Introduction
Understanding parental attitudes towards giftedness and gifted education is fundamental to the development of educational policies. The literature suggests that these attitudes can vary widely, influenced by perceptions of elitism, socio-emotional impact and recognition of the special needs of these students. This study aims to identify distinct profiles of parental attitudes and their predictors, using an approach based on latent profile analysis.
Methods
The survey was conducted with 331 parents of students enrolled in a Christian school system in Australia. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire containing 83 items, addressing attitudes towards giftedness and possible predictors. Statistical analyses included exploratory factor analysis (EFA), latent profile analysis (LPA) and multinomial logistic regression to assess factors associated with parental attitudes.
Results
Latent profile analysis encompasses three distinct groups of parents based on their attitudes toward gifted students and gifted education:
Strong Supporters (22%) – Parents who demonstrated highly positive attitudes toward giftedness and specialized educational support.
Moderate Supporters (51%) – Parents with neutral to slightly developed attitudes, without a strong commitment to educational policies outside of giftedness.
Weak Supporters ( Weak Supporters , 27%) – Parents with less integrated views, often associated with perceived elitism and concerns about educational segregation.
The main statistically indicated predictors of parental attitude were:
Perception of one’s own child’s giftedness (p < 0.001, medium-high effect) – Parents who identify their children as gifted are more likely to belong to the strong supporters group.
Perceived socioemotional impact (p < 0.001, large effect) – Parents who see giftedness as beneficial for their children’s emotional and social development are more supportive of differentiated education.
Perceived academic impact (p < 0.001, medium-high effect) – Parents who believe that gifted programs promote better academic outcomes tend to be more supportive of these programs.
Parents’ educational level (p = 0.01, medium effect) – Parents with a higher level of education demonstrate more support for educational policies for gifted children.
Rural versus urban residence (p = 0.04, small effect) – Parents in rural areas tend to have more positive attitudes toward giftedness compared to those in urban areas.
Discussion
The findings suggest that parental attitudes toward giftedness are heterogeneous and influenced by multiple factors, including personal experiences, educational level, and perceptions about academic and socioemotional impacts. The distinction between support for curricular adaptations and support for specialized gifted environments indicates the need for differentiated educational approaches to meet the diverse expectations of parents.
Conclusion
This study contributes to the literature by identifying distinct profiles of parental attitudes and the factors that influence them. The results may help in the formulation of strategies to improve accessibility and support for gifted education, emphasizing the need for greater awareness and communication between schools and families. Future studies should expand the sample and include longitudinal analyses to better understand changes in parental attitudes over time.
Reference:
JUNG, Jae Yup; LEE, Jihyun. Parental attitudes toward gifted students and gifted education: Attitudinal profiles and predictors. Journal of Intelligence , v. 12, n. 48, p. 1-31, 2024. DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence12050048 . Available at: https ://www .mdpi .com /journal /jintelligence .
