
20) as compared with the control group (N equals 19), but not in the other
categories. A major conclusion of the study is that writing development is
difficult to detect but the application of criteria marking reveals that an
intervention program based on a growth model of writing can achieve some
demonstrable effects.

Title Mathematical creativity in upper primary children.

Author Lees K
Degree MEd
Institution BRISBANE COLLEGE OF ADVANCED EDUCATION
Year 1986
Abstract The purpose of the study was to determine whether mathematically creative
children are suited to prevailing teaching styles. A mathematical creativity test
and a questionnaire which asked children to rate their attitudes to mathematics,
and to specific mathematical activities, on a Likert scale were devised.
Children were also asked to rate their own mathematical imagination. These
instruments were administered to 76 Year 6 children at two schools. The
validity of the creativity test was checked by also administering an unpublished

20
 mathematical creativity test and a general ability test and by comparing results
with class marks. The highly creative children liked school mathematics, and
played maths games in their own time, significantly more than the low
creatives. They named more activities in maths that they liked and expressed
more preference for nonroutine topics such as angles. They were also
significantly more likely to find school mathematics dull. They expressed
significantly more liking for group discussion and for integrated maths and
somewhat more for practical work than the low creatives. Accordingly, it was
concluded that more attention to these teaching approaches would probably
benefit mathematically creative children. The creativity test results were quite
distinct from IQ and class achievement scores. The two schools showed
different patterns of behaviour. It seemed that the imaginative teaching
observed at one school aroused interest and confidence in all children
compared with the traditional teaching at the other.

Title The philosophy of creativity.

Author Gardner P R
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 1978
Abstract The concept of creativity has been improperly understood. The understanding
for this study is that a creative person produces work which (a) is original and
(b) displays qualities of excellence. Examples of original products are
examined in an attempt to explain how they are different in relevant and
important ways from other products. Alternative analyses of creativity are
compared and contrasted to the concept of this study. Views on creativity
presented by White and Elliot and other psychologists are discussed.

Title Teachers perceptions of and attitudes to creativity in their students.

Author Webb M
Degree MEdSt
Institution MONASH UNIVERSITY
Year 1986
Abstract This study was undertaken to examine teachers understanding of the concept of
creativity, their perceptions of creative children in the classroom and their
attitudes towards creativity as a significant goal in the process of education.
Given the emphasis that the development of creativity in children receives in
the literature and the important influence of the classroom teacher, it was
considered valuable to examine teachers current perceptions of and attitudes to
creativity in their students. The interview method (free description - free
response) was chosen as the most appropriate method of gathering data in this
exploratory study. The questions were intended to be used as starting points for
discussion rather than as a means of prescribing and limiting answers.

21
Gifted Education Theses
Title Aesthetics and general music education at primary levels.
Author Poulton J D
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 1996
Abstract The aim of this research has been to develop educational resources which
would contribute to any philosophical curriculum designed to stimulate
children to reflect on their aesthetic experiences in music. The work is intended
to be of value to primary school educators, particularly those working in
philosophy with an interest in musical aesthetics, and those in general music
education working to empower their students as music makers. I considered
how providing children with direction, modelling, time and opportunity for
philosophical reflection on their musical practices would enhance their
musicality. I referred to material that Gary King and I developed in private
preschool music classes, Artists-in-Schools projects under Arts Victoria, and in
children's workshops for the Victorian Gifted and Talented Association. This
material had proven useful in empowering children to express themselves
creatively through music, dance, gesture and story, rather than circumscribing
them as passive consumers of music. My philosophical background is shaped
by the work of Ludwig Wittgenstein. For pedagogical purposes I appealed to
the work of Carl Orff in music education and Matthew Lipman in
philosophical education. Following Howard Gardner I drew on current
ethnomusicological and psychological research, and the testimonies of
composers describing the domain of musicality. The theoretical background of
this thesis makes use of distinctions between 'person', 'domain' and 'field' as
elaborated by Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi. The project culminated in the
development of some educational resources designed to stimulate children to
reflect on aesthetic problems arising in the context of their musical
experiences. Further work may focus on refining and publishing a handbook of
exercises of this kind for use in Primary Classrooms.

Title An analysis of perceived problems facing coordinators of gifted education in

NSW independent secondary schools.
Author Downey P D
Degree EdD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
Year 1999
Abstract This study sought to identify and analyse the perceived problems facing co-
ordinators of gifted education programs in New South Wales independent
(private) secondary schools. The position of 'GAT Coordinator' is a relatively
recent one in this state, and as such, this is a new field of study. Both
workplace and gifted literature provided categories through which problem
areas were analysed: relationships, personal, the organisation, aspects of the
job, and their role (both in terms of conflict and ambiguity). Data collection

22
 was both qualitative and quantitative in nature, utilising a statewide survey of
GAT Coordinators. Their biographical, school and job information was
analysed and compared to their attitudinal responses. Pearson's Correlation
index was used to identify relational patterns. Significant differences in means
between 'problem' groups and 'non-problem' groups were confirmed using t-
tests of two independent samples. Coordinators tended to be inadequately
trained in GAT education. Approximately half were stressed and dissatisfied
with their level of performance. GAT Coordinators had low levels of
administrative status, in terms of time allocation, budget, salary allowance,
official title, kudos and 'power'. These findings were consistent with the
literature. The two most significant barriers to co-ordinator efficacy were
inadequate time allocations and unsupportive teaching colleagues. Both were
moderately correlated to perceptions of stress and dissatisfaction. A positive
perception of relationships was significantly dependent upon having a greater
weekly time allocation and a position in a school where GAT had been
established for a longer period. Time allocation was the most recurring
problem variable, and the only single job variable that significantly effected
every category of Co-ordinator perceptions of their role. Coordinators with
greater time allocations reported; lower levels of stress, dissatisfaction,
conflict, ambiguity and overload; fewer problems with the organization;
greater feelings of personal adequacy; perceptions of more supportive
relationships and fewer problems in total.

Title The application of savant and splinter skills in the autistic population through
curriculum design : a longitudinal multiple-replication case study.
Author Clark T R
Degree PhD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
Year 2001
Abstract This study explored the application of savant and splinter skills in the autistic
population through a differentiated educational program, the Savant Skill
Curriculum. Among the under-served minority of gifted children with
disabilities are a group of children referred to as autistic savants. These
children, despite their autism, display exceptional gifts or savant and splinter
skills in multiple domains. Although savant and splinter skills appear
remarkable in contrast to the disability of autism, they are rarely of 'functional
use' and are generally exhibited in obsessive and 'non-functional' behaviours. A
combination of successful strategies employed in the education of non-disabled
gifted children as well as in the education of autistic children was used in the
attempt to apply, functionally, the often non-functional obsessive savant and
splinter skills of the subjects. The facilitation of adaptive functioning in
communication, social skills and behaviour was also trialled through the
implementation of the Savant Skill Curriculum over a two-year period.
Changes in both academic self-esteem and levels of autism were also examined
as a consequence of the study. The subjects of this study were a group of 22
children with autism between the ages of four and sixteen years who displayed
a variety of savant and, or splinter skills. Each subject's savant skills were
assessed using a variety of standardised and non-standardised measures and an
individual differentiated program was developed and then administered by

23
 teachers and mentors. Pre and post Savant Skill Curriculum data were taken in
relation to the functional use of savant skills, adaptive functioning in
communication, social skills and behaviour, and changes in academic self-
esteem and level of autism. The Savant Skill Curriculum proved highly
successful in the functional application of savant skills and an overall reduction
in the level of autism of many subjects. Quantitative and qualitative gains in
behaviour, communication and social skills, and academic self-esteem were
observed. This study further explored the nature and development of savant
skills. The results highlighted: the obsessive nature of savant skills; the high
levels of challenging behaviours of savants; the high levels of interest and
motivation by the savant in their pursuit of savant activities; the early onset of
savant skills in the absence of formal training; the familial link between the
subject child's savant abilities and giftedness or superior performance and other
family members; insight into the types and levels of savant skills, and evidence
for the use of imaginative and creative methods in savant performance.

Title Appropriate curriculum for academically accelerated students : listening to the

case studies of gifted students.
Author Merrotsy P L
Degree DTeach
Institution NORTHERN TERRITORY UNIVERSITY
Year 2002
Abstract This study explores ways of providing a better curriculum for gifted students.
A review of the literature emphasises that gifted students require the provision
of a qualitatively differentiated curriculum, and finds unequivocal support for
the benefits of academic acceleration. An appraisal of curriculum in NSW
notes that there are fine programs for gifted students, but that a lot more can be
done. By listening carefully to the voices of gifted students, effective ways to
improve their curriculum may be discovered. Following a life history model
which employs the narrative, cases are made from the naturalistic portrayal of
eight gifted individuals. Each case study outlines the formative background
and educational experiences of the individual, and concludes with a summary
of the issues which the individual believes to be most important for improving
the curriculum for gifted students. An interpretive analysis of the case studies
makes twenty recommendations. These include: greater flexibility of school
organisation; better communication; continuity in a broader, more inclusive
curriculum; options of academic acceleration, including access to tertiary level
courses; appropriate educational support; and financial support for gifted
students from low socio-economic backgrounds, and from rural and isolated
settings. A model for academic acceleration is presented. It recommends six
steps towards a better curriculum for gifted students: identification;
communication; a negotiated curriculum; academic acceleration; access to
tertiary courses while still at school; and support for gifted students.

Title Aspects of the musical development of talented young instrumental

performers.
Author Hamilton R A
Degree MMus(MusEd)

24
Institution UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY. SYDNEY CONSERVATORIUM OF MUSIC
Year 1996
Abstract This study is based on a survey of music teachers (N=68) throughout New
South Wales who have taught students aged 12 to 18 demonstrating
outstanding ability in the performance of instrumental art music. It endeavours
to determine best educational practice for the musical development of such
students, with particular attention given to those learning activities which
complement or enrich instrumental training. Opinions were sought regarding
the nature of musical performance talent and ways in which it may be
identified and developed. It was found that outstanding musical performance
arises from the interaction of specific musical aptitudes with personality and
affective characteristics, through disciplined training and practice, within a
supportive and stimulating environment. Views of the teachers concerning
objectives and optimal content components of an educational program for
musically talented students were also considered. There was general agreement
that the musical training of such students should aim to develop inner hearing
and stylistic awareness as fundamental learning objectives. Parents and
teachers should ensure an educational environment which is stimulating and
challenging, and which provides a wide range of musical and cultural
experiences. Talented instrumental students would benefit from opportunities
to perform in solo and ensemble settings, to listen to others perform, and to
participate in a broadly-based range of learning activities which may include
singing, an understanding of harmony and history, and an appreciation of other
arts.

Title The attitudes of educators towards intellectually talented students.

Author Shean R E
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Year 1984
Abstract This study is concerned with educator attitudes toward intellectually talented
students. Specifically, it investigates the relationship between educational
position held, and these attitudes. The sample consists of 300 educators drawn
from six types of employment within the education system. A 17 item Likert
scale was constructed, which provided five measures of specific beliefs derived
from a factor analysis of the items. Attitudes are classified favourable or
unfavourable, depending on whether their associated behaviour facilitates or
hinders the education of intellectually talented students. Both educational
position held and background variables are related to educators' attitudes
toward intellectually talented students. Teachers who are enrolled for further
study tend to hold most favourable attitudes, while student teachers hold the
least favourable attitudes of the sample. The background variables of age, sex,
qualifications, current course of study and contact with the intellectually
talented also show a relationship with attitude over and above the relationship
between educational position held and attitude.

25
 Title Attitudes of preservice teachers towards gifted and talented students.
Author Carrington N G
Degree PhD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND
Year 1997
Abstract This study obtained new empirical evidence on preservice teacher attitudes
towards gifted students and identified some possible influences on these
attitudes. Preservice teacher attitudes towards two types of school student, one
gifted and the other average, were compared. In addition, an examination was
made as to whether attitudes to each type of student were affected by ability
characteristics or by certain other personal attributes, namely academic effort
in school and gender. Taking into account this three way interaction of ability,
gender and effort and by also considering the gender of the preservice teachers,
the university they attended and their year of study, a series of four way
analyses of variance was carried out to quantify the significance of results.
1,470 preservice teachers were surveyed. This group was made up of 942
primary preservice teachers and 528 secondary preservice teachers from the
University of New England, Charles Sturt University, the University of
Newcastle, the University of New South Wales and the University of
Wollongong. Based on the findings of this study it is suggested that those
concerned with the educational climate in schools should note that the results
of this study challenge some of the popular notions about the valuing of
application to study. Those who believe that preservice teachers would prefer
the studious student will find little evidence to support such a point of view.
Those who feel students who are gifted would be held in high esteem by our
future educators may need to re examine their thinking, as will those who
believe that gender itself plays a large part in determining how students are
viewed. This study draws the conclusion that being gifted and striving towards
academic success at school do not appear to elicit the support one would
imagine from our future classroom teachers. The findings of this study must be
considered by policy makers if the educational needs of children are to be met
and all students are to have the opportunity to realise their full potential.

Title Attitudes toward gifted girls' abilities in the use of multimedia computer
technology to learn science.
Author Bailey R A
Degree MPhil
Institution UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND
Year 1995
Abstract This study investigated the effect of a multimedia computer technology
program in Science on the attitudes of four groups of participants: girls with
academic gifts and talents; boys with academic gifts and talents; a non-gifted
control group of students; and the teachers in the private, primary boarding
school in which the study was conducted. The research questions derived from
literature which suggests that gifted girls are unassertive and self- limiting in
the use of computer technology in schools and in learning Science. To
overcome these limiting socialised and self- imposed roles, this study aimed to

26
 develop the gifted girls' assurance and skill by a computer based intervention.
At pretest the only significant differences were in gender bias about the use of
computers. Gifted boys and non- gifted male controls were more gender biased
than the gifted girls and gifted boys had more gender bias than the non-gifted
controls. In Science, the pretest differences were: gifted girls were more self-
assured about Science than gifted boys; student controls and gifted boys were
more biased against females' abilities in learning Science than gifted girls; and
the girls had more positive overall attitudes about Science than gifted boys.
After the intervention, the only significant results were: gifted girls had less
female bias in Computing than student controls; and gifted girls and gifted
boys had more positive attitudes toward Computing than the control group.
Gain score analyses showed the following significant outcomes: student
controls showed a significant increase in positive attitudes about girls' abilities
in Computing; gifted boys showed a significant gain in total Computing
attitude; gifted boys increased their self-assurance in Science; and teachers
developed significantly more positive attitudes toward Science. It appears that
while the intervention was valued and useful, other experiences in the school
have contributed to positive self- appraisals by the gifted girls in attitudes and
self-assurance about Computing and Science. The intervention produced,
however, a range of changes in attitudes, thus supporting the value of this type
of school-based program.

Title Changes in self esteem of students in full-time (O.C.) classes for gifted
students.
Author Bool C
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
Year 1999
Abstract This thesis reports on a study of the changes in self esteem of students in their
first year in full time, homogeneous Opportunity C classes (OC) for
academically gifted students in Sydney, Australia. It compares these changes
in self esteem with students, judged to be equally gifted by the same criteria,
but who continued their education in regular classes in local schools. A final
sample of 100 students was drawn from 46 local schools and 5 OC centres.
The subjects were all in Year 5, aged 9 years 6 months to 10 years 9 months,
had scored at Stanine 8 or 9 on a TOLA 4 General Ability Test and had been
recognised by teachers or parents because of their intellectual giftedness. This
study compared the General, Social, Academic, Home and Total Self Esteem
of these gifted students using three administrations of the Coopersmith Self
Esteem Inventory over one year. Quantitative analysis was employed
comparing self esteem changes in each of these subscales and according to IQ
and gender by using MANOVA. Qualitative data was compiled using
questionnaires and semi-structured taped interviews of parents. The results of
this study help confirm earlier studies that self concept tends to be high among
gifted students, but variations do exist when each aspect of self esteem is
analysed separately. The major findings of this investigation indicate that there
were no significant differences between General, Social, Academic, Home and
Total Self Esteem scores of equally gifted students enrolled in specialist OC
classes or regular classes. Similarly there were very few differences in attitudes

27
 or perceptions of the parents of these gifted students. The concern shown by
some parents that their child's self esteem may suffer in an OC class was
largely unfounded. OC class education remained the preferred option of the
parents.

Title Children's knowledge of problem solving and the key competencies.

