https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5825-3017
When the first volume of the Gifted and Talented International (GTI) journal was published in 1979 (the journal was known as GATE that time), the world of gifted education was experiencing a transformative decade with growing interest in exceptional talent and creativity. Since then, gifted education has spread all over the world with the unique goal of meeting the academic and psychosocial needs of gifted learners. Celebrating its 45th year, GTI continues to grow its motivation to share current theory, research, and practice in gifted education with its audience of international educators, scholars, researchers, and parents. This milestone year marks not only the rich history of our journal but also an exciting new chapter as interim co-editors of the journal, taking over from esteemed scholar Dr Sheyla Blumen from Peru. We are very thankful for her contributions during her tenure as Editor-in-Chief. Together, we, Alex and Kadir, will oversee the journal’s operations until the end of the year, working closely with our associate editors, editorial board, and authors to continue delivering forefront research to our international readers. We are excited and look forward to contributing to new issues of GTI in the coming months.
Celebrating a legacy of excellence
As Leonie Kronborg retired from her tenure as Editor-in-Chief of GTI in 2022, we wanted to celebrate her remarkable contributions to the field of gifted education and her lasting impact on our journal and community. Leonie’s scientific work has focused on eminent women and the professional development of teachers for gifted students. On the one side, her research has explored pathways to eminence in talent development and the unique challenges faced by high-achieving women. On the other side, her research on positive attributes in teachers of gifted students focused on examining opinions, challenging misconceptions, and promoting effective teaching practices. In addition to her latest role as editor, she had also served as reviewer and author. Among her notable articles in GTI are:
What Contributes to Talent Development in Eminent Women?
Passionate and Opportune Engagement to Accomplish or Achieve in Talent Domains Leading to Female Eminence
Control and Resilience: The Importance of an Internal Focus to Maintain Resilience in Academically Able Students
Sources of Global Academic Self-Efficacy in Academically High-Achieving Females Before the Onset of Disordered Eating
Learning to Be a Teacher of the Gifted: The Importance of Examining Opinions and Challenging Misconceptions
What Contributes to Gifted Adolescent Females’ Talent Development at a High-Achieving, Secondary Girls’ School?
The Social Coping of Academically High-Achieving Females Before the Onset of Disordered Eating
Investigating Lebanese Primary School Teachers’ Perceptions of Gifted and Highly Able Students
Threat or Challenge? Teacher Beliefs About Gifted Students and Their Relationship to Teacher Motivation
Leonie’s leadership at GTI has been transformative. Under her guidance, the journal achieved Scopus indexing and rose to a Q3 JCR quartile, enhancing its international recognition and credibility. She strengthened the global aspect of GTI, making certain that the journal truly lived up to its “International” name, as well as ensuring that the voices of women and marginalized authors were represented in the journal. Her leadership brought a sense of fairness and openness to the editorial board. With her thoughtful guidance, the board operated smoothly, fostering a collaborative and respectful environment.
Our personal experiences with Leonie have been enriching. I (Alex) had the privilege of collaborating with her as a Visiting Scholar at Monash University in the Developing Gifted Potential course, immensely enjoying the time I spent both working and strolling around Melbourne with Leonie. Her commitment to talented women was embodied in the negotiations with Monash so that I could bring along my 3-month baby daughter halfway around the globe from Paraguay to Australia, thereby making this trip and work possible. This collaboration led to the collection and analysis of data, which culminated in a joint presentation at the European Council for High Ability conference.
It has been almost 15 years since I first met Leonie on a burning summer day in Tucson, Arizona. I (Kadir) was a doctoral student at the University of Arizona, and she was a visiting scholar from Australia at our program. I remember like yesterday how she was confident and motivated when she was delivering her inspiring lecture on eminent women. Almost a decade later, this time on a very cold Wisconsin morning, I received a thrilling e-mail from her inviting me to serve as an associate editor for GTI. She was the person encouraging me to start my GTI journey. From the moment I first met her, her dedication, leadership, and unwavering support have left a lasting impact on me. I remember many incidents where her expertise and creativity not only guided and inspired many of us on the GTI team, especially during the unprecedented atmosphere of the novel Coronavirus. As she moves on, I am filled with gratitude for her collegiality and mentorship, and I know her legacy will continue to influence our work forever.
