The Peer Status of Gifted Children Across Educational Settings

• Main Author: Cunningham, Angela
• Format: Others
• Published: TopSCHOLAR® 1995
• Subjects: Education; Psychology
• Online Access: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/904; http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1907&context=theses

Although previous studies have examined the peer status of gifted students in upper elementary grades, very little is known about the social status and peer acceptance of gifted children in the lower elementary grades (k-3). In the present study, the researcher compared the peer status of teacher nominated gifted kindergarten children to that of their non-gifted classmates on measures of peer acceptance and social status. Also compared was the peer status of gifted children in the lower elementary grades (1-3) within the regular classroom and an enrichment classroom on measures of peer acceptance and social status. Results indicate that gifted kindergartners were more accepted and more popular than non-gifted classmates. Also, male kindergarten students tended to be less accepted and more rejected than females. There were no significant findings for the ungraded primary classrooms, although there were patterns in the data which suggested that younger gifted children may be more rejected than older gifted children. Future studies should explore this question with a larger sample.