Perceptions of Teachers and Coordinators of the Gifted toward Characteristic Behaviors of Gifted Females in Rural Schools

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of teachers of the gifted toward their students, particularly gifted girls. The characteristics reported in the literature were condensed to the 25 most common characteristics. From these 25 characteristics, a survey was developed which asked teachers and coordinators of the gifted programs in South Dakota to respond to each item. The results indicated that teachers and coordinators tend to view gifted females as: self-confident, having non-traditional career plans, experiencing a deeper sense of satisfaction from their talents, having a greater interest in science and math, worrying about success and failure equally, and as being more global in their problem-solving than their male intellectual peers.