Date of Award
6-25-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Education
First Advisor
Sherrie Wisdom
Second Advisor
Roger "Mitch" Nasser Jr.
Third Advisor
Jackie Ramey
Abstract
The field of gifted education has been present in America since the early 20th century (Jolly, 2009). After scholars developed a list of gifted characteristics in the 1950s, the concept of giftedness became far more controversial (Terman & Oden, 1959). Over the last 75 years, gifted education in America has gone from a shining star to complete ambiguity, owing partially to politics and partially to decentralized process (Ford, 2013; Gallagher, 2015; Hodges et al., 2018). This study included an examination of the gifted experience from the secondary to post-secondary environments. The researcher examined various qualitative and quantitative secondary data, including conferences and grades data from School A (267 gifted students), as well as post-secondary survey data from College A, to further long-standing scholarship from gifted education into the post-secondary environment, determine areas of growth for collegiate institutions, and form mutually beneficial recommendations for institutions and the gifted populations attending them. The data yielded mixed results. The secondary data indicated students sought understanding mentors and rigorous content in classes, but did not illustrate many overarching academic, social, or affective concerns. Due to insufficient results from the post-secondary level, however, the researcher was not able to draw definitive conclusions; overall findings from the study demonstrated that the methods, tools, and educational philosophies used may lead to useful recommendations toward supporting and providing opportunities for gifted populations during their transition from secondary to post-secondary academic careers regarding: administrative systems development at the collegiate level, professional development for educators, and social/affective guidance at institutions.
Recommended Citation
Villet, Justin, "Giftedness in a Post-Secondary Environment: Academic, Social, and Affective Results and Recommendations" (2025). Dissertations. 797.
https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/dissertations/797