Gifted Child Quarterly, Ahead of Print.
The relationship between giftedness and psychological functioning has been studied extensively, but conflicting views persist. Whereas some studies have suggested that gifted children are at risk of developing emotional and behavioral disorders, others have proposed that they have superior socioemotional adjustment compared with average-ability peers. Using a large unselected sample (N = 3,918), we examined n = 100 gifted students matched via propensity score matching with n = 100 average-ability students. Gifted students showed higher academic achievement in math and reading (standardized test scores and grades), higher self-concept in math, and lower teacher-rated externalizing problems. All other comparisons on social and emotional-behavioral functioning as rated by parents, teachers, or classmates did not suggest any differences between the two groups. Giftedness appears to be a protective factor rather than a risk factor for psychological functioning. These results have important implications for the identification, support, and education of gifted children.

Gifted Child Quarterly, Volume 69, Issue 2, Page 165-183, April 2025.
Arts-intensive high schools offer a unique learning environment for artistically gifted students, but relatively little is known about the long-term impacts of attending these schools. Using data from the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP), this mixed-methods study explores the educational experiences and career outcomes of over 2,900 alumni from arts-intensive high schools. Descriptive statistics, inferential regression models, and a grounded theory, inductive coding, qualitative analysis reveal important connections among acquired skills, experiential learning activities, and several career and community outcomes. Overall, the findings suggest that skills learned while at arts-intensive high schools are relevant to a variety of careers, and that certain high-impact practices are positive predictors of later outcomes. However, curricular revisions to address areas such as entrepreneurial and business skills may be needed. Implications for curricular improvements, programming support, and advising are also discussed.

Gifted Child Quarterly, Volume 69, Issue 2, Page 87-90, April 2025.

Gifted Child Quarterly, Volume 69, Issue 2, Page 147-164, April 2025.
Through the lens of the talent development megamodel and the higher mastery framework, this instrumental case study examines the career trajectory of a biological anthropologist, Barbara J. King, who became a persuasive science communicator in the struggle for animal justice. Much of her impact stems from her development in two career paths, one formal and one informal, in biological anthropology and science communication. She developed credibility as a primatologist and academic and was able to apply her experience in the biological anthropology domain to public communication channels to share information about animal cognition and behavior. Through cumulative epiphanies, she came to recognize the value of understanding animals’ lived experience and the need to seek justice for animals. She became confident in her advocacy because of her extensive knowledge base and her teaching and writing skills, which developed through the many opportunities she eagerly pursued. King’s resilience, optimism, patience, curiosity, and motivation combined with confidence in her knowledge base and communication skills to create persuasive communications that challenge the ubiquitous view that animals’ lives are of lesser value than humans’ and they may be used for human purposes. In her dual careers of biological anthropology and science communication, she learned how to share strong evidence from animal research while respecting the individuals receiving her messages. Educators can support development of students’ transformational giftedness by encouraging identity exploration, fostering openness to new ideas, and not limiting their education to the narrow requirements of success within a single domain.

Gifted Child Quarterly, Volume 69, Issue 2, Page 109-129, April 2025.
Astronomy is critical for human development, driving technology and innovation, and creating knowledge that allows humanity to understand the universe more fully. Women, however, remain underrepresented in this field. Many women leave the field before becoming established, yet little is known about women who persist and succeed. The purpose of this study was to explore the abilities, experiences, milestones, and individuals that have contributed to women’s talent development along their trajectories in astronomy, in the specific case of Chile. In-depth interviews were conducted with five talented women in astronomy, who have developed their academic and professional careers in Chile. The results show that micro, meso, and macro levels of influence, in conjunction with different time periods, were critical for the participants’ trajectories and have impacted the direction of women’s paths. The astronomers highlight early experiences, mentor support, validation, and gendered experiences as they navigate their own insecurities and develop self-confidence. Implications for the study of talent development in female astronomers are discussed.

Gifted Child Quarterly, Volume 69, Issue 2, Page 130-146, April 2025.
Technology is an increasingly omnipresent and rapidly changing component of today’s world. As a result, there is an urgency to develop talent in the field of computer science (CS). The purpose of this article is to examine ways that educational systems can develop students’ talents to fill the need for skilled CS professionals. We provide an overview of the talent development megamodel as an exemplar of talent development frameworks and discuss ways to tailor it to fit CS talent trajectories. We describe three key components in a CS talent trajectory: early access to materials and programs; support from mentors; and the development of psychosocial skills. We introduce a proposed model, the computer science talent development model (CSTDM), for finding and developing talents in computer science in K–12 settings. CSTDM includes advanced STEM learning opportunities beginning in middle school, a focus on the development of psychosocial skills, and guidance for students regarding STEM career development.