Author Van Deur P
Degree MA
Institution FLINDERS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Year 2001
Abstract This thesis examines the knowledge of problem solving of two groups of
students in Year 5 at primary school. The knowledge of problem solving
possessed by a small group of teachers is also examined. The research is
related to the Key Competencies description of Solving Problems and is set
within a framework of a constructivist view of learning. The research design
incorporates two groups of children, one was a class group of students in Year
5 and the other was a group of Year 5 students chosen from four schools on the
grounds that they were judged to be academically gifted. Five teachers who
taught the students in the Regular group completed a questionnaire about their
views of problem solving and the differences between successful and
unsuccessful problem solvers. A major concern in this thesis was the adequacy
of the Mayer Report's representation of Solving Problems. A second major
area of concern was to assess what teachers and students know about the Key
Competency of Solving Problems. The Mayer Report states that the Key
Competencies are not bodies of knowledge. The responses of students and
teachers indicate that they have formed views of problem solving as a body of
knowledge. The descriptions of problem solving given by the Regular students
and Gifted students were compared with their behaviour on a problem solving
task. The explicit views of the Regular students did not match their problem
solving behaviour. The Gifted students were more able to describe their
problem solving behaviour and their descriptions matched their behaviour on a
problem solving task to a greater extent than was the case for the regular
students. They showed an explicit awareness of their problem solving
behaviour. The Gifted students indicated that they had a better command of
problem solving terminology than the Regular students. The author argues that
explicit discussion of the processes of problem solving could improve students'
knowledge and use of problem solving terms, as well as assisting teachers to
discuss problem solving with students. The findings have implications for
teaching and learning. The assumptions made by teachers during teaching have
implications for teaching actions and for student learning. There were
discrepancies in the way teachers and Regular students viewed problem
solving as a general or specific construct. The Regular and Gifted students
regarded problem solving as specific to curriculum areas while the group of
teachers indicated that they viewed problem solving as a general construct. The
discrepancy in terminology used by the Regular students and their teachers
suggested that there is a need for an explicit framework with common
terminology to be used by teachers and students in discussing classroom work
on problem solving. It is argued that the explicit awareness of problem solving
knowledge of the Gifted students contributed to a positive motivation for

28
 problem solving and an effort orientation in their problem solving. The
findings support a view of problem solving as a body of knowledge that can be
taught in each curriculum area rather than being a set of simple cross curricular
skills as proposed in the Key Competencies Report.

Title A class of their own : educational pathways of early achievers.

Author Chanin E
Degree MEd(Hons)
Institution UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND
Year 2002
Abstract This manuscript is the report of a three-year study of the experiences and
perceptions of students who completed postgraduate studies ahead of usual
age. By documenting the educational paths taken by students under study and
their attitudes to their accelerated experience, it was hoped that insight into the
nurturing and restraining factors working on accelerated students could be
gained. This was a retrospective exploratory study which endeavoured to gain
a descriptive picture of what it means to be an accelerated student in Australia.
Most particularly, this study aimed to learn about early tertiary entry as a
method used to develop the talents of gifted individuals in Australia whose
educational needs exceed usual expectations for their age, and thus gain a
descriptive picture of how the practice of acceleration contributes to talent
development. Participants were identified from a sampling frame taken from
Commonwealth Higher Education Student Statistics of postgraduate students
aged 19 years or under enrolled at Australian universities, during the period
1995-2000. By their early attainment of higher level awards, they were
demonstrable early achievers. Data were collected from participants by
questionnaire and interview. Students and their parents and teachers were
interviewed. Paths taken to early entry were diverse. These students were
frustrated by conventional educational environments. They lacked sufficient
information about tertiary and career options. None regretted undertaking
tertiary study ahead of customary age. Tertiary education was seen to provide
opportunity for academic challenge and intellectual stimulus, social (therefore
emotional) satisfaction, and occupational training and advancement. These
early achievers 'owned' their learning and their acceleration was largely self-
engineered by students or their parents rather than being a consciously
developed educational practice adopted by educators with a view to talent
development.

Title Co-ordination of gifted and talented education in primary schools in New

South Wales.
Author Whitton D
Degree MEd(Hons)
Institution UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG
Year 1993
Abstract In view of the policy and implementation statement issued by the New South

29
 Wales Department of School Education in November 1991, on the education of
gifted and talented children, a postal survey was undertaken to ascertain how
this had been introduced into primary schools. The Metropolitan South West
Region's 135 primary schools of New South Department of School Education
were the target sample group. The following areas were examined: the
educational background of the coordinator; the role of the coordinator; and the
progress of the policy implementation in the school. It was found that very few
gifted and talented coordinators had participated in formal training in gifted
and talented education and their role has not yet been clearly defined. A variety
of strategies have been implemented to cater for the diverse needs of the gifted
and talented children in these schools; however, many coordinators seek
further training in this area. The study concludes with a number of
recommendations to facilitate future implementation strategies.

Title Cognitive style and social needs of academically gifted children.

Author Skinner G
Degree MEd(School counselling)
Institution CANBERRA COLLEGE OF ADVANCED EDUCATION
Year 1985
Abstract Most departmental policy statements on the education of gifted and talented
students recommended their retention, where possible, in mainstreaming
classes in neighbourhood schools. The educational experience in such classes,
of 14 students identified as academically gifted by their teachers, was
investigated using a case study approach. Their cognitive style was studied by
reference to information processing strategies as revealed in Wechsler
Intelligence Scale for Children - Revised (WISC - R) subtest scores.
Interpersonal and communication skills were investigated through classroom
observation and structured interviews. The theories of deviance and authority
were applied in interpreting this data. Results indicated relationships between
students cognitive style and teachers identification methods, and between
students cognitive style and their school satisfaction. Sex differences in teacher
response and student interaction were also noted.

Title Collaborative problem solving in mathematics : the nature and function of task
complexity.
Author Williams G
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 2000
Abstract The nature and function of Task Complexity, in the context of senior
secondary mathematics, has been identified through: a search of the research
literature; interviews with experts that focused on the nature of task
complexity; expert use of the Williams/ Clarke Framework of Complexity as a
tool to categorise the complexity of a task, and observation and analysis of the
responses of senior secondary mathematics students as they worked in

30
 collaborative groups to solve an unfamiliar challenging problem. Although
frequently used in the literature to describe tasks, 'complexity' has often lacked
definition. Expert opinion about the nature of mathematical complexity was
ascertained by seeking the opinions of experts in the areas of mathematics,
mathematics education, and gifted education. Expert opinion about task
complexity was stimulated by questions about the relative complexity of two
tasks. The experts then categorised the complexities within each of these tasks
using the Williams / Clarke Framework of Complexity. This framework
identifies the dimensions of task complexity and was found by experts to be
both useful and adequate for this purpose. A theoretical framework was
developed to assess student ability to solve challenging problems. This
theoretical framework was used to design a test to assess student ability to
solve challenging problems. The information this test provided about the
problem solving ability of the students in this study informed the analysis of
student response to complexity. Case studies of two collaborative groups of
final year secondary mathematics students were undertaken and these studies
indicated the construct of a Discovered Complexity was a useful tool to
analyse student response to complexity. This construct was formulated after
preliminary observation of the video data. The task explored by the students
was found to contain many potential complexities to discover but the two
collaborative groups differed in the number and nature of complexities
discovered. The discovery of complexities was found to add a dynamic
element to the task as each new complexity altered the students' perception of
the task. The discovery of complexities was found to be associated with
increased student engagement with the task and increased conceptual
development. The interrelationships between Task Complexity, student
engagement and conceptual development suggested by the findings in this
study have been explained using a schematic representation named 'Engaged to
Learn'. This representation relates the concept of Flow and the concept of the
Zone of Proximal Development to the concept of a Discovered Complexity
thus relating the cognitive and affective aspects of learning.

Title Community and teacher attitudes toward special educational provisions for
gifted students in ACT primary schools.
Author Mulraney R A
Degree MEd
Institution CANBERRA COLLEGE OF ADVANCED EDUCATION
Year 1986
Abstract To assess the attitudes of principals, teachers and parents towards gifted
students, key aspects of planning and organisation of gifted programs,
classroom teachers and their knowledge and need for assistance in gifted
education; and to explore whether the three groups held different attitudes
towards gifted students and the provision of specific programs to meet their
special needs, a questionnaire was administered to members of the ACT
Association for Gifted and Talented Children, together with principals,
teachers and parents in nine primary schools in the ACT. The results of the
questionnaire indicated that all three groups agreed with the proposition that
every child was entitled to an educational program that would assist the child
to develop to his / her fullest potential. Appropriate extension programs should

31
 be run for gifted students in the local primary school, with the involvement of
the resource teacher and the assistance of personnel and locations outside of
the local school when it was appropriate.

Title A comparison of factors affecting the establishment and implementation of a

gifted and talented program in a rural primary and secondary school.
Author O'Regan D R H
Degree MEd
Institution CANBERRA COLLEGE OF ADVANCED EDUCATION
Year 1989
Abstract This research reports on the factors that a sample of teachers in a rural primary
and secondary school perceive as having an influence on the initiation and
implemenatation of a curricular innovation. The innovation herein is the
creation of a gifted and talent program to cater for identified students in this
school, an area of current interest amongst educators and researchers in New
South Wales and Australia. A methodology is outlined for the collection and
interpretation of data on the factors involved, that may be employed by
coordinators and researchers interested in curriculum provision for gifted and
talented children. In this case study school, it was found that the factors were
many and varied, that they differed in their supportive or inhibitive nature in
the primary and secondary schools. These findings provided a foundation for
subsequent planning in the initiation stages of the implementation of this
innovation.

Title Conditions of academic underachievement amongst gifted working class

adolescents.
Author Graham K
Degree MSc
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 1983
Abstract A study was undertaken to locate discriminating personality and family factors
between a group of academically underachieving, high IQ secondary students
from working class environments and a sample of achieving students matched
for school, year level, sex and IQ. Special attention was paid to sex differences.
Findings reveal two underachievement profiles, distributed unequally between
the sexes. The first profile, the adapted working class underachiever, is
dominant among the adolescent boys. They are characterised by good self
esteem, poor self control and indulgent social behaviour, and their parents do
not have tertiary education aspirations for them. Instead, these adolescents
appear to have rejected the pupil role and oriented themselves towards the
adult role and as such are good members of their working class subculture. The
second profile, the unhappy underachiever from the disrupted family, is
dominant among the adolescent girls. They are characterised by divorce,
maternal separation, poor intrafamilial relationships, and poor self esteem. The
girls appear to be alienated from their families, and their distressed family

32
 relationships appear to contribute to their academic underachievement.

Title Confidence building and problem solving skills : an investigation into the
impact of the Future Problem Solving Program on secondary school students'
sense of self-efficacy in problem solving, in research, in team work, and in
coping with the future.
Author Volk V J
Degree PhD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
Year 2003
Abstract This thesis explores the impact of the Future Problem Solving Program (FPS)
on Australian students. While a limited amount of descriptive and anecdotal
research material exists, there has been little quantitative data produced to
measure possible effects of the program or the extent to which it achieves its
goals. Three separate research projects were undertaken to investigate, first,
ex-students' (n = 137) later careers, academic and professional, and
retrospective impressions of the program's impact (Outcomes Survey).
Secondly, pre-tests and post-tests were conducted with 207 Middle Level
(Years 7-9) new entrants to FPS in four Australian states using a purpose-
designed Problem Solving Self-efficacy Questionnaire (PSQ) to investigate
their growth in confidence in group problem solving skills, and the Scheier-
Carver Life Orientation Test (LOT) to appraise their growth in dispositional
optimism, in comparison with 95 gifted non-participants in selective education
classes. A third study administered the same instruments to all FPS 2002
National Finalists (n = 250). Attitudes to the program were explored through a
purpose-designed Attitude Survey, and by a Reasons for Withdrawal
Questionnaire for students who had left the program during their first year of
participation. High levels of positive response were evident in both Outcome
Surveys (the Retrospective Study and the post-test interviews). Neither the
PSQ nor the LOT revealed significant program changes, possibly due to
ceiling effects on the pre-test. Gender proved significant, with girls showing,
and maintaining, more positive results than boys on PSQ, LOT, and Attitudes
to FPS. Positive effects were also noted for competitive entry FPS students, but
higher Level of Achievement did not associate with either higher self-efficacy
or dispositional optimism. The results reported suggest that group problem
solving processes may be analysed in terms of six separate factors through the
PSQ, and program attitudes in terms of two identifiable factors. Gender
differences, both in initial problem solving self-efficacy and optimism,
increase during program participation and have educational implications, as
does the significant association of competition with increased problem solving
confidence, higher dispositional optimism and positive attitudes to the FPS
program, in both the 'higher achieving' national finalists and the 'lower
achieving' non-finalists.

Title A consideration of selected issues in the organisation of special programs for

children gifted in the performing arts.
Author Shaw W F T

33
 Degree MEdAdmin
Institution FLINDERS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Year 1990
Abstract The study considers selected issues in the organisation of special programs for
children gifted in the performing arts. The material for the study derives from a
survey of relevant background literature, together with a questionnaire
designed to gain insights into current thinking and practice in selected school
settings. The study finds that there is a growing awareness, reflected in the
literature and the questionnaire responses, that special provision should be
made in order to meet the special needs of gifted students, and that this
provision should be made through organised, stable and officially recognised
programs, rather than be dependent solely on the enthusiasm and commitment
of individuals working alone. There is considerable evidence of the benefit to
gifted arts students of placing them in special programs where they are able to
interact with like- minded persons, and there appears to be no evidence of
socially negative outcomes of such participation. The excellence/equity debate
continues to be a sensitive issue, and it seems that the philosophical bases on
which particular programs are developed are important in gaining and
sustaining a broad base of support to ensure their continued existence. The
organisational structures of special programs for gifted arts students are seen to
be of central importance in ensuring their effectiveness and success, and the
study suggests the need for further research and development in aspects of
student selection, curriculum, staffing, evaluation procedures and teacher
education. It also advocates the development and maintenance of networks of
communication on a national and cross-national basis between schools offering
performing arts programs for gifted students.

Title Cooperative learning: a viable teaching strategy for gifted students in

heterogeneous classrooms?
Author Wee W C
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 1998
Abstract This study addresses the controversy regarding the use of cooperative learning
with the gifted students in a heterogeneous classroom. This is done by
comparing gifted students learning cooperatively with those learning
individually in a typical regular classroom. Viability of the teaching method is
determined by investigating which learning environment better caters to the
learning as well as affective needs of the gifted and talented students with the
use of achievement tests and attitude measures. Nineteen gifted students were
randomly assigned to a cooperative and individualistic learning condition. The
students participated in six 55-minute instructional courses based on social
studies. The cooperative learning model used in this study was the Jigsaw
method. The results indicate that cooperative learning experiences promoted
higher achievement and the use of higher order thinking skills among the
gifted students. The results also suggest that the gifted students in a
heterogeneous class felt more supported and accepted by their peers and
teachers in the cooperative condition. It is concluded that cooperative learning

34
 can be beneficial to gifted students in a heterogeneous classroom if steps are
taken to ensure that the students are suitably challenged. Well-trained teachers,
appropriate structuring of the groups and differentiating the curriculum to suit
the needs of the gifted students are identified as some of the factors crucial to
the success of the cooperative learning strategy.

Title Critique of the New South Wales government strategy for the education of
gifted and talented students (1991) and associated major policies.
Author Keighley R
Degree PhD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Year 1999
Abstract This thesis attempts a modest contribution to the field of the education of the
gifted and talented through the application of a new method of critique. The
author's aim has been twofold - make a substantive contribution to the field of
the education of the gifted and talented, and also to make a contribution to the
field of policy critique by illustrating the use of this new method of critique -
immanent policy critique. The object of analysis is the New South Wales
Government Strategy for the Education of Gifted and Talented Students (l991),
and associated major policies. The process of immanent critique situates a
policy discourse ontologically, socially and historically, and through
identifying and listening to the voices of missing or underrepresented
stakeholders, seeks to construct a 'virtual dialogue' among all the stakeholders,
thereby indicating how more democratically constructed policies might
develop. A part of the substantive contribution to gifted education has been the
presentation of the voice of the gifted through the undertaking of a small
interview study with adults and children with experience of the special
educational provisions for the gifted in New South Wales, as well as other
stakeholder groups and policy developers. Though modest in size, this study
indicates that on the levels of the defining of the problem, determining of goals
of policy and strategies for achieving them, the New South Wales Government
Strategy for the Education of Gifted and Talented Students (1991) and
associated major policies suffer from a lack of the perspective of the gifted
stakeholders, as well as theoretical confusion and a possible distortion of the
policies' intent by strategic political and administrative interests. Through
listening to the voices of the stakeholders, and the examination of relevant
research and theory, this thesis attempts to identify more fruitful avenues for
future policy development and action.

