Relationship between Giftedness and creativity

1. Relationship between Giftedness and creativity Nicole McPhillips Literature Review EDDC 804 Fall 2011

2. Howard Gardner stated “Most people are gifted in some things but not others.” (Henshon, 2006, p.192).

3. Definitions • Mentally gifted • According to Pennsylvania State Guidelines, mentally gifted is defined as outstanding intellectual and creative ability, the development of which requires specially designed programs or support services or both, not ordinarily provided in the regular education program. (22 Pa. Code 16.1). • This mentally gifted person must have an IQ of 130 or above with a determination not solely based on IQ tests. • A certified school psychologist must conduct an evaluation of this supposed mentally gifted individual. (22 Pa. Code 16.21(d).

4. Creativity Creativity is a fluid, flexible, and original production of ideas, requiring diverse information, wealth of imagination and ability to see many different sides, variations, reasons, and possibilities in problem-oriented- not purely imaginative-solutions. (Freund & Holling, 2008, p. 311) • Idea that the individual “buys low” (idea) and “sells high (that new idea that was created).”

5. IQ tests • IQ, intelligence quotient, test are used to test intelligence through a series of standardized tests. • The mean score of this test is set to 100 for a particular age range. • There is a standard deviation of 15 IQ points. • Majority of the population have mean scores between 70 and 130. • Special education students on the low spectrum and mentally gifted students on the high spectrum. • A higher IQ equates to a higher intelligence level, thus better academic achievement. (Wikipedia, 2011)

6. GRS-S • The Gifted Rating Scales-School Form is a gifted screening tool that consists of 72 items that a teacher rates the intellectually advanced student. • The design of this instrument is to be easy for teachers to use and interpret with little or no experience necessary. • six scales that the GRS-S looks at which are intellectual ability, academic ability, creativity, artistic talent, leadership ability, and motivation. • This instrument measures the likelihood that a particular student is mentally gifted not that they are or are not gifted • It is to be used in conjunction with an IQ test of the suggested mentally gifted individual in question. (Pfeiffer & Jarosewich, 2007, p.39)

7. Search criteria • SAGE Premier, Education Research Complete and PsycINFO in EbscoHost and Education Full Text in WilsonWeb. • Key terms used were: gifted education, giftednessand creativity

8. Giftedness in the classroom • Gifted students in our classrooms today are not one color, not one age and not one gender. • Giftedness, especially in the classroom, has a variety of personality characteristics associated with that mentally intellectually advanced student. • Reis & Renzulli (2009) mentioned numerous characteristics such as high verbal and nonverbal abilities and aptitudes

9. Giftedness in the classroom • Gifted students often become underachievers • Resistant to negative feedback • Do not feel appreciated by their educators • Exceedingly independent compared to non-gifted children. • Gifted learners often exhibit high levels of creativity, intellect and seek out artistic quests (Fletcher, 2011). • Gifted learners seek out leadership roles and responsibilities

10. Intelligence tests • There are numerous intelligence assessment tools that were investigated: • “GRS-S is designed as a screening tool to assist in the identification of gifted students. It was neither designed nor purported to be a stand-alone gifted instrument.” (Pfeiffer & Jarosewich, 2007, p. 39). • Universal ACCESS is another example of an evaluation but it is a language-reduced screening used for students who are learning English as a second language and/or students with various language disabilities.

11. Creativity in the classroom • Haier and Jung (2008) define true creativity as “some inherent utility in the product, whether it be for aesthetic consumption, to fill a technological need, or to push our understanding of nature forward.” (p. 175). • Creative challenges: • tasks that encourage students to construct focused results while utilizing a specified set of supplies • answer or justify a specific question or problem that is at hand • Reasons to use: mastery of content, promotion of creativity, and improvement of communication skills (Rubenstein and Wilson , 2011)

12. Relationship between giftedness and creativity • A three year study was conducted in Russia, where 24 gifted students with an IQ of 130 or above and 35 ordinary (non-gifted) students with an IQ range of 100 to 129, participated in a psychology course in addition to their usual classes. • The students’ age range at the beginning of the study was nine to ten years old. • The purpose of the study was to examine if there was a correlation between gifted students and ordinary (non-gifted) students and their creativity outcomes after taking the Psychology class for three years. • The study found that gifted students needed dramatic stimulations to increase their creativity while ordinary students needed beneficial and relaxing situations to increase their creativity levels. (Fidelman, 2008).

