High Ability and Learner Characteristics
High Ability and Learner Characteristics
Yazar: Hindal, Huda; Reid, Norman; Whitehead, Rex
Dergi: International Journal of Instruction, Vol. 6 No. 1, 2014
Anahtar kelimeler: Giftedness, High Academic Ability, Learner Characteristics, Learning, Kuwait

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

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