Attitudes of Adolescent Gifted Girls and Boys toward Education,Achievement,and the Future

Abstract

A questionnaire was administered to 144 gifted girls and 140 gifted boys in grades six through eight who attended a summer institute at The University of Virginia. The questionnaire examined three aspects of the students' lives: expectations about future education, career and family; attitudes about school and school achievement; and their concept of gender differences. Differences were found between boys and girls in all three areas. Gifted boys had strong opinions about their futures and their professional goals but believe their wives should not pursue a career once children are born. They also believe that girls will spend more time taking care of children and home than they (gifted boys) will when they are adults. These findings raise concerns about the realization of potential in gifted females whose attitudes in this study were very different.

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