Title The development of a career education program for gifted and talented
secondary students : a case study.
Author Boyd G D
Degree EdD
Institution CHARLES STURT UNIVERSITY
Year 2000

35
 Abstract In providing for quality outcomes for academically selected gifted and talented
secondary students, the school in this study perceived a need to re-develop its
career education program which was demand responsive, generic in approach
and not aligned, as determined by student responses, to student needs. The
study aimed at developing a career education program appropriate specifically
for gifted and talented secondary students. The study's aims further evolved as
the program development and evaluation processes progressed to encourage an
ethos for the teaching of gifted and talented students which resulted in an
integration of career education and student welfare. Identification of the stages
in development and implementation of a career education program for gifted
and talented students, the content and practices of such a program and the
implications for the school, school district and wider educational community
were subsequently identified as research questions to guide the case study. The
study's aims were met within the constraints of current school resources.
Career education theory, gifted and talented student theory, the career
education needs of gifted and talented students, and careers adviser training
were considered in a review of current literature. In the interim a student
welfare program was implemented in Year 7, and a career education program
was trialled in Year 11 to complement limited class teaching in Year 10
preparatory to work experience. A needs analysis of current career education
programs in the school formed the basis for development of a revised Year 7-
12 Career Education program. Formative evaluations through survey of
participants, participant observation, stakeholder input and outcomes reviews
as summative evaluation were then undertaken to ensure a successful re-
development of the Career Education program to meet the needs of gifted and
talented secondary students. The formative and summative evaluation
processes resulted in the programs revision to ensure earlier and more flexible
career awareness opportunities; greater scope for values clarification;
psychological, psychocreative and social factors in career development
fostered as appropriate for individual students; career education and student
welfare integrated in a flexible manner with an emphasis on individualised
support; aspiration enhancement available for students requiring support; an
emphasis on lifelong career development; the unique challenges of girls as the
focus of suitable support strategies; and an expansion in community learning
opportunities. To enhance the concept of lifelong career development for each
individual the revised program was designated Career Guidance to stress
supportive information rather than ultimate knowledge as the program base.
The implications for school personnel, students, and parents, the integration of
career education and student welfare content and practices, together with
program supervision and accommodation in delivering a best practice career
education program for gifted and talented secondary students were identified,
leading to a review of the case study and its research scaffold.

Title Development of a unified theory : giftedness, evolution and integrative

intelligence.

Author Clarke J S
Degree MGiftEd
Institution FLINDERS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

36
 Year 2000
Abstract The most fundamental problem of gifted education is the absence of a unified
theory to explain the physical phenomena of gifted consciousness. However,
this lack of theory is predicated by the absence of a physical theory which
explains the evolutionary emergence and structure of consciousness itself. This
thesis addresses this critical void in physical knowledge by developing Unitive
Theory as a physical deductive theory of evolution from which reflective
consciousness self consistently emerges. The psychological structures and
processes of giftedness may be then framed within a deductive 4-dimensional
evolutionary continuum. The structural self-consistency of unitive theory is
further applied to explain intelligence differentiation; the complementary
construction of knowledge and meaning; the predictive structure of conflict;
and to verify the structural continuity and organisational self- similarity in both
physical and psychological evolution. The advanced cognitive structures of
giftedness are predicted and explained through the evolutionary structure
identified by unitive theory. Unitive theory is verified as a deductive physical
evolutionary theory, including biogenesis and consciousness, by a series of
major scientific discoveries which transform the current educational and
scientific worldview: 1) The identification of the initial numeric structures and
processes of the nested evolutionary continuum, which thereby explain the
origin of the laws of physics. 2) The discovery of cumulative systemic
resonances in physical systems: solar system atomic system & molecular
DNA-RNA system, and thereby disproves current theories which assume that
random and accidental processes determine structural evolution. 3) The
derivation of the numeric values of GUT unification & Planck energy levels
from first principles. 4) The discovery of the reciprocal and geometric
relationship between coupling strengths of electronuclear forces and unifying
energy levels, which thereby confirms the legitimacy of scientific attempts to
formulate a complete unified physical theory. 5) The discovery of correlations
between planetary distancing and GUT & Planck unification values,
confirming structural evolution as a nested evolutionary continuum. 6) The
identification of thermal resonances between earth planetary positioning and
human brain temperature; Planck energy and cosmic background radiation. 7)
The discovery of cumulatively reciprocal relationships in planetary systems. 8)
The discovery of the numeric evidence to confirm that bifurcation processes
operate in spatial organisation and planetary system formation. 9) The
discovery of progressive dimensional emergence, which predicts and explains
evolutionary directionality and differentiative and integrative development. 10)
The demonstration of how the resonant self organisation of attractive matter
and radiant energy form an integrative and complementary evolutionary
system.

Title Development of personal strengths and moral reasoning in gifted adolescents.

Author O'Leary K
Degree PhD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
Year 2005
Abstract This study was designed to investigate the attitudes of academically gifted

37
 adolescents towards the development of their personal strengths or gifts and to
compare these with the attitudes of age peers not identified as gifted. This
study also examined the reported higher levels of moral reasoning in gifted
adolescents compared to age peers and how this may relate to their
development of academic potential. The 750 participants included 401
identified gifted students and 349 students not identified as gifted in Years 9,
10 and 11 from seven different high schools in the Sydney Metropolitan
region. An instrument entitled the Development of Personal Strengths
Questionnaire was developed to analyse students' attitudes while the Defining
Issues Test was also administered to measure moral reasoning ability. Results
showed that gifted students have significantly higher levels of
acknowledgement of personal strengths and reasons for developing personal
strengths, which reflect altruistic motivations. Gifted students scored
significantly higher on altruism and philanthropy and showed significantly
higher scores on the Defining Issues Test. Aspects of developing personal
strengths, on which gifted students showed no significant difference from non-
identified peers were in areas of motivation and responsibility for developing
these strengths. A significant, but modest, connection was found between
development of personal strengths and moral reasoning. Gender differences
were also examined, with males reporting higher acknowledgement of personal
strengths than females and females reporting higher levels on reasons for
developing personal strengths as well as altruism and philanthropy. Females
also showed significantly higher scores on the Defining Issues Test. These
results were consistent within the gifted participant group. It was concluded
that gifted students in this study were more likely to acknowledge their
personal strengths or gifts and were more inclined to hold reasons for this
development which related to higher levels of altruism, philanthropy and moral
reasoning. These characteristics need to be taken into consideration in
development of programs and provisions for gifted students, both now and in
the future.

Title Differentiation for intellectual ability: student views with particular reference
to intellectually gifted students.
Author Long P E
Degree PhD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 1995
Abstract The study investigated the views, perceptions and preferences of secondary
school students in Melbourne, Australia, concerning aspects of differentiated
education with particular reference to students of high intellectual ability.
These views were examined within a perspective of provision for students with
learning difficulties and for individual ability differences in general. Gender
and ability of respondents in three ability categories were taken into account.
The sample consisted of 662 Year 9 students from 11 independent schools.
Literature reviewed focussed on relevant aspects of gifted education, and
included work on special and Australian education. The review outlined
relevant issues and supported the use of the student perspective as an under-
used and important approach in providing quality education in effective
schools. The study used survey methodology with a questionnaire designed by

38
 the researcher requiring both closed and open-ended responses. The study
found that most students believe in differentiated education for those of high
intellectual ability, especially at secondary level, and for those with learning
difficulties. However, there were clear differences in the acceptability of
differentiation of content, process, product, and environment. There were
general similarities in views on provision for the two groups focussed on, but
gender and ability level of respondents played important roles in student views.
Students described advantages and disadvantages of special provisions,
problems for the two groups, and what schools might do to help them,
especially in minimising the major problem of difference. There appears to be
a fairly coherent implicit theory of differentiated education held by the students
based on the desire to avoid difference at close quarters. Interesting findings on
grouping preferences and independent study, for example, show that views of
these students do not always coincide with adult views reported in the
literature.

Title The education of the gifted child in the primary school.

Author Rotter A
Degree MA (Pass)
Institution UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Year 1980
Abstract his essay examines the education of the gifted learner of high intellectual
ability in the primary school. The concept of giftedness is discussed as are
genetic determinants. Identification of giftedness is considered. The essay
looks at education for the individual and special needs of the gifted learner. It
also looks at the role of the teacher and other professionals and finally an
attempt is made to draw human and material resources outside the formal
educational structure into working alongside the school to provide appropriate
educational opportunities. It is acknowledged that the child's environment is
made up of the home, the school and the community and the child must
therefore be educated within the context of his own personal needs and
aptitudes; and within constraints imposed by the home, and the school and by
the society in which he lives.

Title Educational and administrative provisions for intellectually gifted children.

Author Milne K
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Year 1981
Abstract The basic purpose of this dissertation is twofold: firstly, through an extensive
and critical review and analysis of the available research, other literature and
expert knowledge of gifted children, to present evidence and comment which
will enable educators to make more knowledgeable decisions in regard to
which practices and provisions are feasible in Autralian and particularly,
Western Australian schools. Secondly, the purpose is to formulate a series of

39
 recommendations which, if put into effect, would assist in the education of
gifted children. The final chapter, 'Recommendations, Summary, Conclusions
and Implications', is an attempt to present and discuss a series of practical and
specific recommendations which, if implemented, would in some measure
assist in catering to the educational needs of gifted children.

Title Educational provisions for gifted and talented children in Victorian schools
viewed from an Australian perspective.
Author Hart R J
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 1982
Abstract This thesis is concerned with the Educational Provisions for Gifted and
Talented Children in Victorian Schools. A knowledge of historical
developments both Australian and world wide is seen as a necessary
prerequisite for an understanding of present practices in both government and
non-government schools. An analysis of the major contemporary issues which
face the designers of programmes for gifted and talented children is then
presented. Once these issues have been identified a description of current
educational provisions operating within Victorian schools is undertaken.
Government and non- government schools are examined at both the primary
and secondary levels, as well as teacher training courses for the teachers of the
gifted and talented. In the conclusion, achievements both in Victoria and
Australia in meeting the needs of gifted and talented children are discussed and
the prospects for the future are considered.

Title The effect of gifted education on gifted students.

Author Davies M
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 2001
Abstract Four broad issues are explored in this study. Firstly, do gifted and non-gifted
students differ in their self-concept? Second, are there any effects on the self-
concept of gifted students placed in a special program for the gifted? Thirdly
which type of special program for the gifted gives the most positive effect on
self-concept? Finally, what are the interests of the gifted student? A cohort of
225 male secondary school students were tested with three intelligence
measures, a self-concept measurement and an interests measurement. Of the
225 students studied, 63 were identified as gifted. The gifted students
demonstrated higher self-concept scores than the non-gifted. There were no
differences between the self-concept scores of the gifted students who had
undertaken special programs and the self-concept scores of the gifted students
who had not. This finding suggests that there is no negative effect on self-
concept due to gifted education. On inspection of the data it was found that the
frequencies of those attending a single gifted education program were too

40
 small to investigate the hypothesis. Students with a higher mathematical ability
were found to be more interested in investigative and conventional pastimes.
The study concludes with a discussion and practical implications for special
education program writers.

Title The effectiveness of post-graduate courses in gifted and talented education as

evidenced in subsequent intervention within the classroom.
Author Sexton P J
Degree MEd(Hons)
Institution UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
Year 1995
Abstract This research was directed at an investigation into the effectiveness of post
graduate courses in the area of gifted and talented education. As such, the
study was multifaceted. Firstly, it investigated the types of post graduate
degree and certificate courses, and their content, offered by the universities
within the state of New South Wales, and the inservice training courses offered
by the Metropolitan Regional Directorates of the New South Wales
Department of School Education. Secondly, the design of the research included
a questionnaire for teachers, a followup interview of twenty five per cent of
randomly selected respondents to the questionnaire, and a survey of students
taught by teachers interviewed. The parameters of the study attempted to:
compare the various courses offered by tertiary institutions within the state of
New South Wales in relation to both theoretical input and the application of
teaching strategies, skills and competencies; compare the different inservice
courses or professional development training offered by the New South Wales
Department of School Education Metropolitan Directorates as evidenced by
classroom intervention; evaluate the teachers' perceptions of such courses; and
evaluate the outcome of academic courses and professional training as
evidenced by modifications of teaching programs and strategies. The
conclusions point to the efficacy of the university courses in providing the
basis of the theoretical underpinning of the education of gifted and talented
students. The various Metropolitan Directorate inservice courses lacked the
same theoretical depth. The major conclusions of the study pointed to the
adoption and implementation of 'provisions' rather than complete programs
which ensured fluency and sequencing of a curriculum for gifted and talented
students being instructed within schools.

Title Engaging minds: an investigation into gifted and less gifted students pleasure
reading.
Author Gonsalvez D
Degree MEd
Institution AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY
Year 1996
Abstract The main focus of this study was to investigate what gifted students were
reading for pleasure and the nature of their pleasure reading when compared
with the less gifted students. In essence the investigation set out to identify

41
 gifted and less gifted students; examined the kinds and types of texts they read
for pleasure; and looked at what stimulated these children's reading for
pleasure. Gifted children and how best we cater for their learning is becoming
more important in today's society and educational systems. As a result of
studies conducted in Australia and overseas there has been more recognition
given to gifted children's education. Many educators and teachers in our
educational systems are now promoting the need to identify gifted students and
to develop their potential through appropriate differentiated curriculum. This
thesis was able to use models and descriptions of gifted students from the
many studies already conducted to identify gifted students for this study. The
theoretical descriptions and research into gifted children and their pleasure
reading presented in the literature review of this study have made some
important contributions to our understanding and knowledge of gifted students
and their needs in relation to their reading for pleasure. The study was also able
to find out what children (both gifted and less gifted) were reading for their
personal enjoyment; and what provided them with the impetus to select books
they read for pleasure. It was hypothesised and investigated that gifted children
would enjoy reading particular kinds of literature more than the other children
in their classes. Both the literature review and the results of the study support
the hypotheses. The study has indicated that gifted students show a preference
for certain kinds and types of texts and therefore need to be provided with
appropriate reading materials to specifically cater for their needs. Provision for
gifted children's pleasure reading has been discussed within the context of
implications for educational practice.

Title Establishing an infused thinking oriented curriculum.

Author Milvain C
Degree DEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 2005
Abstract This thesis critically examines the early stages of introducing higher order
thinking skills to the students of Years 7 in a Melbourne Secondary College.
These skills were part of a Thinking Oriented Curriculum initiative aimed at
better meeting the present and future needs of students. The College's new
direction was in response to increased pressure being placed on educational
institutions to equip students for a future purportedly determined and
dominated by technological and societal changes. One method available for
educators to address this challenge is to ensure that thinking skills are
deliberately taught within classrooms. In this thesis, the term thinking skills
implies the ability to use, apply or practice those attributes of the cognitive
process of thinking. Recognising the benefit of raising the cognitive level of
students as part of a school curriculum is not a new addition to pedagogy.
However, in the past, activities to strengthen thinking skills were seen as most
appropriate to use only with 'gifted' students, or as incidental addenda to a
classroom task. Effective thinking procedures can no longer be seen as the sole
domain of able students. Strategies should be available for all students to affect
how they construct and apply knowledge within their environment. These are
the skills required to take them into the next stage of their lives, their
workplace, as more sophisticated thinking is needed in employment than was

42
 required by previous generations. Appropriate higher order thinking skills thus
become invaluable life management skills for all students.

Title An evaluation of the worth of a partial withdrawal enrichment program for

gifted children based on Maker's curriculum principals.
Author Williams E M
Degree MEd
Institution CANBERRA COLLEGE OF ADVANCED EDUCATION
Year 1988
Abstract In 1980 as a means of addressing observed inadequacies in school curricula,
the Catholic Special Education and Guidance Service, Brisbane Catholic
Education Office established a partial withdrawal centre for counsellor selected
gifted children to be known as the Learning Enrichment Centre. In 1984 the
LEC curriculum was designed and implemented in accordance with Maker's
model of curriculum modification for gifted students (Maker, 1982). This
model outlines a set of principles which Maker claims, recognise the
characteristics and needs of gifted students and guide the development of a
qualitatively different curriculum. The overall purpose of the study was to
assist teachers in making rational decisions about LEC provision. In particular
the study was to collect information on the worth of the program - its relative
strengths and weaknesses - and the influence on the curriculum of the
administrative arrangement. Student responses indicated that they found their
LEC experiences to be particularly interesting and enjoyable, and the LEC
teachers to be kind, helpful, friendly and fair. These perceptions differed
significantly from their perceptions of school. Elements of the Maker model
which were consistently most valued by the group were the process
modifications, 'freedom of choice' and 'higher levels of thinking'.

Title An examination of the characteristics of young, potentially gifted children

from culturally diverse backgrounds, as the basis for the development of
appropriate educational programs.
Author Carnellor Y E
Degree DEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG
Year 1996
Abstract Despite agreement among scholars and researchers that identification of gifted
children should be based on multiple criteria, current research continues to
indicate a heavy reliance on an IQ score. This practice often prevents
economically disadvantaged, culturally diverse, bilingual, or minority students
from taking part in a gifted program. Significant numbers of these students do
not meet traditional criteria for gifted programs, but possess cognitive,
motivational, artistic or creative potentials that clearly enable them to
participate in the types of programmed experiences designed to develop and
nurture academic and creative behaviours. Gallagher noted that vigorous
efforts to establish programs to search out high intellectual ability in
underserved and unserved subgroups (for example, underachieving gifted,

43
 culturally diverse gifted, gifted handicapped, gifted females) is a major priority
in the field of education. The purposes of this study were: to investigate the
characteristics of gifted NESB, Aboriginal and economically disadvantaged
students; to use these characteristics to investigate new procedures for their
identification; and, to develop an appropriate differentiated Early Childhood
Intervention Program that will meet the specific needs of these students. This
qualitative research study, using multiple case study design, investigated the
characteristics of academic giftedness displayed by 52 children, aged 5-6 years
from culturally diverse and/or economically disadvantaged backgrounds. A
researcher designed instrument, IPMAI, was used to develop comprehensive
intellectual profiles of each child. These were then used as the basis for the
development of a proposed gifted program at three school sites in the Illawarra
region of New South Wales.

