NEEDED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN EDUCATING HIGH ABILITY CHILDREN

Serious research on the gifted began some 70 years ago with the Terman studies, and has intensified in the last decade or so. Since many decisions on identification, education and counseling depend on the underlying conception of giftedness, a fruitful area of research involves the validity of various concepts. Research is also needed to ascertain the effectiveness of identification procedures, to determine what kinds of educational and socialization opportunities are needed to transform potential into performance, and better to identify and nurture giftedness in populations which are traditionally underrepresented. We need to understand better how affective characteristics can be nurtured, as well as the influence of family and community on talent development and ways of achieving the twin goals of equity and excellence.