Gifted Child Quarterly, Volume 69, Issue 2, Page 202-215, April 2025.
The focus of this article is on the development of expertise in interpreting literature within English Language Arts (ELA). Experts and novices differ significantly in how they approach problems and acquire information, with experts demonstrating more sophisticated pattern recognition, nuances, and conceptual understandings and approaches than novices. The domain-specific nature of expertise necessitates deliberate practice and intentional support in developing disciplinary knowledge. In this conceptual article, we integrate understandings from the talent development and gifted education literature, the learning theory and development of expertise literature, and the literary analysis field to explore the following questions: (a) Why is the development of ELA expertise important? (b) What skills do ELA experts possess that need to be cultivated in novices? (c) What are the pedagogical implications and practices necessary for enhancing ELA talent and developing expertise across the lifespan?

Gifted Child Quarterly, Volume 69, Issue 2, Page 91-108, April 2025.
This study explores talent-development trajectories of early-career chemical engineers to identify key components for success in the field using the talent development megamodel as a theoretical framework. Interviews with 12 recent PhD graduates reveal a trajectory across four developmental stages: (a) math ability and science ability, (b) chemical engineering competence and specialization competence, and (c) expertise/creative productivity. Teachable components include cognitive skills (e.g., strong math/science foundation, problem-solving), metacognitive skills (e.g., experimental design, project management), motivational skills (e.g., perseverance, learning from failures), and psychosocial skills (e.g., communication, collaboration) at different stages. The study highlights the importance of early experiences, mentorship, and continuous learning in fostering success in chemical engineering. Understanding field-specific talent development can inform targeted initiatives to address workforce gaps and promote STEM talent.

Gifted Child Quarterly, Volume 69, Issue 2, Page 184-201, April 2025.
Psychosocial skills are variables related to human behavior, beliefs, and attitudes and shape social interactions, learning processes, academic achievements, and general goal-directed behavior. Psychosocial skills seem particularly important during the adolescent period when large changes in goal setting, learning attitudes, and ability development take place. However, it remains unclear to what degree the growth of musical abilities is influenced by psychosocial skills in musically gifted children and children who are not musically gifted. Hence, the aim of this study is to determine the impact of psychosocial skills on music listening abilities beyond demographics, musical training, and cognitive factors. At four secondary schools in Latvia (two general schools and two schools for musically gifted individuals), we tested 191 adolescents (aged 11–18 years) with an online test battery assessing musical listening abilities, cognitive ability, socio-demographics, musical training activities, and a range of psychosocial skills. Data were analyzed through a series of hierarchical regression models determining the effect of different groups of independent variables. Results indicate that, in general, psychosocial variables make a substantial contribution to musical listening abilities beyond demographics, musical training, and cognitive capacity. When students from general secondary schools and schools for the musically gifted were analyzed separately, the contribution of psychosocial skills differed noticeably, with a greater relative importance for musically gifted children. Thus, the results suggest an important role of psychosocial variables in musical giftedness education. However, the specific role of individual psychosocial variables such as grit still needs to be clarified in future studies.

Gifted Child Quarterly, Ahead of Print.
This cross-country study employed a qualitative design to explore teachers’ views of their gifted students and of these students’ adjustment and education during the Covid-19 pandemic. A total of 52 teachers from Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia were interviewed about gifted students in general and, in continuation, about a particular gifted student who was selected for the purpose of this study. In both instances and across all three countries, the teachers tended to describe gifted students mainly in terms of the “harmony hypothesis.” Teaching these students in pandemic circumstances only added to the harmony view: The gifted were seen as having adapted quickly and without much academic loss to the new (learning) conditions. Nevertheless, the pandemic experience also seems to have allowed teachers to see a systemic neglect of gifted students and clearly notice the need for proper enrichment and social-emotional support if these students are to reach their full potential.

Gifted Child Quarterly, Ahead of Print.
Academic acceleration, which enhances challenges for academically gifted students, can be subject-based or whole-grade. Limited research has explored its application in the twice-exceptional population, where students possess notable cognitive strengths and challenges due to psychological diagnoses. Our clinical study investigates the likelihood of subject or whole-grade acceleration, considering IQ, age, and achievement differences across diagnosis types and demographics. The clinical sample of 1,189 subjects was used to explore the research questions. Subject-based acceleration is more likely for students with diagnoses of depression or anxiety, gifted program participation, or medium socioeconomic status. Males with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) are less likely to be subject-based accelerated. Whole-grade acceleration was likelier for students diagnosed with anxiety. At the same time, those with medium or low socioeconomic status, and ADHD, ASD, or SLD diagnoses, were less likely to be whole-grade accelerated.