Abstract:

For decades, numerous models and programs purporting to encourage the nonintellectual characteristics of child development have been debated in curriculum development. However, the growing body of neuro-education research reveals that the processes of the brain are interdependent and interconnected. Curricula cannot simply encourage psychological development in only one area; it must occur simultaneously. The proposed socio-affective approach combines all theories concurrently: encouraging psychological and cognitive, social and behavioral, and emotional and affective development.

Most current definitions and theories of giftedness extend beyond academic abilities to include nonintellectual characteristics. Examining development in these socio-affective domains can provide insight into why some gifted children are not always successful in adulthood despite advanced IQ scores. Particularly whether nonintellectual characteristics of gifted individuals, such as emotional, social and moral capabilities, are as advanced as their intellectual abilities and how these are related to each other. Unique characteristics distinguish gifted individuals; these may appear as strengths, but there is the potential for problems to accompany them. Although many thrive in their school environments, some struggle rather than flourish. In the affective domain, gifted adolescents face special intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental problems. Gifted individuals’ cognitive, psychological, emotional, and physical development occurs in multidimensional layers at different rates and unevenly across ability levels. Therefore, it is important to examine the long-term effects of participation in various gifted and talented programs on the socio-affective development of gifted adolescents.

The first phase of this quasi-experimental longitudinal study examines several gifted education programs (creative arts school, urban charter school, rural school, and suburban school) for moral, social, and emotional psychological development and whether a particular program encourages developmental growth. The second phase unifies multiple models in the three theoretical fields in a curriculum research study merging the socio-affective curriculum with national curricula constructs to determine whether a comprehensive curricular approach encourages growth of all psychological developmental areas simultaneously.

Keywords:

Socio-affective development, gifted education, moral development, socio-affective education.