Abstract:

Objective:
Two and a half (2.5) decades after the demise of an undemocratic dispensation (apartheid) in South Africa and the ratio of previously disadvantaged (black) gifted learners to previously advantaged (white) gifted learners is still inadequate. South African researchers consider the under-representation of previously disadvantaged gifted learners is largely due to the use of traditional methods of identification (that is, intelligence quotient (IQ) and standardized achievement tests). On the international arena researchers created novel non-traditional identification methods (for example, nonverbal tests, student portfolios, affective checklists) to address the issue of under-representation. Our objective was to employ meta-analysis to appraise the overall state of the gifted learner in South Africa for the period 1994 to present.

Methodology:
We searched the Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) library (https://www.cut.ac.za/library) databases for studies reported only for South Africa from 1994 to present. All original research studies, reports and policy documents that reported gifted learner representation were included. Trends in gifted learner representation were analysed.

Results:
This meta-analysis of 20 studies, reports and policy documents with an overall effect size >80 % representing 12 819 542 total learners, provides evidence that non-traditional identification methods, while able to narrow the proportional identification gap between previously disadvantaged and previously advantaged cohorts, are still unable to address the issue of education inequity. An overall risk ratio of 0.28 was calculated for non-traditional methods of identification in comparison with a 0.2 risk ratio for traditional methods. While the non-traditional methods help identify more underrepresented students as gifted, the results of this meta-analysis show that better identification methods (relevant to South Africa) are needed to address inequities in identification outcomes.

Keywords:

Gifted, learners, identification, previously disadvantaged, previously advantaged, meta-analysis, South Africa.