Comparisons and analyses of gifted students’ characteristics and learning methods

Abstract

Using PISA 2009, an international education database, this study compares gifted and talented (GT) students in three groups with normal (non-GT) students by examining student characteristics, reading, schooling, learning methods, and use of strategies for understanding and memorizing. Results indicate that the GT and non-GT gender distributions show differences; GT groups’ reading time, reading material types, and level of interests are higher than or different from non-GT, but their use of library is not. Furthermore, teacher–student relationships of GT groups are better than those of non-GT, but their attitudes toward school show no differences. Results of t-tests reveal that two learning methods are employed significantly more often by GT than by non-GT, but a third method is used less by GT students.