High Ability and Learner Characteristics

dc.creator	Huda Hindal
dc.creator	Norman Reid
dc.creator	Rex Whitehead
dc.date	2013-01-01T00:00:00Z
dc.date.accessioned	2015-08-12T11:19:39Z
dc.date.available	2015-08-12T11:19:39Z
dc.identifier	1694-609X
dc.identifier	https://doaj.org/article/970c5e5441b540039182af30adde8f70
dc.identifier.uri	http://evidence.thinkportal.org/handle/123456789/27759
dc.description	The outstandingly able learner has been conceptualised, in terms of test and examination performance, as the learner showing superior academic performance which is markedly better than that of peers and in ways regarded as of value by wider society. In Kuwait, such superior examination performance leads to a classification regarded as being ‘gifted’. This study looks at the inter-correlations between performance in various subjects in examinations and then considers how examination performance correlates with measures of working memory capacity, extent of field dependency, extent of divergency and visual-spatial abilities. A very large sample of grade 7 Kuwaiti students (aged ~13) was involved, the sample being selected in such a way that it contained a high proportion of those regarded as ‘gifted’ under the procedures used in Kuwait. While specific learner characteristics have been related to examination performance, this study brings four different characteristics together to gain a picture of the way these characteristics may be seen in those who perform extremely well in examinations. Principal components analysis using varimax rotation, was used to look at the examination data and one factor accounted for 87% of the variance. A consideration of the examination papers led to the conclusion that the national examinations tested only recall-recognition. It was also found that those who performed best in all six subjects tended to be those who are highly divergent and strongly visual-spatial as well as those tending to have higher working memory capacities and being more field independent. The inter-correlations between the various learner characteristics are explained in terms of the way the brain is known to process information. The implications of the findings for assessment and for the way high ability is considered are discussed.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	International Journal of Instruction
dc.relation	http://www.e-iji.net/dosyalar/iji_2013_1_4.pdf
dc.relation	https://doaj.org/toc/1694-609X
dc.source	International Journal of Instruction, Vol 6, Iss 1, Pp 59-76 (2013)
dc.subject	Giftedness
dc.subject	High Academic Ability
dc.subject	Learner Characteristics
dc.subject	Learning
dc.subject	Kuwait
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.title	High Ability and Learner Characteristics
dc.type	article