1. CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND
INTRODUCTION
The population of intellectually gifted youth encompasses a wide range of
abilities, temperaments, and personality characteristics. Although generalizations are
often made outside of the empirical literature regarding the interpersonal skills of these
children, much remains to be understood about their social behaviour. (Perham, 2012)
Intellectually gifted students not only think differently than the average person,
but also feel differently: their unconventional cognitive development is connected with a
high level of emotion. Consequently, intellectually gifted students have a much greater
range of emotional experiences, characterized by uneven or irregular development.
(Rogers, 2009)
When there is positive classroom behaviours evident, cognitive traits and
characteristics are easy to recognize. Often, however, the pace and level of work
presented to intellectually gifted students does not engage their interest in learning, or
attend to their abilities, and they may respond with behaviors which are negative or
even disruptive. When a intellectually gifted student displays negative or disruptive
behavior, this can be a call for help or at least an indication that some intervention is
needed. Often, appropriate provisions can transform negative behavior to positive
behavior. Other behaviorsmay simply be misunderstood. Because intellectually gifted
students differ significantly from others, it is important to respond to the social-emotional
characteristics that distinguish them. Furthermore, since significant differences also
2. exist within the intellectually gifted population, it is important to respond to individual
differences.
The first challenge in understanding this population is to be aware of what is
meant by the term “intellectualgiftedness”.Currently, no universal definition exists, and
the criteria vary from school system to school system. Generally, the term implies a
student with an intellectual ability significantly higher than average.
A more widely used definition within the field of gifted education comes from the
1991 meeting of the Columbus Group, and highlights the unique needs of this
population:
Giftedness is asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive abilities
and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness
that are qualitatively different from the norm. This asynchrony increases with
higher intellectual capacity. The uniqueness of the gifted renders them
particularly vulnerable and requires modification in parenting, teaching, and
counseling in order for them to develop optimally. (Columbus Group, 1991)
Some intellectually gifted students, because of their heightened intellectual and
social-emotional needs, may experience difficulties that require professional intervention
such as counselling. It is important for the school and the parents or careers to work
together to recognize, understand and respond to the interpersonal skills intellectually
gifted students.