Title A first reader on academically gifted children and adolescents.

Author Foley B C
Degree MA
Institution MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY
Year 1987
Abstract This paper examines the social and psychological adjustments peculiar to the
academically gifted child or adolescent. Interest and awareness of the gifted is
to some extent helping sharpen professional if not public concern for them.
Differentiated education is gradually beginning to replace Procrustean
approaches, and fewer people now make a fetish of an adherence to the normal
curve of attribution in education. There is a new awareness that sameness and
equality are not synonymous terms when they refer to educational opportunity.
That this awareness is filtering into the consciousness of those concerned with
the social and psychological well being of gifted children is indicated by the
growing body of research, academic writings, and policy proposals, which
have been reviewed in this paper, and, to a lesser extent, implementations of
these. The paper attempts to introduce the range of issues associated with the
development and well being of academically gifted children and adolescents.
The contents therefore cover issues which parents, educators, psychologists
and others need to have considered before attempting to provide facilities
connected with the educational and psychosocial needs of academically gifted
youngsters.

Title The gifted child movement in New South Wales: public schools and the new
class.
Author Rothman S L
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND
Year 1983
Abstract This study examines the hypothesis that opportunity classes, special classes for
gifted children in fifth and sixth grades in New South Wales schools, are

44
 available to the new class of intellectuals and technological intelligentsia. It is
argued that the establishment of special classes was inextricably intertwined
with the psychoeducational testing movement which held that intellectual
ability can be quantified and that educational performance can be predicted
with IQ test scores. This combination of identification and special educational
preparation, the gifted child movement, has received renewed support in an era
of attacks on public education, since it is seen by its supporters as an objective
method for selecting the more able from all social classes; instead, because
they are restricted in their access, OC classes form a separate stream of elitist
education within the public schools, effectively offering one system to the new
class and another to all others.

Title Gifted children in the Loddon Campaspe Mallee Region of country Victoria: a
parental and student perspective.
Author Cawthan L J
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 1995
Abstract This study has surveyed rural families in the Loddon Campaspe Mallee Region
of Victoria to establish whether they are experiencing difficulties raising and
educating their gifted children. Gifted children at primary and secondary levels
were also surveyed. Seventy one families located throughout the region were
accessed through schools and a parent support group for parents of children
with special abilities. The parents and the gifted children completed written
questionnaires. The parent questionnaire was divided into four parts: family
background; geographical information; giftedness; and school situation. The
study found that aspects of the family background mirrored those found in
other research. Although some families were positive about their rural life,
most of the families were experiencing some difficulties raising and educating
their child in a rural area because of distance, isolation and rural recession. The
families strongly expressed their greatest needs as being schools recognising
their children as gifted and providing appropriate programs. It was concluded
there is a need for policy on gifted children at both state and school level, for
more teachers to be trained in educating the gifted and that training be made
easily accessible for teachers in rural areas. Parents need to be trained as
effective advocates for gifted children.

Title Gifted children's preferred learning styles and culture: a case study.
Author Almond M
Degree MEd
Institution CURTIN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
Year 1994
Abstract Since 1958 when comprehensive schools were established in Western
Australia the Education Department has been interested in programs for the
academically gifted. The aim of most teachers of academically gifted students,

45
 presumably, is to provide an invigorating and challenging learning
environment. However, a large volume of research contends that gifted
students can underachieve and demonstrate deviant behaviour. It is the purpose
of this case study to examine a Year 10 gifted class and endeavour to describe
the culture of this selective group. The study will involve: an examination of
the preferred learning styles of the gifted children; typical behaviours displayed
by achieving and underachieving gifted children; and possible reasons for
underachievement of gifted children.

Title Gifted learning disabled children: a pilot intervention program based on

teachers' perceptions.
Author Hasthorpe D
Degree MEd
Institution SOUTHERN CROSS UNIVERSITY
Year 1995
Abstract This is a study, firstly, of the perceptions of teachers in Lismore and district on
issues concerning all aspects of gifted education, but with a particular
emphasis on those related to the gifted learning disabled. Secondly, it focuses
on the development of a pilot study, in the form of an instructional program for
children in Years 1-6, who were perceived by their teachers to be gifted
learning disabled. Children for the study were selected by teachers using
checklists of descriptors covering the areas of behavioural characteristics,
visual and auditory difficulties and giftedness indicators in a number of
subjects. These characteristics were then confirmed by parents, who completed
similar checklists. The children selected for the intervention program were
placed randomly into three groups. Seven children were selected for group A,
which received both home and school intervention, seven for group B which
received only school intervention, and five for group C which received no
intervention. The idea behind the intervention phase was for the researcher to
determine if children's attitudes towards ' weaker' subjects as identified by both
teachers and the children themselves changed, and if skills in reading,
identified as being the weaker subject with all of the students, improved
because of increased confidence and focus on the development of higher level
thinking skills and strengths, rather than continuing to focus on weaknesses.
The results indicated gifted learning disabled children could be identified with
the use of checklists. Results based on the Neale Analysis Test for Reading
indicated that the three groups were fairly homogenous in their composition,
prior to intervention. There were differences between the experimental groups'
reading mean pretest scores compared with their mean posttest scores as well
as differences between the experimental groups and the control group, on
posttest scores, especially in comprehension. This difference in pre and
posttest scores, also indicated that the intervention program was successful, in
that improvements in reading were made by the students participating. Their
attitudes, as indicated through pre and post intervention interviews also had
changed, with the students who were actually involved in the intervention,
being more positive about themselves and being more willing to take risks,
than they had before the program began.

46
 Title Giftedness in early childhood : the search for complexity and connection.
Author Harrison C A
Degree EdD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN SYDNEY
Year 2003
Abstract This portfolio documents an investigation of the nature of giftedness during the
early childhood period of birth to eight years. It provides an in-depth
exploration of a number of developmental domains including social,
emotional, spiritual and cognitive development. Aspects of play and learning
for young gifted children are also investigated. The use of both child and
parent voices provide insight to the realities of the lived experience of being
young and gifted. The insights that emerged from the research are subsequently
used to challenge aspects of early childhood pedagogy frequently evident
within western approaches to early childhood education such as the
developmentalist discourse traditionally used to inform early childhood policy
and practice. The findings of the study suggest that to ensure responsive
education for young gifted children early childhood educators need to
reconceptualise the child and the relationship between the three protagonists of
child, family and educator. Collaboration between the three protagonists can
facilitate the provision of opportunities for in-depth investigation and
abstraction within early childhood curricular that can empower young gifted
children in their search for complexity and connection during the early
childhood years.

Title Harold Wyndham : a study in education and administration.

Author Hughes J P
Degree PhD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Year 2000
Abstract This educational biography provides the first full-scale evaluation of the career
and professional activities of Harold Stanley Wyndham, Director-General of
the NSW Department of Education, 1952-68. It strives to explain why
Wyndham rose to eminence and the nature and extent of his contribution to
Australian education, and endeavours to gauge the accuracy of current
perceptions of his influence and legacy. Early in his career, it was the
possibilities of a escience of educationi, with its promise of supplying
objectified proofs, that intrigued the young Wyndham. Child psychology and
the quantitative study of the processes of intelligence and learning, he hoped,
would transform education and the profession. Their successful introduction,
he realised, could support claims that educational leadership was now to be the
exclusive prerogative of the professional. His studies of individual differences
led Wyndham to a concern with mental deficiency, special schools for the
gifted and educational emisfitsi and homogeneous, that is to say, mental- age,
grouping. Wyndham changed the face of secondary schooling in NSW with the
1957 Wyndham Report, the findings of a committee he headed which
recommended both removing selection for and then extending secondary
schooling. Although he is most often remembered for this achievement, he also
47
 made important contributions to the development of other educational
undertakings, such as the use of tests for vocational purposes during World
War II, the decentralisation of the Education Department and the wider
employment of ability grouping. Contemporary educationists will recognise
the enduring nature of many of the issues faced by Wyndham. Such issues
included catering for individual differences, the purpose of public education,
the professional preparation of teachers, the responsibilities of the
Commonwealth in school and teacher education, and the respective roles of
politicians and departments in policymaking.

Title Identification of and provision for gifted and talented children in Year 1-3
classrooms.
Author McBride N
Degree MEdSt
Institution UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND
Year 1988
Abstract The intention of this study is to ascertain the impact of experience on teachers'
perception of gifted and talented, and their ability to identify and provide for
gifted and talented children within early education classrooms. It highlights the
significance of teachers' perceptions in identifying and providing for children
identified as gifted and talented. It focuses on the factors that encourage or
inhibit identification and provision within this context. The impact of the
school experience emerges. There are differences in the breadth and scope of
teachers' perceptions, their knowledge, acceptance and awareness of individual
differences in relation to gifted and talented children and their willingness to
identify and provide for these differences through differentiated curriculum,
enrichment and extension. This study indicates that teachers need greater
knowledge, understanding and awareness of the characteristics and needs of
young gifted and talented children. It suggests guidelines for the design and
implementation of preservice and inservice courses.

Title The identification of gifted Aboriginal children.

Author Harslett M G
Degree PhD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Year 1992
Abstract It is established that Aboriginal children throughout Australia are chronically
under represented in programs for the gifted and that a major reason is the
absence of culture specific research especially in relation to an Aboriginal
concept of giftedness and methods for the identification of gifted Aboriginal
children. Evidence from a sample of Aboriginal adults and children from the
rural midwest region of Western Australia suggests that a concept of giftedness
does exist within Aboriginal culture and that Aboriginal people believe
giftedness is in the main a product of environmental factors and relates to some
degree of personal natural ability. Aboriginal adults value giftedness most in

48
 the artistic, to a lesser extent in the sensori motor, than the intellectual; and
much less so in the socioemotional domains. In contrast Aboriginal children
value giftedness firstly within the intellectual, then the socioemotional and
sensor motor, and much less so in the artistic domain. A model is proposed for
the identification of gifted Aboriginal children and is defended with reference
to literature on giftedness and minority culture populations. In the absence of
cultural specific information relative to key components of this model, research
is undertaken to ascertain indicators of giftedness in Aboriginal children from a
cultural perspective. Based upon research data from the above sample of
Aboriginal people cultural specific teacher, parent, and peer checklists and
rating scales are developed for the identification of gifted Aboriginal children.
The Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices intelligence test is evaluated within
a cultural context for use in the identification of gifted Aboriginal children. It
is concluded that on a timed test Aboriginal children with a raw score greater
than the mean plus one standard deviation, based on norms established for
Aboriginal children, should be further considered for inclusion in programs for
the gifted. The implications of the findings in this dissertation for the
identification of gifted Aboriginal students, for provision for gifted Aboriginal
children, its contribution to Aboriginal education, and to literature in the
broader field of education for gifted minority culture are discussed.

Title The identification of gifted children under formal school entry age.
Author Thomas B R
Degree MEd
Institution QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
Year 1998
Abstract This study addresses the issue of the identification of gifted children under
formal school entry age. Case studies of the parents of thirteen gifted primary
school children were used to retrospectively identify common characteristics of
giftedness displayed by their children prior to formal schooling. Questionnaires
and focused interviews were undertaken with parents of the thirteen children,
and cross-checking of transcripts, coding criteria and analyses were used to
ensure integrity. Common behavioural characteristics of early giftedness were
identified, categorised and summarised according to frequencies, with specific
examples provided. Recommendations for the early identification of young
gifted children, implications for designing appropriate program provisions to
meet the needs of young gifted children and suggestions for further research
are provided.

Title The identification of giftedness in preschool-aged children by analysing

responses to stories.
Author Albon R J
Degree PhD
Institution CHARLES STURT UNIVERSITY
Year 1999

49
 Abstract The failure of major methods to enable confident identification of all young
children who are cognitively advanced, or 'gifted', has been, and continues to
be a perpetual problem. This thesis offers an alternative to the major methods
of identifying giftedness in preschool-aged children. It is argued that the major
methods of identification are inappropriate and potentially counterproductive.
IQ testing and its advocacy are problematic because the most recent
perspectives on intelligence challenge its underlying assumptions; the
developmentalism of Piaget is neither sufficiently sensitive to identify
giftedness in all ages nor adequately refined as an identification technique, and
checklists are incomplete as a singular method of identification. This study
proposes that the analysis of children's responses to narrative discourse will
provide a method to discriminate gifted from non-gifted preschool-aged
children. This approach has its origins in Sternberg's conceptualisation of
intelligence as information processing within his Triarchic Theory. It is argued
that the intellectual mechanisms used to process and comprehend narrative
discourse are central constructs of giftedness in young children and that the
kind and degree of responses when listening to picture book stories are keys to
its identification. Specifically, it is proposed that gifted children will employ
language functions, inferencing, causal networks and gist of story in a manner
which will allow them to be distinguished from their nongifted peers. Two
preschoolers, having been identified as 'gifted' according to a Piagetian
assessment, were matched with two non-gifted peers on the variables socio-
economic status, willingness to talk, gender, family structure and parent/child
interaction. Through a grounded theory approach, the verbal responses of these
children to a daily story reading experience over three weeks in a naturalistic
context were analysed using a descriptive content analysis and the NUD*IST
qualitative data indexing system. These analyses were employed to determine
which processes were used to comprehend narrative discourse as well as to
identify the cue/voluntary nature of their responses and the complexity of their
language structure. It was discovered that the gifted preschoolers used more
complex functions of language, made more complex inferences and employed
more complex syntax than their nongifted peers as they responded to stories.
There was some evidence also that gifted children, in contrast to the nongifted,
were beginning to construct causal networks. Gist of story and manner of
response did not differentiate between the responses of the gifted and
nongifted. This study offers a possible framework for future development of a
reliable method of identifying giftedness in young children to assist preschool
educators. It is anticipated that future research will allow the refinement and
confirmation of the processes gifted children use to comprehend narrative
discourse as indicators of giftedness which can be implemented within the
routine function of preschools.

Title The impact of grouping gifted primary school students on self concept,
motivation and achievement.
Author Chessor D
Degree PhD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN SYDNEY
Year 2004
Abstract This research determines the interrelationship of self-concept, motivation and

50
 achievement in gifted and talented primary school children in a variety of
groupings. An initial study of two groups was used. The experimental group
consisted of 24 gifted and talented students in a homogenous class of gifted
and talented students in a primary school in Metropolitan area of Sydney. The
group consisted of 13 boys and 11 girls aged between 9-12 years. The
comparison group was matched for age, gender and IQ and attended mixed
ability classes in four local primary schools. Each group completed a Self
Description Questionnaire at the start of the school year and six months later.
The SDQ was administered 12 months later to both groups. The academic self-
concept of the experimental group was diminished after six months and
remained diminished for the 12 month follow-up study. There was no
difference in non-academic self-concept between the experimental and
comparison groups. Study 2 was a qualitative study of each parent's response
to their child's experience in the gifted and talented class by asking them for
their perception of the special class placement on their child using an open
ended structured interview. Study 3 analysed data from a wider group of gifted
and talented students in a Metropolitan area of Sydney, on an academic self-
concept and motivation, reading and mathematics achievement. From this
analysis the interrelationship of motivation, academic self-concept and
achievement was observed and conclusions drawn for best practice for gifted
and talented students. Academic achievement was enhanced by selective class
placement. All motivational goal orientations and academic self-concept were
diminished for both the experimental and control groups.

Title An individual research program for accelerated science students.

Author Palmer S
Degree MEd
Institution LA TROBE UNIVERSITY
Year 2002
Abstract Given the task of teaching science to an accelerated year 7 class, the author
searched for an appropriate course for gifted children. She found that the
textbooks in current use provided mostly recipe-style practical work that was
neither sufficiently challenging nor creative. The curriculum requirements for
the teaching of science as described in The Victorian Board of Studies' Science
Curriculum and Standards Framework (CSF II) included the hope that students
will: acquire and use the skills of specific investigation, reasoning and analysis
to ask questions and seek solutions; and develop scientific attributes, for
example, flexibility, curiosity, critical reflection, respect for evidence and
ethical considerations. On acquaintance with CREST, a CSIRO-produced
individual research program for students, the author was provided with a
possible solution. The program emphasises the practice of creativity and
metacognition as being vital components in educating students to solve
scientific problems by thinking and performing as scientists. An examination
of some of the relevant literature confirmed the importance of creativity and
metacognition as components of problem-solving. Referring to these areas, a
number of authors highlighted the benefit to students, particularly gifted
students of designing and carrying out extended investigations. To test her
belief in CREST as a beneficial teaching tool the author embarked on a study
to examine whether participation in the CREST program improved the ability

51
 of gifted children to think scientifically and to follow scientific practical
procedure, an endeavour involving metacognition and creativity. The sample
consisted of the accelerated class as an experimental group who followed the
CREST program for one lesson per week and a comparison group of similar
but non-accelerated students in the same school who followed the normal year
7 science course. Since the sample size was small the study was quasi-
experimental, a form of experimentation often necessitated by educational
research. Both groups were required to respond to a series of scenarios given at
the start and at the end of the year during which CREST was run and also at
the commencement of the following year. The students were tested on their
ability to formulate hypotheses, design and evaluate experiments and to
suggest improvements to experimental designs in the light of results obtained.
The results of the study were compared quantitatively and qualitatively, the
latter using the SOLO taxonomy which compares student responses with
respect to their complexity of thinking and gives an indication of a student's
ability to think metacognitively. When the SOLO ratings were given an
arbitrary numerical weighting the experimental group showed a twelve point
increase in complexity of thinking compared with a 19 point decrease for the
comparison group. Whilst statistical results were not achievable the results
indicated that following the CREST program tends to promote higher order
complex thinking. Furthermore, the regression in thinking skills observed in
the comparison group, suggests that these skills need reinforcement in order to
progress, at least in junior secondary school.