13. Relationship between giftedness and creativity • Haier and Jung (2008) investigated and summarized current brain research through neuroimaging studies of the brain. • MRIs and EEGs were conducted on numerous participants and the images were analyzed • Important finding of study: • some optimal combination of tissue density and activation in frontal and more posterior brain regions appear to underlie both intelligence and creativity

14. Relationship between giftedness and creativity • Howard Gardner, stated in a recent interview that “The interesting thing is to watch what is happening in genetics and brain science, because within decades we will know what works and why. Brain studies and genetics will tell us a lot more about who is right and wrong in this intelligence warfare.” (Roeper Review, 2006).

15. summary • Through current research in this literature review, a relationship can be made that giftedness and creativity usually go hand in hand • Giftedness in the classroom does not take on a certain age, color or gender • IQ tests are usually used to measure if a student is mentally gifted • Another test that can be used in conjunction with an Intelligence Quotient (IQ) test is the Gifted Rating Scales-School Form (GRS-S).

16. summary • Creativity in the classroom is a challenge that most educators face. • Creative challenges in schools allow students the opportunity to explore new ideas while having their own approach to solve a particular situation or problem • There is a definite relationship between giftedness and creativity in the elementary school classrooms. • Another take on this relationship of giftedness and creativity deals with brain imaging.

17. conclusion • Many areas are lacking sufficient information for educators in regards to the relationship between giftedness and creativity • Six areas have been identified that need further investigation: • brain imaging and teachers • coasting students • creative teaching strategies • Universal ACCESS and diverse populations • teachers’ perception of creativity • creativity in the elementary and middle schools in gifted programs.

18. References Fidelamn, M. (2008). Two different paths to creativity. Journal of Research in Education Psychology, 14(6), 1696-2095. Fletcher, T.S. (2011). Creative thinking in schools: Finding the “Just Right’ challenge for students. Gifted Child Today, 34 (2), 37-42. Freund, P.A., & Holling, H. (2008). Creativity in the classroom: A multilevel analysis investigation the impact of creativity and reasoning ability on GPA. Creative Research Journal, 20 (3), 309-318. Gray, R., McCallum, S., & Bain, S. K. (2009). Language-reduced screening for giftedness. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 33(1), 38-64. Haier, R. J., & Jung, R.E. (2008). Brain imaging studies of intelligence and creativity: What is the picture for education? Roeper Review, 30, 171-180. Henshon, S.E. (2006). The evolution of creativity, giftedness, and multiple intelligences: An interview with Ellen Winner and Howard Gardner. Roeper Review, 28 (4),191-194. Kim, K.H. (2008). Underachievement and creativity: Are gifted underachievers highly creative?Creativity Research Journal, 20(2), 234-242. Lubart, T., & Zenasni, F. (2010). A new look at creative giftedness. Gifted and Talented International, 25(1), 53-57. Pennsylvania Department of Education. (2010). Gifted Guidelines. Harrisburg, PA: Bureau of Special Education. Pfeiffer, S. I., & Jarosewich, T. (2007). The gifted rating scales-school form: An analysis of the standardization sample based on age, gender, race, and diagnostic efficiency. Gifted Child Quarterly, 51(1), 39-50. Reis, S.M., & Renzulli, J.S. (2011). Myth1: The gifted and talented constitute one single homogeneous group and giftedness is a way of being that stays in the person over time and experiences. Gifted Child Quarterly, 53 (4), 233-235. Rubenstein, L.D., & Wilson, H.E. (2011). Spicing up classroom using creative challenges. Gifted Child Today, 34 (2), 57-65. Wikipedia. (2011). Intelligence quotient. Retrieved from http://www.wikipedia.com.