Identification Process of Young Gifted Learners: The Malaysian Experience

Abstract

The world has seen many gifted individuals who leave profound marks in many spheres of human life. These individuals are classified as prodigies and are assets to any civilizations. Some of these individuals are more fortunate than others when they are identified early. However, the less fortunate ones are never identified, and continue to live their lives in misery because they could not find a fit in the society. Inevitably, they become the underachievers and their potentials are never uncovered. The questions such as "can we identify the gifted students from young?" or "what are the strategies that can be effectively used to identify a gifted child?" remain as questions commonly researched by scholars in the area. This paper will answer these questions by looking at the present scenario on definition of giftedness, characteristics of young gifted students, the process of gifted students' identification in general, and an example of identification process conducted by PERMATApintar™ -the Malaysian National Gifted Center.

Exploring Academic Performance Among Gifted and Talented Students: A Comprehensive Review

“…These factors include initial circumstances, the burden of high expectations, inconsistencies and resistance, inappropriate classroom settings, challenges related to competition, perfectionism, and conflicts in values. Moreover, an examination of literature reviews focusing on the identification of gifted students reveals the existence of diverse programs and recognition initiatives in numerous countries, each employing distinct assessment tools and procedures (Ishak & Bakar, 2017). Indeed, life events have the capacity to reshape a student's academic trajectory, including shifts in family dynamics like the birth of a new sibling, parental divorce, remarriage, or transitioning to a new school.…”

“…Throughout history, numerous gifted and exceptionally talented individuals have emerged, their ideas transcending their own lifetimes and leaving an enduring mark on a wide array of human endeavors, encompassing fields such as science, economics, fine arts, healthcare, spirituality, and global security (Ishak & Bakar, 2017). A classic example is Albert Einstein, who is still associated with the word "Gifted" to this day.…”

Identification of gifted students in different global contexts: literature review التعـرف على الطــلاب المـوهـوبيــن في سياقــات عالميــة مختلفــة: مــــراجعــــة الأدبيــــات

“…Gifted education starts with assessment by the Malaysian National Gifted Centre, known as PERMATApistar. They use a series of three standardised tests for students between the ages of nine and fifteen years old in order to identify gifted students (Ishak & Bakar, 2017).…”

Quran Memorization as a Vital Identification Process of Gifted and Talented Muslim Students

“…The gifted and talented group of individuals have proven their role in the success of the country as seen in many developed countries such as the U.K. and the U.S. (Zakaria et al, 2021;2017;Bakar & Zakaria, 2023;Ishak, & Bakar, 2017).…”

“…With a proper plan and supervision from the teachers', gifted students are expected to develop and enhance their potentials over a period of time they spend in the special program (Beecher & Sweeny, 2008;Renzulli, 1999;Kulik & Kulik, 1992). Researches have shown that gifted students could learn at a much faster rate, earlier than their peers, have better memories, think abstractly, focus intensely, absorb many stimuli, have stronger empathy and high moral concern (Renzulli & Reis, 1997;VanTassel-Baska, 1992;Gagne, 2005;Bakar, 2017;Ishak & Bakar, 2017). There is no such thing as one size fits all concept in teaching the gifted students because of the uniqueness in their way of thinking and studying a particular subject matter.…”