Title An information processing study of individual differences in perception of

pitch fluctuations in music.
Author Geake J G
Degree PhD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND
Year 1996
Abstract Although extreme individual differences in the music abilities of children have
been celebrated from long before Mozart, satisfactory cognitive models of such
precociousness have been less forthcoming. This research program employed
an information processing model based on the neuropsychological work of
Alexander Luria to investigate individual differences in the perception of pitch
sequences with various degrees of structural coherence, with particular
attention to children who appear to be musically gifted. The Luria model used
in this study has three orthogonal dimensions of information processing:
successive and simultaneous synthesis for encoding information, and executive
synthesis which involves attentional and integrative processes. Psychometric
operationalisations of the model have been used extensively in investigations
of individual differences in mathematics and language performance of children
at school. The model had not previously been applied to the domain of music.
It was hypothesised that music perception involves the cooperative interaction
of these three information processing dimensions. This research focused on the
perception of fluctuations in pitch - the attribute of music which is most
strongly predictive of music ability. Evidence from studies in the cognitive
sciences suggests that musical elements such as pitch are hierarchically
chunked to form meaningful musical Gestalts. Other studies in psychophysics

52
 suggest that these cognitive processes may exploit the fractal or self-similar
form of fluctuations in musical attributes. Fractional Brownian motion (fBm)
tone series have proved a valuable tool in studies of perceptual responses to
pitch fluctuations. To this end, the autocorrelation function is particularly
salient. Three psychometric studies were conducted with 10 to 13 year old
children as subjects. Multivariate analyses were undertaken where appropriate.
The first study (N = 151) investigated relationships between abilities on
simultaneous, successive and executive synthesis, and individual differences in
pitch pattern discrimination, pitch contour inversion, and responses to
algorithmically generated fBm tone series as a replication of an earlier study
with adults. Success on the contour inversion test was partly accounted for by
abilities on both simultaneous and successive synthesis. The replication study
showed that fractal music is preferred to either random or highly correlated
fBm tone series. Significant sensitivity to structural differences in algorithmic
music was related to abilities on successive synthesis by subjects with criterion
scores on the pitch pattern discrimination tests. Two instruments were
developed to measure sensitivity to the autocorrelation structure of
algorithmically generated fBm tone series: one required an estimation of the
strength of structural coherence, the second sought detection of a change in
structural coherence. Study 2 (N = 135) investigated relationships between
abilities on simultaneous, successive and executive synthesis, and individual
differences in pitch pattern discrimination, sensitivity to autocorrelation
structure, music education experience, and school academic performance.
Abilities on the Luria model dimensions were measured by a new computer-
based adaptive instrument. There were significant relationships between
performance on the discrimination of pitch pattern tests, the perception of the
two autocorrelation structure tasks, and the three Luria model dimensions.
There were significant relationships between success at the two perception of
autocorrelation structure tasks and performance levels of school mathematics
and language studies, suggesting that common information processing
dimensions underpin both musical and general cognition. The third study
(N=29) involved children with demonstrated musical precocity. They were also
tested with the Luria model and sensitivity to autocorrelation structure
batteries. The abilities of the musically gifted children on each of
simultaneous, successive and executive synthesis were superior, especially on
executive synthesis, to those of the normal sample of children in Study 2. High
ability on executive synthesis, the processing dimension with responsibility for
the integration of the two coding dimensions and for the evaluation of
information redundancy, can explain the remarkable facility for music learning
shown by the musically gifted subjects. Their scores on both tasks of
sensitivity to autocorrelation structure were also superior to those in Study 2,
suggesting that the perception of coherence in pitch fluctuations is an attribute
of music ability. It was also shown that for musically gifted children,
perceptual preference for fractal structure in pitch fluctuations is related to
individual differences in abilities on simultaneous synthesis.

Title Integrating Gardner's multiple intelligences theory with a revised Bloom's

taxonomy : a new model for school reform?
Author Noble T
Degree PhD

53
Institution UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Year 2000
Abstract Both special and gifted education calls for curriculum differentiation to cater
for high student diversity in every classroom. Multiple intelligences theory and
Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive processes were integrated by the researcher
and a colleague as a tool for curriculum differentiation. A formative evaluation
was made of teachers' use of the MI/Bloom matrix for learning centres, over
eighteen months in two primary schools. A different cohort of teachers
classified 42 learning activities by the main intelligence engaged (using MI
theory) and the level of Bloom's taxonomy. The school-based findings showed
the teachers perceived the MI/Bloom matrix as a practical tool for
programming for student diversity. Extensive triangulation of data was
provided by teacher and principal questionnaires, staff focus group discussions,
teacher interviews, collaborative school questionnaires, school brochure
analysis and a field diary. The teachers perceived that MI theory provided a
framework for curriculum planning which enabled them (i) to cater for
different student strengths and (ii) to develop their students' awareness of how
they learn and respect for classmates' learning strengths. The teachers
perceived that Bloom's taxonomy helped them (i) to challenge all of their
students' thinking and (ii) to plan learning activities that ranged from simple to
complex thinking processes. The classification strand findings showed mean
levels for intercoder reliability coefficients for each independent typology as
well as the integrated MI/Bloom model which exceeded the 90 percent level of
acceptability. The high consistency in teachers' use of key terms and constructs
to order activities supported the logical organisation of the matrix and offered
pragmatic validity for the model. The research findings indicate the MI/Bloom
model offers potential as a useful tool for curriculum differentiation in any
primary classroom. Complex structural and cultural conditions in each school
influenced how different teachers utilised the model for school reform.

Title Introducing a gifted program in a rural secondary school.

Author Thompson H E C
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 1997
Abstract This study outlines the steps taken to address a problem in the field of
education in a rural, secondary school. The problem, 'What can be done to
cater for the needs of gifted students in Years 7 and 8?' was posed by a
member of staff of this school. He recognised that there was a need to
undertake research on the existing educational setting with members of the
school community. Action research was chosen as a methodology which would
be appropriate in this real-life situation. It involved the process of problem-
solving through cycles of planning, acting and reflecting. It was a means of
identifying and implementing a practical solution to a practical problem and, it
was a method of carefully examining a practice and bringing about change in
that practice. Through the action research process, significant attitudinal and
structural changes occurred in the school setting involving administrators,
teachers, students and parents. A definition of giftedness was accepted and a

54
 talent pool of highly-able students was identified. In addition, community
involvement was initiated, a resource pool of mentor volunteers was compiled
and a mentor program commenced. Action research provided the means of
improving a practice by the undertaking of new action in the form of a mentor
program for Year 7 students. This was a provision which was envisaged as
being part of an extended gifted program in 1997. New direction for the
following cycle of action focused on the problem, 'What can be done to
establish a comprehensive gifted program throughout the school?' The
emphasis had shifted from the Year 7 level to a total-school approach, leading
to a new perception of the problem and a new cycle of planning and action.

Title The investigation into the application of chaos theory and fractal geometry as a
cross-curricular enrichment theme for highly able students.
Author Kelly L S
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 1994
Abstract Chaos theory and fractal geometry is investigated as an interdisciplinary
enrichment theme for gifted students. A literature search revealed the
recommendation that this topic be introduced into secondary schools, but no
references could be found to a suitable course. Hence an action research group
of highly able secondary school students aged from twelve to seventeen was
established to help develop just such a course. It was found to be necessary to
divide the emergent curriculum into seven streams to satisfy the individual
needs of the students. The streams were mathematics, science, programming,
software, history and philosophy, communications and art. The mathematics
stream formed the basis introducing concepts such as iteration, deterministic
systems, iterated function systems, complex numbers, the Cantor, Mandelbrot
and Julia Sets, the Koch curve, fractal dimensions, period doubling and phase
space. Some students programmed the mathematical procedures in both Quick
Basic and Turbo Pascal. The applications in science, including weather
forecasting, dissecting lungs, chemical reactions, astronomy, population
dynamics and magnetic pendulums were investigated using practical methods
wherever possible. Software packages were explored as were the historical,
philosophical, sociological and artistic questions which arose during the action
research phase. Modern communications were used to gain programs and
information over Internet. Links with people of similar interests around the
world were established. Through these activities, a final course of eighty work
sheets and supporting reference sheets was developed. Students and the
candidate maintained journals, along with a questionnaire and other
documentary data, were analysed using a grounded theory methodology. As a
result, chaos theory and fractal geometry was shown to be a suitable and
stimulating theme for cross curricular enrichment of highly able students.

Title An investigation into the benefits of vertical semester curricula organisation for
the education of gifted and talented middle school students.
Author Fardell R

55
 Degree PhD
Institution SOUTHERN CROSS UNIVERSITY
Year 2003
Abstract There has been considerable debate in the research literature over the last
decade concerning the best approach and methods to utilise for the education
of gifted students, and, indeed, the concept of `giftedness' itself, both in its
conceptual and practical manifestations, has been queried. On the one hand,
there is consensus amongst researchers concentrating on gifted education that
organisational facilities such as acceleration and ability grouping are
educationally advantageous to gifted students, whilst critics among the
education reform movement are adamant that `talent' is best developed within
the regular mixed-ability classroom. These competing conceptions of
giftedness are critiqued and synthesised into a new model on the nature and
development of giftedness and talents as part of a wider review of the literature
on gifted students, particularly gifted adolescents. Regardless of approach, the
grouping and academic progression norm for students is the age-graded lock-
step progression format used almost universally within the modern mass
education systems of the western world. An alternative curricular approach
adopted within a number of Australian secondary schools is that of Vertical
Semester Organisation (VSO). This form of curricular organisation is aimed at
satisfying the diversity of student abilities, interests, and developmental
readiness through allowing greater student choice over a wider range of
curricular units (as opposed to subjects). Whilst never intended as a specific
education program for gifted students, its characteristics appear to offer many
features often espoused in gifted education research as being beneficial to such
students, yet within the infrastructure of a regular curricular offering applicable
to all middle school students. Whilst research evidence on VSO as a whole is
minimal, research findings on the judicious use of many of the componential
pillars of VSO (e.g. invoking student interests, greater adolescent student
autonomy) are encouraging. The operationalisation of VSO and the theoretical
possibilities it may offer to gifted students are discussed against a backdrop of
a short critique of modern mass education and the available componential and
generically related research. Thus, the research problem addressed by this
study was an assessment of the educational benefits to gifted students of the
implementation of VSO within the middle school years of an Australian high
school. This required examining VSO in some depth, including the
perspectives of the major stakeholders: the students and teachers. The research
was conducted over two phases and used a mixed method methodology of case
study, secondary data analysis (of enrolment, acceleration and student grade
patterns over the period 1994-1997), data analyses of student and teacher
surveys, and structured interviews of selected gifted students from various
scholastic years. The specific implementation of VSO indicated that it
provided a viable infrastructure that offered many potential benefits to gifted
students, although the influence of varying faculty policies could temper this
conclusion. The results indicated that many students, not only those of higher
ability, took advantage of the many opportunities for acceleration to study
material in advance of their age and scholastic year. While most students only
accelerated by one scholastic year in one or two units, some accelerated in
more units, and several students undertook `radical acceleration' by studying
material two or more years in advance of their scholastic year. The
performance of students in accelerated units matched or exceeded their mean

56
 performance across all their units, but this was more marked for the higher
ability students who on a number of occasions performed better than their older
peers. Many of such findings suggested that factors other than relative abilities
contributed to the decisions and performance levels of students. Overall,
student responses indicated that they recognised, valued, and took advantage of
the benefits that VSO could offer them, and felt reasonably comfortable within
mixed-age classes. These results were more pronounced amongst those
students identified as `gifted', although gifted female students were more
emphatic than their male peers. Many of the gifted students viewed
acceleration as a natural means of satisfying their desire for more interesting
and challenging material, and although the receiving classes for accelerants
were invariably mixed ability, they expressed a preference for classes
composed of similar ability students. Whilst the gifted students valued the
increased opportunities to choose study units, the lack of choice as to how they
learnt within the classroom did not lessen overly their assessment that what
they studied was usually interesting and challenging. Choice alone, though,
was not viewed as their sole motivator for academic achievement. These
overall positive perspectives of the `moderately' gifted students were not
shared with equal enthusiasm by two `precociously' gifted students, who held
the opinion that VSO offered little for their education, although they asserted
that it was a considerably better basis than the age-grade lock-step format.
Apart from a number of policy implications flowing from this study, the
research has also suggested a new theoretical model that provides a holistic
perspective on the interrelationship of student ability (perceived and actual),
choice (of study and within the classroom), interest, and motivation, thus
possibly providing a vehicle for the assessment of the relative contribution of
each of these elements in varying learning situations.

Title An investigation into the characteristics of an effective teacher: in particular

for gifted and talented pupils.
Author Moor A
Degree MEd
Institution LA TROBE UNIVERSITY
Year 1998
Abstract This study which investigates the valued characteristics of an effective teacher
of gifted pupils was spirited by a project within one particular school setting
which is described in the paper. The project involved the establishment of an
innovative learning environment for selected high achievers. Early
organisation witnessed some debate about the question of a suitable staff
appointment. Some professionals saw little need to devote time and energy to
the selection process whilst others placed importance on the role played by the
teacher in the success or otherwise of the programme. A need for further
information about effective teachers of the gifted became apparent. A critical
and major component of this study involves a review of available literature
regarding teacher effectiveness, in particular for gifted and talented pupils. The
material in the literature reviewed provided the basis for some information
gathering activities about valued teacher characteristics. Interview evidence,
reflective writing and results of a questionnaire survey conducted in years 5
and 6 in three independent girls schools are presented in the study. The paper

57
 proposes that appropriate teacher selection for specific educational
programmes is critical if programmes are to be successful. For effective staff
selection to take place, it is argued that those who appoint staff must have a
sound theoretical knowledge of the needs and characteristics of gifted pupils as
well as of the characteristics of effective teachers. Outlined in the paper are
three fundamental areas of investigation which involved a review of available
literature: A definition of an effective teacher. A summary of the needs and
characteristics of gifted and talented pupils. A summary of the research
outlining the findings about the characteristics of an effective teacher for gifted
and talented pupils. This study examines opinions from pupils about the
characteristics they value in teachers and in particular is interested in the views
of high achievers compared to those of other abilities. It investigates the
possibility that there may be some differences in the characteristics valued by
each group. This study seeks to provide a firm frame of reference for future
staff appointments in one specific school setting.

Title An investigation into the environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behavioural

intentions of elementary school students.
Author Amarant A
Degree PhD
Institution CURTIN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
Year 2006
Abstract This study was designed to find out elementary students knowledge about the
environment, their attitudes towards helping the environment and what they
actually have done to help the environment. Specifically, during the northern
spring of 2002 all grade-4 and grade-5 students in one public elementary
school in Miami-Dade County, Florida were administered the Children's
Environmental Attitude and Knowledge Scale (CHEAKS) instrument. In 2002,
some students in both grade levels interviewed each other in pairs to determine
why they answered the way they did on the CHEAKS instrument. In the
interviews, students discussed what they had been taught in school, compared
to what they had learned outside of school that was related to the environment.
The following year, during the northern spring of 2003, all grade-4 and grade-5
students in the same elementary school were given the CHEAKS instrument.
Students at the elementary school were also asked questions which they
answered in writing. These included: Which questions on the survey did you
feel were difficult?; what do you remember learning about environmental
education in school, at home or elsewhere? In addition, some gifted grade-6
students, who attended the nearby middle school and other grade-6 students
who were in heterogeneous ability classes also responded to the CHEAKS
instrument. Analysis of the data showed that grade-4 students in this
elementary school had a higher commitment to the environment than did
grade-5 students and gifted students had more knowledge than regular
students. Only the gifted students in grade-5 had a high commitment to the
environment. Comparing independent t-test results in year 2002 between
grade-5 regular students (n=105) and grade-5 gifted students (n=30), grade-5
gifted students were statistically less committed to the environment in terms of
scores on the Verbal Commitment. There was no difference in knowledge or
commitment in grade-6 students. Girls were more verbally committed to the

58
 environment than boys. Having knowledge about the environment did not
necessarily mean students were committed to saving the environment or took
action to solve environmental problems. The thesis concludes with
explanations, discussions about the limitations of the study and suggestions for
further research.

