On Being Gifted at University: Academic, Social, Emotional, and Institutional Adjustment in Kazakhstan

Abstract

Globally, universities have an interest in recruiting the most talented students; however, limited attention has been given to how these students experience their transition and adjustment to university life. This mixed-methods study analyzes the academic, social, emotional, and institutional dimensions of gifted students’ adjustment to university in the context of post-Soviet Kazakhstan, a country characterized by a strong emphasis on the education of gifted students. The findings of the study confirm that the process of gifted students’ adjustment to university is a complex phenomenon, and all the aspects of students’ first-year experiences should be carefully taken into consideration when studying the transition to postsecondary education. The results of the study are useful for understanding the issues that gifted students face in the transition to higher education and have important implications for research on gifted students’ postsecondary experiences internationally.

Problems facing university students during Corona pandemic

“…The similarity in the degree system between the diploma and the bachelor's degree also contributes to the problems facing university students in general. This idea is consistent with the results of studies [39], [43].…”

“…Al-Mukhambetova and Hernández-Torrano [43] defined them as that group of society who pursue their education after obtaining a secondary or preparatory certificate, and their ages range from 18-23 years. Ali [21] defined it as the period of life in which young people join the university and are between 17 and 25 years old.…”

Untitled

“…At the moment, there is an understanding of how the giftedness of a child should be studied in practice, based on the identification of characteristic features inherent in most gifted children. According to researchers, understanding the real conditions and researching the practice of education, identifying problems and scientifically developing their solutions, which allows optimizing the educational environment, understanding and meeting the needs of gifted children (Almukhambetova, 2018).…”

The Effectiveness of Academic Buoyancy Training on Emotional, Social, and Educational Adaptation in Geography Students at the Martyrs of Mecca Campus of Farhangian University

“…The concept of adaptation is relative and dependent on the culture and beliefs of society members, and a behavior considered adaptive in one society may be maladaptive in another (Demirtas-Zorbaz & Ergene, 2019). Adaptation has various dimensions, among which emotional, social, and educational adaptation are the most significant (Almukhambetova & Hernandez-Torrano, 2020). Emotional adaptation refers to the ability to cope with internal and external stressors and tensions, social adaptation to the ability to deal with changes and transformations in the social and environmental context, and educational adaptation to the ability to cope with educational demands and activities in an educational environment (Mittelmeier, Rienties, Rogaten, Gunter, & Raghuram, 2019).…”