With permission, we share a testimonial from Barbara Kerr, one of our Associate Editors:
Dear Leonie,
You took this journal from a sort of newsletter to a respected scholarly publication – what an accomplishment! You opened the journal to women and marginalized authors and led our editorial board with grace, humor, and many gentle reminders. I cannot thank you enough for all that you did to help me make dreams come true in special issues and new relationships with colleagues I admired. You have been a force in gifted education.
As we celebrate Leonie, we also celebrate the legacy she leaves behind: a journal transformed, a community enriched, and countless lives touched by her dedication and passion. Her impact will resonate for years to come, inspiring future generations in the field of gifted education. Thank you, Leonie, for your extraordinary service and enduring contributions.
Articles in the current issue
The studies presented span a diverse range of topics, from the identification of gifted students and mentoring programs to the experiences of twice-exceptional students and professional development needs of teachers. These articles underscore the importance of inclusive and international perspectives in advancing the field of gifted education.
The article The Identification of Primary School Students Who Are Gifted in Science by Sara Teymoori Pabandi and colleagues investigates cognitive abilities in fourth-grade students to identify those gifted in science in Iran. The analysis found strong correlations between academic achievement and cognitive abilities such as scientific reasoning, reading comprehension, and problem-solving, indicating a significant overlap in identifying gifted students through both academic and cognitive assessments.
Representing South America, in their article Voices of Twice-Exceptional Students in Their First Year of Higher Education Katia Sandoval-Rodríguez and María Leonor Conejeros-Solar explore the experiences of twice-exceptional students during their first year of higher education in Chile. Through narrative interviews, they identified personal and contextual barriers and enabling factors, revealing that despite challenges, students positively view higher education for its diversity and opportunities for self-discovery.
In their article Strategies that Parents of Gifted Children Use in Tense Situations with Teachers in Mixed-Ability Classes Nava Ben Artzey and Mowafaq Qadach study how parents of gifted children handle conflicts with teachers in mixed-ability classrooms in Israel. Using multiple case studies and positioning theory, they identified three parental strategies: enforcing regulations, seeking cooperation, and avoiding interaction, providing insights for teachers to improve dialog with parents.
From India, in the article University-Based Mentoring Program for School-Going Gifted Students, Jyoti Sharma and her colleagues discuss the development of a mentoring program for 32 gifted students in science and math at the University of Delhi. The program, based on a two-tier identification process and supported by WISC-IV scores, demonstrated high correlations between intelligence scores and mentoring outcomes, highlighting the program’s effectiveness.
In Evaluation of the Dimensions of the Mawhiba-IAU Summer Enrichment Program, Omar M. Muammar and Fahad S. Alfaiz examine critical aspects of a Saudi Arabian summer enrichment program for gifted students. Their study found significant correlations between psycho-social skills, logistics, and science content dimensions with overall student satisfaction, emphasizing the importance of these factors in successful enrichment programs.
In Elementary Teachers’ Knowledge, Attitude, and Professional Development Needs Concerning Gifted Students and Their Educational Needs in the Netherlands, Kim Smeets and colleagues assess Dutch elementary teachers’ knowledge, attitudes, and professional development needs regarding gifted students. The study reveals a general lack of knowledge but a positive attitude toward gifted education. Teachers expressed a strong interest in professional development, particularly in activities that are time-efficient and workplace-based.
Together, these articles showcase the innovative work of researchers and the international efforts to enhance gifted education. By sharing diverse experiences and methodologies from around the world, we hope to inspire further research and collaboration in addressing the unique needs of gifted students. The global approach reflected in this issue highlights GTI’s ongoing commitment to improving educational outcomes for gifted individuals across different cultural and educational contexts.