Title An investigation of early childhood teachers and their views and behaviours
concerning children nominated as gifted.
Author Falls J M
Degree MEd
Institution MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY
Year 2006
Abstract Research into the education of gifted children has concentrated mainly on
school- aged children and has traditionally employed a quantitative
methodology. The reason for this study was to fill a gap associated with the
lack of knowledge concerning gifted children in the early childhood setting.
The specific focus of this research was to employ a qualitative paradigm to
investigate early childhood teacher provision for prior-to-school gifted
children. The study also analysed teachers' understandings associated with the
concept of giftedness and highlighted how current interpretations are affected
by both historical developments and current contextual influences. Seven early
childhood teachers from seven different early childhood settings were involved
in the study. Information concerning teachers' views and teaching strategies
was gathered through the use of questionnaires, observation schedules and
face-to-face interviews. This study identified various characteristics that the
teachers associated with giftedness in young children and highlighted the
importance of informal teacher observation in the identification process. The
study also identified a range of strategies used by teachers when planning and
programming for young gifted children in the early childhood setting. Finally,
this study outlines implications associated with the findings and presents
suggestions for further research.

Title Issues in the establishment of a gifted education model in Surabaya.

Author Tjahjono E
Degree MGiftEd
Institution FLINDERS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Year 2000
Abstract The purpose of this study is to explore giftedness and gifted education in the
Surabayan society context and to discover the obstacles in the implementation
of Gifted education in Surabaya. This study involves thirty parents of high-
achieving primary school students, thirty primary school teachers and six key
persons, (one anthropologist/ sociologist, one administrator from Department
of National Education (Province Level), two educational observers, and two
educational practitioners). Results and discussions of this study indicate that
Surabayan society does not have a consensus about the meaning of giftedness.

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 The Surabayan people perceive giftedness beyond intelligence, involving
multiple abilities. Parents place more emphasis on intelligence, but teachers
place more emphasis on creativity in defining giftedness. Some
misconceptions about giftedness amongst parents and teachers in Surabaya
include: (1) perceiving a gifted child as a perfect child; (2) perceiving
giftedness as more hereditarily determined than environmentally determined;
(3) placing more emphasis on cognitive characteristics than affective ones.
Surabayan society shows an ambivalent attitude toward giftedness and gifted
education. There are two conflicting attitudes contributing to the ambivalent
attitude toward giftedness and gifted education: (1) conflict between the
awareness about the needs of special services for developing the children's
talents optimally and the uncertainty about the negative effect of special
education for the gifted; (2) conflict between the awareness that regular class
could not cater for the needs of the gifted and lack of motivation in giving top
priority for special educational services for the gifted. Some potential problems
in implementing gifted education in Surabaya are: (1) lack of consensus about
the meaning of giftedness; (2) cultural notion that puts academic achievement
as a prestige symbol; (3) authoritarian views; (4) lack of publication about
giftedness and gifted education; (5) teachers' and parents' perceptions that
giftedness is rather hereditarily determined than environmentally determined;
(6) teachers' low qualifications in teaching gifted students; (7) the
government's low priority for gifted education; (8) ambivalent attitude toward
giftedness and gifted education; (9) technical problems in the classroom. Some
potential factors enhancing the implementation of gifted education in Surabaya
are: (I) Surabayan parents' and teachers' awareness about the needs of special
educational services; (2) inclusive concept of giftedness; (3) teachers' positive
perception of teaching the gifted; (4) teachers realise that gifted students are a
valuable resource; (5) Surabayan society's characteristic respect for freedom of
expression and frankness; (6) parental concern for the gifted needs in
actualising their potential; (7) practicing homogeneous grouping and
enrichment classes. Based on the results from this study, the following should
be considered: (1) providing the socialisation of gifted education to increase
the society's awareness of the importance of gifted education for gifted
children; (2) providing publication of accurate information concerning
giftedness and gifted education; (3) organising teacher training to increase
teachers' quality in providing service for gifted students; (4) empowering
parents' organisation; (5) conducting research concerning the cultural
influences in nurturing giftedness.

Title It isn't always about playing the right notes : meeting the needs of gifted
secondary school students with jazz improvisation.
Author Reid S
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 2007
Abstract This research examines which particular aspects of gifted education and gifted
learning are evident within a secondary school based jazz combo. The
curriculum content focused on jazz improvisation: this curriculum and the
combo setting are examined and analysed through the lens of a gifted learning

60
 pedagogy. The experience of the Jazz Combo is examined through the
experiences of two students who form the case studies from which all data was
created. Both students were interviewed at the beginning and end of a ten week
period and their responses were analysed for evidence of gifted learning. This
study suggests that a jazz improvisation curriculum is a valid and beneficial
learning area for gifted music students. Particular gifted learning processes
including creative thinking, producing creative outcomes, ability based
grouping, and small group learning were all evident and of value in this
project. This research reveals creativity and freedom as potential motivating
factors for gifted students while highlighting the need for gifted students to be
involved in specialised learning environments that target their needs.

Title Labelled and languishing : perspectives of gifted and creative secondary school
students.
Author Fitzpatrick D R
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Year 2005
Abstract This study aimed to utilise a qualitative, postmodernist research approach in
the teaching-learning area of school education in order to investigate
adolescent students' constructs of giftedness, creativity and creative writing.
Case studies of thirteen students who took a Year 10 course in Creative
Writing in a Western Australian government, rural secondary school
engendered a cross-case analysis. Some of the students had been identified as
gifted or talented in terms of government school guidelines; all considered
themselves to be creative. The study is innovative in that it aimed to elicit the
perspectives of such fifteen to sixteen year old students. The study related
student perspectives to academic literature. It generated information about the
interrelationships of the main constructs of giftedness, creativity and creative
writing. It also generated perspectives and recommendations on issues
concerning the identification of, the provision for, the monitoring of, and the
inclusivity of gifted, talented and creative students. The study generated
implications for five areas in education: Aims and Policy, Curriculum
Development, Educational Administration and Management, Teaching and
Learning, and Teacher Education. The study made recommendations for
further research, especially in the area of Teacher Education.

Title Learning styles of 'gifted' and 'talented' adolescents : student needs and school
provisions.
Author Hall M E G
Degree PhD
Institution CHARLES STURT UNIVERSITY
Year 2000
Abstract This research project focused on the learning styles of a sample of adolescent
students at a large boys' private school in Adelaide, South Australia. In 1998,
the case study school introduced the International Baccalaureate (IB), a

61
 rigorously academic curriculum for 'gifted and talented students. This created a
dual track of IB and SACE (South Australian Certificate of Education) options
for students in Year 11. The first question addressed was: What learning styles
are exhibited by adolescent boys who are identified as being 'gifted' and/or
'talented' and form part of a general Year 11 cohort? ' Related research issues
concerned the conceptions of 'gifted' and talented' held by Year 11 students,
their teachers and parents; the stated school processes of identifying and
determining who are 'gifted and 'talented' students; the stated cognitive and
affective needs of these students; the extent to which learning styles are
considered components of being 'gifted' and 'talented'; and the stated specific
learning processes of 'gifted' and 'talented' School provisions for learning styles
were analysed, based on the reports of senior staff, teachers, Year 11 students
and their parents. It was then possible to examine the theoretical and practical
educational implications arising from the study, including the degree to which
learning styles were recognised and appropriate school provisions made. A
phenomenological, multi-disciplinary approach was used to relate individual
student learning styles, particularly those of the 'gifted' and 'talented', to wider
sociological contexts of school, local, and national educational levels. Learning
styles are ‘a way of utilising an ability or set of abilities’. Gardner suggested
the relationships between styles and intelligences in terms of subject domain or
cross-subject domain learning; this theorising, together with Piaget's
'equilibration' theory, enabled the design of a framework in which learning
styles exhibited by 'gifted' and 'talented' adolescent students could be analysed.
Styles were viewed as long term mental integrations (like self), which merged
into specific sub-styles identified as academic; logico; aesthetic, creative; and
intuitive. This last generic style required greater research, because it was not
well identified in the literature, or in the case study school. Adolescent styles
and self-definition appeared to be inextricably interrelated. Data revealed that
preferred learning styles of particular 'gifted' and 'talented' students provided a
key to negotiating a student-defined needs-based educational system, in which
both cognitive and affective concerns could be given credibility and
appropriate provisions. Styles mediated between individual needs, self, and the
instructional school system. Research provided contextual answers to pressing
issues for individual 'gifted' and 'talented' students, based on stylistic responses
to curricula, assessment, classroom, and other issues at local, national and
international levels. Models were designed to identify: specific adolescent
needs, styles and provisions; intuitive processes; preferred styles found
amongst 'gifted' and 'talented' adolescents, school-based provisions; and a
national approach. The Theory of Impression Management was presented on
the basis of extensive cross disciplinary research. Hence the metaphor,
‘Education is style’.

Title Making changes happen for teachers of the gifted : changing teacher attitudes
to gifted students through professional development.
Author Lummis S R
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND
Year 1999
Abstract This research study sought to test the effectiveness of a school based

62
 professional development program in changing positively teacher attitudes
toward gifted students, gifted education and classroom practice. Multiple
methods of data collection, both quantitative and qualitative, were used to
investigate the intensity and direction of shifts in attitude toward the gifted and
towards gifted education, and to make inferences about the connection between
these teacher attitudes and their classroom practices. Phase 1 of the study
collected data through an attitudinal questionnaire undertaken by staff at two
Queensland secondary schools. Two measures were taken, one at the
beginning of the study and one at the conclusion of the study. Staff at one of
these secondary schools then participated in a professional development
program aimed at facilitating a change in attitude toward gifted students and
toward appropriate educational provision for these students. Phase 2 of this
study sought to gather illustrative data from a sample of teachers who had
participated in this professional development program. Non- participant
observation, interviews and document analysis were used to make inferences
about the stage of development reached by each of the participants and to
identify whether changes in teacher attitudes toward the gifted translated into
their classroom practice. Further analysis investigated the factors which
participants believed contributed to their attitudinal changes. These factors
were then linked to support strategies suggested by the professional
development model, 'Making Change Happen' (Queensland Department of
Education, 1994). Overall the results of this study support the hypothesis that
involvement in the professional development program run by the Experimental
School would positively change teacher attitudes toward giftedness and the
appropriate educational provision for gifted students.

Title A modified agricultural curriculum, for talented students in years seven to ten
in selective agricultural high schools.
Author Hindmarsh R R
Degree MEd (Pass)
Institution UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Year 1981
Abstract This essay is concerned with teaching agriculture to talented students in
selective Agricultural High Schools. The talented or gifted student is presented
as a particular unit in the general body of students who pass through our
schools, and about whom, very little is known or understood. Several
competing theories about talent are presented, and operating definitions for the
concepts of a talented child, a selective and a comprehensive high school are
presented. It is then shown that talented students are present in selective
schools, especially the selective Agricultural High Schools, and that a
proportion of these students study agriculture. The environment of the selective
high school, its adequacy, advantages and disadvantages is then discussed.
Some of these conclusions are drawn from empirical data. Various modes of
instruction and curriculum design which may be used when educating talented
students are examined. Following from this, the curriculum used in a selective
Agricultural High School is analysed, and modifications for the teaching of
agriculture to talented students in years seven to ten are proposed. Finally,
suggestions about the implementation of several ideas raised in the previous
chapters are presented.

63
 Title Music education for talented children.
Author Taverner J B
Degree MEd (Pass)
Institution UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Year 1981
Abstract Although we have reports such as the CHIP study and The Education of the
Talented Child study (Dept of Education NSW), nothing much has been done
in making provisions within the state educational systems for the special needs
of gifted and talented children, and especially, nothing much has been done in
music education. There is not in this country as yet organised and
institutionalised action at the national level, such as is being done in Israel, for
this special group of children. There is, therefore, a wastage of talent in
Australia generally, and in New South Wales in particular. On the basis of
objective data from an investigation carrried out, the writer can propose certain
procedures in music education for gifted and talented children, and several
conclusions have been reached following this investigation: (a) that music
talen can be identified; (b) that a programme for developing music talent in
children has been tested; (c) that the children's understanding of the language
and concepts of music can be improved.

Title Musically gifted students in the first year of secondary school: identification
and curriculum differentiation.
Author Andreason F A
Degree MEd
Institution SOUTHERN CROSS UNIVERSITY
Year 1997
Abstract In music, hereditary factors and an enriched early background form the basis of
successful achievement. Also necessary are the will to practise, the drive to
perform and the ability to analyse. A profound interest and fascination for the
language of music sets musically gifted children apart from their peers, and
poses a problem for the classroom teacher when programming for the wide
variety of musical experiences required in the junior secondary mandatory
music class. The study investigated how the identification of gifted and
talented music students at the beginning of secondary school might inform the
provision of a more appropriate approach to program planning for junior high
school music. The use of the music evaluation kit (MEK) as a tool for testing
skills mastery in music, alongside observed classroom behaviours, was the
basis for the identification and selection for a differentiated music curriculum.
The entire incoming year 7 group (N=200) participated in the study, initially
through participating in testing using Parts I, II, III and V of the MEK.
Students who reached criterion on the MEK were selected to undertake a
student centred enrichment project (SCA 1) with parental consent and with the
support of the school's GATE committee. A second group of students who
were observed having superior playing skills and/or interest was given the
opportunity to participate in a similar enrichment class (SCA 2). A third class (

64
 SCA 3) was formed through a selection of students who achieved
comparatively better on the MEK but not on the semester exam (SE). Students'
scores on the MEK, the SE and the end of year test (EYMT) were statistically
compared. There were some significant differences on the mean scores of
students selected for SCA enrichment projects on the basis of MEK results,
and those students not undertaking SCA projects. It was concluded that
provision for gifted and talented music students in the junior secondary school,
in order to comply with current Department of School Education policies, and
to follow the recommendations in the current gifted and talented research
literature, must stem from an awareness of individual differences that leads to
differentiated programming.

Title Night of the notables: a program for gifted and talented students intended to
provide modelling for life from the lives of the eminent and famous for use as
gifted education in schools.
Author Smith G
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 1995
Abstract One of the continuing needs for the education of gifted and talented children is
the provision of effective role models who are their intellectual peers. Being
gifted brings special conditions and demands special provisions for a
differentiated education. This thesis documents the development,
implementation and evaluation of an educational program intended to cater for
the needs of gifted and talented children. It uses the lives of eminent
personalities to provide gifted children with role models in life for coping with
the phenomenon of giftedness. It argues that such studies provide real world
role modelling, mastery of life long skills and a strong motivation to achieve.
The theoretical base selected is George T Betts' autonomous learner model,
where longer and deeper personal research is supported by at home, in class
and in school provisions to encourage students to develop higher level
communication skills and better self concepts about themselves as gifted
persons. The program, entitled the Night of the Notables, is a flexible
educational program, being both user and teacher friendly, one that can be used
as enrichment or extension in selected groups or in general ability classrooms,
over shorter or longer time spans, for both gifted and talented, and across
several age groups. It emphasises student choice and commitment and so is
similar to Renzulli Type III Enrichment for gifted education. The thesis
documents the progress of the study with lower secondary students at a
suburban independent school, analyses data supporting hypotheses about
increased mastery of selected cognitive skills and improved affectivity, and
provides original materials developed to run the program. Implications for
preferring similar methodologies for teaching gifted and talented are explored.

Title The optimal context for gifted students: an exploration of motivational and
affective variables.
Author Hoekman K

65
 Degree PhD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
Year 1998
Abstract The participants in the first stage of the study were 540 Year 7 students
comprising 402 gifted students grouped in selective high schools, 76 gifted
students grouped in accelerated cohorts, and 62 students from a mixed ability
group. Analyses of self- reports from these students, including principle
components analysis, and multiple regression analyses, supported the
expanded 'flow construct' upon which the conceptual framework was based.
Hypothesised positive correlations between the measures of quality of school
life reported and intrinsic measures of anxiety and tedium. The regression
analyses supported the exploration of motivational orientation as a situational
state that may be affected by classroom variables, and there was evidence to
suggest that some anxiety may play a functional role in motivation. That the
optimism factor actually accounted for the highest percentage of variation in
the satisfaction with school reported, further highlighted the need to consider
important interpersonal variables in any assessment of ' stage environment- fit'
for adolescents. The examination of interaction effects, however, suggests that
the affective and motivational outcomes are complex and appear to depend on
the mediating influence of the students' perceptions of their coping resources.
The moderating influences of perceived strain on coping resources and
pessimism warrant particular attention in future longitudinal studies of gifted
students experiencing a variety of accelerative and ability grouping
interventions over the course of their first year of high school. Significant
declines in intrinsic motivation, satisfaction with school and commitment to
schoolwork were evident between the first and second administration of the
questionnaire. These findings were consistent with the developmental trends
associated with transition into high school. This study confirmed the practical
value of adopting the 'social- constructivist' framework for further research.

Title Padfoot, Pup and Claire : academic acceleration in Aotearoa.

