Journal of Advanced Academics

This evaluation study investigates whether the Future Problem Solving Program (FPSP) accomplishes its goals of helping students enhance their creative thinking abilities, awareness of and interest in the future, as well as communication, problem solving, teamwork, and research skills. Two hundred five students and 32 teacher-coaches completed the survey instruments: What I Learned instrument for students and What My Students Have Learned instrument for coaches. Findings indicate that (a) students and teacher-coaches feel that the FPSP is accomplishing its goals, (b) teacher-coaches' perceptions were significantly more positive than students' perceptions regarding the accomplishment, and (c) Junior (grades 4–6) division students were significantly more positive than Middle (grades 7–9) or Senior (grades 10–12) division students. Discussion of the findings are provided and further studies are suggested.

Affective factors play a critical role in mathematics learning and instruction. Evidence of negative attitudes and high levels of anxiety toward mathematics is abundant. Since math anxiety is widespread and the need for the understanding of mathematics is critical to success in school, secondary teachers need practical classroom strategies to use to relieve these anxious feelings in their high ability students. Bibliotherapy is one such strategy through which secondary students may gain helpful insights to deal with their math anxiety. The article provides a lesson plan featuring Math Curse and then suggests available literature dealing with math anxiety.

In an exploratory outcome study, the social self-concepts of four gifted high school students attending a rigorous residential program were examined as they participated in a social skills workshop. Subjects participated in a pre-test measurement of their global self-concept using the Marsh Self-Description Questionnaire III which differentiates between social self-concept and academic self-concept. The subjects then participated in a three-week social skills workshop that was patterned after the Culcross and Jenkins-Friedman (1988) model. A post-test self-concept measurement was gathered Contrary to the hypothesis, the subjects did not demonstrate an increase in their social self-concepts. Implications of this study and suggestions for future research are presented.

Historically, the psychosocial development of minority gifted students has received little attention. The purpose of this study was to assess how gifted, low income, minority eighth grade students self reported on various psychosocial dimensions while attending a three-year high school preparatory program. Locus of control, peer relations, leadership, and community orientation emerged as dominant themes. Subjects consisted initially of 44 African American, Filipino, and Hispanic students (of which 24 were eventually interviewed). Both questionnaires and targeted one-on-one interviews were used. Responses differed between genders, with females showing more external locus of control, fragmented peer relations, decreased sense of community, and heightened career aspirations. The role of school climate is discussed in terms of adolescent adjustment.