Examining Macro- and Micro-Level Definitions of Gifted and Talented and Their Implications for Students’ Self-Concept

• In Event: Roundtable Session 27
  In Roundtable Session: Psychosocial Topics in Giftedness, Creativity, and Talent

Abstract

Two levels of definitions of the GT label simultaneously exist inside of schools: a macro-level definition that operates between students and teachers in classrooms and micro-level definitions that students and teachers express outside of the formal classroom environment. The macro-level definition, what might be considered the “official line” on what GT means, is shaped by research, codified by statute, and filtered down to students and teachers. Micro-level definitions, on the other hand, are divergent and reflect a range of understandings of GT that often contrast with the macro-level definition of the label. While macro-definitions of GT offer school systems flexibility in creating GT programs, definitions at the micro-level reveal a range of important implications for GT students’ self-concept.

Authors

• Jacob William Neumann, The University of Texas - Pan American

• Bryan Meadows, Fairleigh Dickinson University