Author Martin J
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND
Year 2006
Abstract This study investigates the non-radical grade skipping experience of three
gifted New Zealand children aged nine to ten. A review of the literature reveals
positive academic, social and emotional outcomes from acceleration and,
paradoxically, the reluctance of educators to accelerate children. An appraisal
of events and anecdotes from the children's lives during the immediate
acceleration period confirms the benefits and suggests scaffolding to enhance
further the educational experience of acceleration candidates. An exploration
of acceleration from the students' perspective via case study allows personal
stories to emerge. Each story in this study gives a description of the
participants and their reflections on the acceleration decision and transition
period. The students' experiences and feelings over the first six months in their
acceleration classes follow, and the case studies close with advice on

66
 acceleration from the students themselves. Recommendations for parents and
schools arise from an interpretative analysis of the three case studies. The
recommendations have implications for the emotional, social and academic
welfare of gifted accelerated students and gifted students per se. They include
better communication, timing of acceleration placement, student mentors for
accelerated students, consideration of teachers selected for gifted students,
student participation in their programme planning, selection of schools for
gifted students, and provision of school programmes to safeguard gifted
students' welfare.

Title Perceptions of exceptional talent in high school students and implications for a
school's curriculum.
Author Finocchiaro J I
Degree MEd
Institution CANBERRA COLLEGE OF ADVANCED EDUCATION
Year 1983
Abstract Questionnaires were sent to parents of three hundred and forty six male Year 7
and 8 students attending an independent, comprehensive school. Parents were
asked to indicate the nature and extent of talent they believed their child
possessed. Their replies were used as the basis for the range of talents: some
fifty two areas are considered in this study. The questionnaire, together with
questionnaires given to students and teachers, also served to identify seventy
five exceptionally talented children. The talent areas were grouped into talent
'clusters' and students representing each cluster were selected for interviews.
During the interviews, parents were asked whether their son had previously
been identified as exceptionally talented, and what they perceived to be the
educational needs of their son. These needs were looked at in terms of the
formulation of a differentiated curriculum for exceptionally talented children.
The curriculum is described mainly in terms of three teaching modes
traditionally associated with gifted children: grouping, acceleration and
enrichment. Each of these is explored in relation to the stated needs of the
students and their consequent suitability in designing curricula for these
students.

Title Perceptions of teachers: a case study of giftedness in young children.

Author Hall J M
Degree PhD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Year 1997
Abstract Historically, it may be argued, gifted children have been overlooked and
inadequately nurtured in regular schools. How many students of high potential
remained unidentified as a result of those procedures remains an unanswered
question, even more so in the case of young gifted children, whose formative
years are so impressionable. Therefore, the recent recognition by educators of
giftedness, has raised questions and encouraged further research to cover the

67
 existing paucity of early childhood researchers in gifted education. This thesis,
therefore reports on an exploratory study which investigated how teachers of
young children construed their understanding of giftedness as they interacted
with children in Junior Primary classrooms in three schools in Sydney, NSW,
Australia. The strength of teacher voice is an integral element of this study.
The understandings of the teachers were explored through focused
conversational interviews. These provided greater insight into teacher
understanding and were portrayed through their own power of narrative.
Findings are reported in themes and subthemes derived from teachers'
responses to the study's three key questions. Findings also indicate that the
diversity of understandings of giftedness is as divergent in the literature as in
the classroom; and that these understandings are strongly embedded in both
personal and professional experience. Factors that the study teachers
considered to be of critical importance when teaching young children were
exposed throughout the study and resulted in strong practical recommendations
for both preservice and inservice education. The thesis concludes with a
discussion of implications for the future research into the roles of teachers to
further avoid hindering development of young gifted children.

Title Policy and practice in gifted education: review of the process in NSW from
1977-1990.
Author Forster J H
Degree PhD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Year 1991
Abstract The main purpose of this study was to investigate how policy has become
practice in the area of gifted education in the New South Wales government
school system. A conceptual framework applied to the policy process was used
to consider the extent to which the policy intent was realised. At each level of
the policy, process perceptions and practice were revealed through interviews,
documents, content analyses and, in addition, at the school level, through
questionnaires as part of a case study approach. The study clarified and gave
validity to general assumptions in the areas of policy making and gifted
education. Findings showed that providing for gifted and talented children was
not a priority, was not systematic and was not routine. Specifics were lacking
through the policy process, resulting in the ad hoc nature of provision for
gifted children which varied according to individual intitiatives. As the then
Minister for Education saw it, the situation was 'a pepperpot of exciting
activities alongside inaction' (Metherell, 1989).

Title Practices employed by participating teachers to differentiate the curriculum for

the gifted students in their class.
Author Davies F
Degree MGiftEd
Institution FLINDERS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Year 2002

68
 Abstract This research is a qualitative, descriptive, and intrinsic case study that
investigates how four participating primary school teachers differentiated the
curriculum for the gifted students in their classes. Within the literature on the
education of the gifted, there is a consensus of opinion that gifted students
require specialised provision to meet their learning needs. This research
examines the measures used by the participating teachers to provide
specifically for the gifted students. It concludes that these students can benefit
from the same excellent teaching practices that are optimal for all other
learners. It contrasts a teacher-directed approach to curricular delivery in which
the teachers are responsible for modifying curricular content, process and
product and the learning environment to meet the particular needs of gifted
individuals, with a student-centred approach in which all students - including
the gifted learners - are responded to individually. The research concludes that,
within the constraints of a regular classroom, it is probably too demanding to
superimpose on a regular curriculum another set of methods for the gifted
students alone, as is required in a teacher-directed model, but that within a
student-centred approach, the gifted students can be provided for appropriately
within the same frame as all other students.

Title A preliminary study of young gifted children.

Author Paramanathan S
Degree MEd
Institution LA TROBE UNIVERSITY
Year 1985
Abstract The study focused on assisting primary school teachers to select gifted
children. Thirty teachers in 10 schools, nominated preparatory class Year 1 and
Year 2 children as gifted. Seventy two children were nominated as gifted from
a population of 850. These children were tested on verbal and nonverbal
measures of mental ability and 68 complete sets of data were obtained. The
teachers completed two rating scales. Twenty four children were interviewed
with their parents, to provide indepth case study material. Factor analytic
techniques were applied to the test data to identify the way in which it could be
synthesised. Two distinct constructs emerged, which reflected convergent and
divergent thinking ability. Analysis of variance and multiple regression
analysis were used to determine whether teachers could discriminate between
children who perform well on tests and those who do not, when they consider
all the children to be gifted. It was found that under these conditions teachers
were not able to discriminate between the two groups on the basis of
observations. While the behavioural indicators did not predict, in general, the
high scoring convergent and divergent thinking children, there were some
separate instances of predictions of high and low ability.

Title Problem-based learning and primary education.

Author Allen S
Degree EdD
Institution MONASH UNIVERSITY

69
 Year 2002
Abstract Problem-based learning is an approach to learning that has evolved from the
integration of post-empiricist epistemology and current learning propositions.
It is spreading through higher education, especially in the fields of medicine,
architecture and educational administration. Most of the research on the
implementation of problem-based learning in education has stemmed from
studies carried out with adult learners but the approach has also been
implemented at the Centre for Problem Based-Learning at Illinois Mathematics
and Science Academy (IMSA) with gifted secondary students and in several
elementary schools in the USA. The main aim of this thesis is to examine
through literature review and critical analysis the philosophical and learning
principles underpinning problem-based learning and to ascertain if this
approach may further enhance learning in primary education in Australia.
Problem-based learning emanates from the seeking of tentative solutions to
problems. It is based upon post-empiricist epistemology which has evolved
principally from the work of Dewey, Popper and Quine who viewed
knowledge as ever-developing, continually changing and tentative, and open to
question and disproof. The writer considers that teachers' implicit views of
knowledge influence their pedagogy. Therefore it is important for teachers to
become aware of their views of knowledge and understand why they hold
them. This thesis discusses how post-empiricism differs from the dominant
rationalist and empiricist epistemologies of knowledge, which underlie and
influence much current teacher practice. It shows how teachers would need to
develop different understandings of knowledge and knowledge acquisition in
order to implement problem-based learning. At the same time it shows the
validity of such understandings. Many of the learning propositions and
processes already in use in some primary schools appear to be consistent with
those advocated by supporters of problem-based learning. It would be expected
that this would facilitate the introduction of this approach. However such
learning principles need to be explored more closely. This is a theoretical study
based on the analysis of literature and points out reasons why problem-based
learning has been introduced successfully. Although problem based learning
has been implemented in some elementary schools in the USA, the use of such
an approach in primary education in Australia has not been widely
documented. The suitability of such an approach to learning in Australian
primary schools is explored and ways in which it could be introduced to the
profession are suggested. More research based on practice is needed in this
area. A future potential study is described, the findings of which could be
distributed to school networks and professional development courses to allow
teachers to become more familiar with this challenging but rewarding approach
to learning.

Title The relational nature of mentoring gifted children using desktop

videoconferencing.
Author Lamont K
Degree EdD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND
Year 2004

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 Abstract The integration of technology into classrooms, the education of gifted learners,
and the challenge this presents to classroom relationships as a result of
engaging with computer technology are significant issues for teachers in this
decade. The evolving paradigm of technology use, the deep learning of
computer skills that students will require for future employment and how this
can be incorporated into appropriate pedagogies for gifted learners also poses
challenges for teachers. This thesis reports on a unique mentoring program that
was developed to utilise desktop videoconferencing (DVC) technology and
designed to specifically address these challenges. The study was undertaken in
a large independent school (K-12) in New South Wales, Australia and involved
six students and six teachers, none of whom had any previous experience of
DVC or mentoring. The aim of the study was to investigate learning outcomes
for teachers and gifted students. This study employed DVC as a didactic
strategy over a 10-week period. The mentoring sessions of the cohorts and
their post-mentoring interviews were evaluated using grounded theory methods
of data gathering and analysis over a 2-year period. The findings demonstrated
that the nature of learning during DVC could be constructed as an emergent
theory, based on the teaching philosophies of the teachers and their goals for
their students. Technical support, relational mentors and motivational tasks
created supportive environments for DVC. Perseverance, enthusiasm and
resilience enhanced the uniqueness of mentoring program. Several
recommendations are also posited for further research.

Title Resistance to establishing an opportunity class for gifted and talented students
in rural NSW.
Author Sullivan R
Degree MEd
Institution GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY
Year 1997
Abstract During 1995 a government directive was given to establish an Opportunity
Class (OC) in a particular District in rural NSW by 1996. The author is a
specialist music teacher at a NSW government primary school, which was
chosen to host an OC. She would be teaching the OC students music if the OC
eventuated. Being a member of the local school Gifted and Talented committee
she was interested in following the process of establishing the class.
Qualitative research, associated with the techniques of Action research and
Ethnographic research focus on the structure and processes of what, why and
how the OC failed. An investigation of policy versus practice, presents
evidence of powerful historical forces of resistance to Gifted and Talented
education. Through means of interactive data collection strategies, the ensuing
case study reveals stakeholders perceptions, attitudes and interpersonal
experiences.

Title A review of secondary special placement programmes in Western Australia:

clients' perceptions.
Author Bailey J
Degree MEd

71
Institution UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Year 1994
Abstract This study identified and described the key issues which 61 ex clients of
Secondary Special Placement Programs in Perth high schools believe had
important effects on the quality of their social and academic experiences in
high school, and which they believe to be central to appropriate provision for
gifted and talented students. The researcher incorporated qualitative research
procedures to produce a questionnaire and directed discussion questions, in
order to obtain and analyse the relevant data. It is concluded that there is a
discrepancy between the Western Australian Ministry of Education's
expectations, and the reality of much school based practice. According to the
general consensus of the subjects of this study, and in line with general theory
and existing Ministry policy, there needs to be: stronger support for, and
commitment to, education for gifted and talented students; better management
to ensure reduced isolation and ostracism of gifted students; appropriate
training of staff, and appropriate staffing of programs; more flexible provision
with respect to entry and exit from programs; appropriate pace and content of
the curriculum; acceptance of acceleration as a viable and sometimes essential
strategy for some students, and ongoing refinement of programs based on
effective evaluation procedures.

Title The role of the principal in implementing information technology (IT) as a

learning tool in schools.
Author Wilsmore D C
Degree EdD
Institution CHARLES STURT UNIVERSITY
Year 2001
Abstract The use of Information Technology (IT) in the wider society has exploded in
the past five years in most parts of the world. In New South Wales (NSW),
Australia, significant resources both physical and human have been allocated
to most schools. This thesis examines the pivotal leadership role of the
principal in the successful implementation of IT in schools as a
teaching/learning tool. This also involves examining changing pedagogics and
structures within case. study schools. A case study approach was used in the
research to examine practices in five `beacon' schools. These schools were
selected first on the basis of their apparent success in introducing IT, second, to
ascertain if there were certain discernible factors that principals in these
schools displayed or paradigms they utilised to ensure the successful
introduction and use of IT as a learning tool by students. A range of schools
reflecting size. isolation and structures in rural NSW were selected for the
study. The literature suggests that any successful educational innovation in
schools relies to a large extent on the leadership role of the principal,
particularly In the areas of modelling, resourcing, professional development,
planning, knowledge and collaboration. These among other key aspects were
examined in the study. The findings suggest that all of the above were
prerequisites for the successful implementation of IT as a learning tool. The
study showed that no single factor was an entity in itself. Some principals were
gifted in their knowledge and understanding of IT but this in itself did not

72
 ensure success, nor did the availability of hardware or software. The keys to
success were: Availability of adequate and continuing professional
development for staff; The ability of the principal to establish and lead
effective learning communities; Changing of old structures and pedagogics;
and Principals overcoming their own technophobia and that of many of their
teaching staff. Although schools were selected as 'beacon' schools, not all
schools were seen to be highly effective at utilising IT as a learning tool. They
were on a continuum from little effective use to exceptional use. Even though
other key staff played important roles in the introduction and support of IT as a
learning tool in the case study schools, the leadership role of the principal was
crucial.

Title The selection of teachers of the gifted and talented in Western Australian state
schools.
Author Martin S J
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Year 2004
Abstract The Western Australian Department of Education and Training (WADET)
offers an Academically Talented Programme (ATP) as part of the Special
Secondary Placement Programme (SSPP) for academically gifted and talented
students in six Western Australian metropolitan High Schools. The stated
purpose of the program is to enrich the selected students by offering a
differentiated curriculum. Internationally, researchers into the needs of Gifted
and Talented students have identified a set of overlapping criteria for effective
teachers in such specialist programs. A study of the literature that guides this
Academically Talented program however, reveals no explicit criteria,
procedures or policies that would accurately select teachers who have the
specified qualities. Since the program is staffed and does operate it is
reasonable to assume that there are processes either centrally or, more likely, in
the schools themselves, which allow administrators to identify teachers
considered to be effective in the staffing of this program. The research question
is how the teachers of the gifted and talented are selected in Western
Australian state schools. The thesis begins by providing a theoretical and
historical context of the teaching of the gifted and talented in Western
Australia. The data consists of the author's personal experiences and
reflections, both as an unrecognised gifted student and as a teacher of the
gifted and talented in such a program and is triangulated in a series of semi-
structured interviews with those in state schools responsible for selecting the
teachers of the gifted and talented in special programs. Both academic
literature and the author's personal experiences demonstrate that criteria for the
teachers of the gifted and talented include high intelligence, competence to
teach or trust 'non-conforming students', capacity to meet individual
intelligences of students, knowledge of recent research to construct suitable
programs, capacity to innovate and adapt, empathy for brighter students and
positive valuing of high intelligence. The interviews indicate a lack of specific
procedures for selection, lack of professional development, formal guidelines
that are ignored by teachers and administrators, and a vague understanding of
the special needs of gifted and talented. Moreover there is a political

73
 ambivalence towards the gifted, which regards them as elite, and therefore not
in need of special attention, despite their inclusion in the students at
educational risk category. The Senate Review of Gifted and Talented
Education in Australia devotes an entire chapter to 'Training Teachers to
Handle Gifted Children'. However the WA Department of Education's
consultation paper deals with the issue in two short paragraphs. The number of
schools offering ATP has dropped from nine to 6 in the last four years. The
thesis concludes that WADET in its practices is unsupportive or at least
ignorant of the teaching needs of the gifted and talented students in WA
Secondary programs.

Title Shades of giftedness: an ethnographic case study in the identification of

giftedness in ethnic minority children within the early childhood context.
Author Ogonda A A
Degree MEd
Institution QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
Year 1994
Abstract This study addresses the issue of identification of gifted ethnic minority
children within the context of an Australian preschool. Case study method is
used to describe the characteristics of three children, their parents, teachers and
the pre-school environment. The children, from India, Iran and Vietnam, had
all arrived in Australia within the last twelve months. Use of existing
checklists, participant observation in the home and pre-school setting,
unstructured interviews with parents and teachers, and collection of children's
work were the main methods of data collection. Through the analytic process
culture-specific behaviours have been identified. These descriptions have been
used to develop a behavioural characteristics checklist which can be used by
teachers as a framework during identification of gifted ethnic minority
children. This forms part of a portfolio of assessment compiled using the study
findings. Teacher awareness of giftedness, educational responses, theories and
definitions of intelligence were also addressed through a workshop conducted
as part of the study. The study reports on the effect of culture on manifestation
of gifted behaviour, motivation, socioeconomic issues, teacher attitude and
parent-teacher co-operation in the gifted ethnic minority child' s learning
outcomes. Suggestions for further research are also included.

