May Research Roundup
Each month, Gifted Child Quarterly (GCQ) publishes research that advances our understanding of gifted education, but finding the time to read and translate that research into practice can be a challenge.
This Research Roundup brings together all recent GCQ articles, paired with plain-language summaries that make the findings clear, relevant, and actionable for educators, leaders, and advocates.
Whether you’re looking to stay current on the latest research or quickly grasp key takeaways, this roundup is your starting point.
Dorit Meyer and Bracha Kramarski
How to Help Gifted Students with High Levels of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Symptoms Develop Self-Efficacy in Mathematics
Why Was This Study Done?
Some gifted students (with high cognitive abilities) also show elevated symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), such as distractibility, restlessness, and impulsivity. These students often report lower self-efficacy in mathematics. Research has shown that students with higher self-efficacy tend to perform better academically than those with lower self-efficacy. Therefore, this study examined which factors help gifted students with high levels of ADHD symptoms develop stronger self-efficacy in math.
What did the Researchers do?
The researchers followed 88 gifted students in Israel throughout seventh grade, a key transition year into middle school. At both the beginning and the end of the school year, students completed questionnaires on their ADHD symptoms and their math self-efficacies. The study also looked at four sources that help build self-efficacy: mastery experiences (succeeding in the past), vicarious experiences (learning by watching others), social persuasion (encouragement and feedback), and physiological states (how calm or stressed they felt).
What did the Researchers Find?
Gifted students with high levels of ADHD symptoms tended to report lower self-efficacy in math. This was explained by the four sources of self-efficacy: they had fewer successful experiences in math, felt less calm and focused during math tasks, received less encouragement from others, and had no role models for successful performance.
Why Does This Matter?
Teachers and parents can help gifted students with high levels of ADHD symptoms improve their math self-efficacy by strengthening its four sources: providing opportunities for success, offering encouragement, supporting physical and emotional regulation, and enabling learning through both peer observation and exposure to positive role models. Enhancing self-efficacy may help these students better manage math challenges and reach their potential.
Sex Differences in Underachievement and Social-Emotional Functioning of Gifted Students
Ophelie Allyssa Desmet, Tammy J. Byrd, Mariska Poelman, and Marjolijn van Weedenburg
This study looked at whether boys and girls with high intelligence perform differently in school and what factors might explain any differences. Researchers studied 280 Dutch seventh-grade students who were all attending an academically challenging pre-university track. The key findings showed that while boys scored slightly higher on intelligence tests, girls actually performed better in school across all subjects—including general academics, language arts, and science/math courses. Boys were about twice as likely as girls to be “underachievers”—meaning their school grades were much lower than expected based on their high intelligence.
The researchers found that underachievement often affects multiple school subjects at once rather than just one area. For example, three-quarters of students who underachieved in language arts also underachieved in science and math. This pattern was especially strong for boys. Students who underachieved showed lower motivation for schoolwork and reported feeling less emotionally well compared to their achieving peers. However, both achieving and underachieving students showed similar levels of curiosity and confidence in their academic abilities. These findings suggest that having high intelligence does not automatically lead to good grades, and that boys may face particular challenges in translating their abilities into academic success. The results highlight the importance of identifying underachieving students early and providing support that addresses not just academic skills but also motivation and emotional well-being. Understanding these patterns can help teachers and parents better support all gifted students in reaching their potential.