Title A short history of state education policy for gifted and talented children in
New South Wales 1788-1989.
Author Hall J M
Degree MEd(Hons)
Institution UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG
Year 1991
Abstract The recent recognition by educationists in general, and the New South Wales
Department of School Education in particular, of the educational and social
needs of gifted and talented children, has raised many questions for educators
to consider. Before these can be answered it is necessary to review the New

74
 South Wales history of state education policy for gifted and talented children.
This thesis describes an investigation of the history of education policy making
for gifted and talented children within New South Wales Department of School
Education from 1788 to 1989. This investigation has revealed that no formal
government policy existed until 1983, but due to the efforts of individual
schools, teachers and several prominent individuals, some provision was
evident. In the absence of official policy, other policies appeared. These
policies have been found to fall into three broad categories closely linked in
chronological order. These categories are: elitism, from settlement in 1788 to
1949; pluralism from 1950 to 1980; and corporatism from 1981 to 1989.

Title Student perceptions of giftedness, gifted students, teachers and education of

the gifted.
Author Long P E
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 1990
Abstract The purpose of the study was to identify perceptions, preferences and attitudes
of a sample of secondary school students in relation to giftedness, gifted
students, teachers, and educational provision for the gifted, and to investigate
differences and similarities between gifted and nongifted students. The sample
consisted of 40 identified gifted and 40 nongifted students from Years 8 to 10.
A review of the literature described the history of the development of gifted
education, particularly in Australia, and research concerning students'
perceptions of the study topics. The study utilised a theoretical background of
implicit, social cognition and labelling theories, and a version of the critical
incident technique. The findings showed many similarities between the views
of the gifted and the nongifted, including a generally positive view of
giftedness, of educational provision for the gifted and of gifted students,
although they were viewed somewhat less positively than were the provisions
for them. The students generally perceived a need for gifted programs,
especially at secondary level. They clearly wanted a combination of mixed
ability classes as the only provision. Withdrawal for the gifted was generally
endorsed by both groups.

Title Student perceptions of subject acceleration in New South Wales secondary

schools.
Author Jaggar K A
Degree EdD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
Year 1999
Abstract After a review of the literature on subject acceleration, the study investigates
the thoughts and feelings of 307 gifted students, from 44 secondary schools in
New South Wales, about their accelerative experiences, while they are still
undertaken them. Drawing from survey results, an analysis is undertaken on
family background; variety of subjects undertaken; school characteristics and

75
 organisational changes made on their behalf; enrichment opportunities;
feelings about work in accelerated classes; emotional response; personality and
self-esteem self rating by subject accelerant and evaluation of the program by
accelerants. Gender and language background responses are differentiated. The
semi-structured interview of 30 respondents in 15 schools, triangulates and
supplements the survey findings and replicates a North American study. The
findings are that subject accelerants to their peers do not exhibit signs of social
or maladjustment as a result of their acceleration; have high self-esteem; are
not troubled by separation from their classmates; enjoy working at a higher
level and equality of access to programs. The interviews supplement the survey
findings by exploring: the decision to accelerate; the effects of programs on
accelerants; the personal qualities needed for success in acceleration; and the
feelings of close friends about acceleration programs. Comparisons with the
North American interviews show that accelerants have significant similiarities
in their thoughts and feelings about acceleration despite differences in their
nationalities, cultures, backgrounds and programs.

Title A study of the provisions for educating gifted and talented children with
special reference to N.S.W.
Author Quill J S J
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Year 1982
Abstract Plato's beliefs about educating the most able in Greek society, the patronage
system during the Renaissance, Darwin's theories, the work of Binet, Terman,
Thorndike, Dewey and Piaget are considered in the light of talented education.
The counter movement opposing special provision is mentioned as is also the
controversy regarding the nature of intelligence. The problem of the cut-off
point between the 'gifted' and 'average' is discussed as is also the various
understandings of the differences between the terms 'gifted' and ' talented'. The
methods adopted in identifying talented children are shown to be related to the
concept of 'talent' held by the person desiring to nominate students as being in
this category. The problem of identifying underachievers is mentioned as is
also the talented child who, because of a variety of reasons, exhibits negative
and antisocial behaviours. Several approaches applicable to pre-school infants,
primary and secondary children are discussed as well as teacher attitudes to
identification and identification procedures. Problems inherent in early
identification, predictability, cultural bias, socio-economic differences and
motivation are mentioned. A possible philosophy that could form the basis of
gifted education is suggested and models for implementation considered in the
light of the work done by Guilford, Williams, Renzulli and Tannenbaum. The
growth towards a state policy for educating talented children in N.S. W. is
considered in the light of the 1977 Ministerial Report. The situation in N.S.W.
is compared to that in Western Australia.

Title A tale of two schools: two organisational patterns for catering for the gifted.
Author Freney P J

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 Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA
Year 1990
Abstract During the past decade, an increase in activity associated with the education of
the gifted has been evident. This study provides a social and evaluative
framework from which to view two organisational means of making
educational provision for gifted students. In-class provision in one school is
compared statistically and descriptively with a partial withdrawal system in
another. The Stake evaluation model was used to provide a focus and
classification system for the collection and processing of naturalistic data.
Group tests of ability, attainment and attitudes were administered in order to
obtain some more objective data. Evolutionary changes in the schools during
the twelve month period make for difficulties in comparison; the reasons for
the changes occuring highlight the difficulties which classroom teachers have
in understanding and coming to grips with teaching gifted students. Any
advantage in terms of student outcomes was weighted towards the school with
in- class provision. The writer postulates that this was due to the collective
responsibility, or ownership of the program, assumed by the teachers in this
school, as opposed to the situation in the other school, where only one teacher,
the withdrawal teacher, was prepared to assume this responsibility.

Title Teacher effectiveness in the education of gifted students : a comparison of

trained, trainee and untrained teachers of gifted and talented students.
Author Rowley J L
Degree PhD
Institution UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
Year 2002
Abstract This study sought to determine whether specialised teacher training in gifted
education assisted teachers in developing teaching skills, competencies and
classroom climates identified as effective in teaching gifted and talented
students. How best to prepare teachers of the gifted is well researched in the
literature, however less research is available on how effective the training of
these teachers is when they are faced with the challenge of catering for the
gifted student in the classroom. This study examined differences between
teachers trained (n=56), those currently undertaking training (n=31) and those
untrained (n=80) in gifted education. A total of 167 teachers in eastern
Australian schools teaching gifted students were observed in a variety of
classroom settings. This study also examined aspects of the classroom climate
of those teachers by interviewing a sample of five nominated gifted students
being taught in 57 of the 167 classrooms visited. Both teachers trained and
those currently undertaking training in gifted education demonstrated better
teaching skills than the untrained group. A sample of 285 nominated gifted
students (34 percent of the total sample) indicated that the trained and trainee
teachers established better classroom climates with more emphasis placed on
cognitive dimensions (higher level thinking - analysis, synthesis, evaluation)
and affective dimensions (discussion and feelings) and less emphasis on lower
level thinking (memory) and lecturing than the untrained group. Results of this
study clearly show that teachers still in training, most of whom were only half

77
 way through a rigorous 18 month training program, were more like their
trained colleagues than they were like their untrained colleagues.

Title Teachers' conceptions of gifted young children ; perspectives through the lens
of gender.
Author Lee M-E
Degree PhD
Institution QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
Year 2000
Abstract In contemporary society we have become highly dependent on a technological,
scientific and mathematically literate population. There has been considerable
debate for many years about the lack of talented people entering professions
associated with these literacies and about the level of understanding of science
and technology in the general community. Since perceptions of and interest in
mathematics, science and technology begin in early childhood, teachers of very
young children play an important role in fostering and supporting these
interests. There is considerable under-representation of females in
mathematics, science and technology related careers and in positions of
influence on policy in these areas. This is pertinent for this research in light of
the current climate in which a backlash to gender equity for girls has emerged
with a concern for 'what about the boys?' It appears that, despite considerable
initiatives to improve girls access and performance in these curriculum areas,
that girls with high ability in mathematics, science and technology do not
translate their ability into careers in these fields. The research problem
investigated in this thesis emerged when the researcher became aware that
teachers in Brisbane, Australia, nominated as many as five times more boys
than girls for a mathematics and science enrichment program for gifted
children. Hence, teachers' conceptions of what it means to have high ability in
mathematics and science in early childhood appeared to be influenced by
gender. Thus the research investigates the following questions: What are
teachers' conceptions of giftedness in young children? What are the gender
dimensions of these conceptions? What does this mean for early childhood
teaching and learning? What are the implications for the teaching profession?
Single indepth interviews were conducted with sixteen early primary school
teachers (14 female and two male). The teachers were drawn from state and
private schools and were selected on the basis that they had nominated boys
and girls for participation in the Enrichment Network for the Very Young, a
program operating at Queensland University of Technology. In the first stage
of the analysis, a phenomenographic framework was used to develop a model
of teachers' conceptions of giftedness. This model comprises seven categories
of description or ways that teachers see the phenomenon of giftedness in
relation to young children. These categories describe the way teachers see
gifted children as: Possessing innate/natural or God-given ability; Having
potential; Being rare; Highly noticeable; Having high levels of motivation;
Demonstrating excellence in one or more areas; and Exhibiting asynchronous
development in non-academic areas. In the second stage of the analysis an
interpretive approach was used to understand the model of giftedness from a
gender perspective. This latter analysis found that teachers' conceptions of
giftedness are indeed gendered and that each of the seven categories of

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 giftedness guides teacher behaviours or actions that directly disadvantage girls.
This finding points to the significant impact teachers' conceptions of giftedness
have on the provision of appropriate programs for gifted boys and girls in early
education. Therefore, in this thesis the author argues that the construct
'giftedness' is itself masculinised and is therefore problematic for high
achieving girls. Recommendations for addressing this in pre-service teacher
education and professional development are made.

Title Teaching gifted children in the regular classroom.

Author Boskell J J
Degree MEdSt
Institution MONASH UNIVERSITY
Year 1986
Abstract A review of the literature pertaining to the education of gifted and talented
students has revealed an increasing concern about three issues, these being:
definition; identification procedures; and programming. This study focuses its
attention on the work of Renzulli. The study was conducted, using Renzulli's
Enrichment Triad Model, in two Year 8 English classes of mixed ability, using
the general theme of refugees. Enrichment activities were devised within the
theme and were related to the three types of enrichment activities suggested by
Renzulli. Evaluation was made about which students in the sample displayed
gifted behaviour in the light of a pretest, which was used to predict above
average academic performance on the part of the students in the sample. A
further assessment was made of attitudes to the unit overall. The results
revealed that there were statistically significant relationships between the
scores obtained for the pretest of academic ability, and the posttest scores. It
was also clear that students scored consistently within the definition of
giftedness developed by Renzulli. The measurement of attitudes to the unit
revealed a polarisation of student opinion, some students being uneasy with the
less traditional approach.

Title Teaching twice exceptional children : gifted with learning difficulties :

professional development and provision in a Montessori school.
Author Lewis E
Degree MEd
Institution EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY
Year 2004
Abstract This study seeks to investigate the teaching of gifted children in a Montessori
school, with particular reference to gifted students with learning difficulties in
writing. A review of the literature on the Montessori method of education and
on provision for gifted children, shows considerable philosophical and
practical overlap in these two fields. However, it appears that this theoretical
overlap is not necessarily realised in practice. Furthermore, although
considerable research has been conducted on the characteristics, identification
and classroom provision for the gifted, very little has been undertaken on the

79
 actual provision for gifted children in Montessori schools or gifted children
with learning difficulties in writing. Research indicates that appropriate teacher
development is an important component of provision for the gifted. Within an
action research context, all twelve teachers at a school participated in
professional development on the gifted. They were provided with current
information about attitudes toward the gifted, theories and models relating to
giftedness, as well as curricular and instructional modifications for gifted
primary children. The teachers' perceptions about the gifted were examined, by
the administration of an attitude scale and through an interview process, before
the professional development and again after they had the opportunity and
support to implement program modifications. To obtain a more detailed
understanding of what was happening in classrooms, observation sessions were
conducted. Data was also collected from parent feedback, informal
observations, document searches and the researcher's reflective journal. The
research found that the teachers indicated, overall, positive attitudes toward the
gifted. However, contrary to evidence in the literature which suggested
positive attitudinal changes in teachers after professional development, the
teachers' attitudes towards the gifted remained the same, overall, throughout
the study. Despite this lack of measurable attitudinal change, the teachers
enacted practical, behavioural modifications to their gifted students' programs
after professional development. Positive outcomes for teachers and gifted
students were generally obtained. Nevertheless, teachers expressed
reservations about the effectiveness of their interventions for the gifted,
particularly those with learning difficulties, with reference to these students'
ability to 'work independently'. Implications that arise from this research relate
to issues influencing the identification and provision for gifted students with
learning difficulties. Additional implications were presented for school
administration, teacher development, methodological issues and the need for
further research.

Title Unleashing talent : an examination of VanTassel-Baska's (1995) integrated

curriculum model in an inclusive classroom.
Author Henderson L
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 2005
Abstract This study investigates the implementation of VanTassel-Baska's Integrated
Curriculum Model (ICM) in a mixed-ability Year 3 dassroom. The model,
which was designed specifically for use with gifted and talented students,
draws upon concepts, rather than being topic-based, and focuses on advanced
content and higher order thinking processes. The study's purpose is to
investigate the learning that takes place as students of mixed abilities engage
with the ICM. Specifically, the study involves interpreting student talk and
work samples, and observing the ways in which meaning is sought while
engaging with the ICM. A qualitative case study methodology is used and
some quantitative analysis of students' pre and post reading and writing
samples and talk patterns is undertaken to support and illuminate the
qualitative analysis. Student talk is analysed by using Ritchhart's thinking
disposition framework that underpins his theory of intellectual character.

80
 Ritchhart proposes six dispositions: the disposition to be open minded; curious;
metacognitive; a truth seeker; strategic; and sceptical. The study revealed that
the ICM was effective in producing learning that was indicative of displaying
intellectual character. This finding was true for both the gifted and non-gifted
students, with varying degrees of engagement in both cohorts. In particular, the
gifted students make mention of the increase in level of challenge and the
opportunity the model provides to engage in exploratory talk about complex
issues. The non-gifted students, while acknowledging some difficulties with
particular aspects of the unit, overall recognise increases in their learning and
their ability to ask questions. Of most significance are the findings that
demonstrate students are able to: (a) engage in exploratory talk about complex
issues and demonstrate thinking that is indicative of displaying intellectual
character; (b) advance their skill level in both persuasive writing and literature
interpretation; (c) acknowledge their level of engagement with the ICM in
comparison to previous learning experiences. Further research is recommended
before any firm conclusions can be drawn about the effectiveness of the ICM
in indusive classrooms. This would involve using the ICM with an extensive
range of learners, and being delivered by different teachers, with their own
pedagogical approaches. However, the study highlights the powerful tool that
Ritchhart's thinking dispositions framework offers educators for assessing
student thinking. It also raises the need for a closer examination of the
framework to clarify aspects such as whether it is sufficiently inclusive and
whether the framework is hierarchical in structure.

Title The vertical curriculum meeting the needs of students of high intellectual
potential.
Author Ryan M J
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Year 2001
Abstract This pilot project investigated one Victorian independent schools'
implementation of the vertical curriculum in Years 5 and 6 over a one-year
period in 1998. The study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the vertical
curriculum model for students identified as intellectually gifted, high (gifted
and bright) and mainstream (average, low average and low) students by
reviewing the students' progress in mathematics. Using progressive
achievement tests in mathematics at the beginning and end of the year the
identified gifted, bright and mainstream students' progress was monitored to
track their mathematical development, consisting of achievement or progress
made. The cohort reviewed consisted of eighty-eight students incorporating
eleven identified intellectually gifted students, thirty-three bright students and
forty four mainstream students, as identified by the Raven's Progressive
Matrices. The findings indicated firstly that an advanced level of mathematical
achievement was found for the identified gifted students. Secondly, it was
found that the vertical curriculum assisted the mainstream students as they
showed significant mathematical progress. The findings indicated that the
vertical curriculum provided an equitable educational option for the identified
intellectually gifted, bright and mainstream students.

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 Title Very superior IQ and academic achievement: the tertiary entrance examination
performance of intellectually talented students in the Secondary Special
Placement Programme.
Author Hopkins J,
Degree MEd
Institution UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Year 1989

Abstract In 1981 the Education Department initiated the Secondary Special Placement
Programme (SSPP) in eight senior high schools to provide a more appropriate
education for intellectually talented students in Western Australia. This study
focused on the Tertiary Entrance Examination performance of the 1982 intake
of students into the program. It compared the performance of these students
with that of similarly talented students who did not participate in the program.
Acceleration within the SSPP enabled some students to complete lower
secondary courses in two, rather than three years. Some accelerants progressed
directly to upper secondary courses and graduated from secondary school after
just four years of study, one year less than usual. Accelerants in the SSPP did
as well on their Tertiary Entrance Examinations as students who were of
similar ability and who were a year older on graduation. In the Tertiary
Entrance Examinations there was no difference in the mean Tertiary Entrance
Scores of SSP and non- SSPP students of similar ability.

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