-Tien Wu

Talent identification and development in Taiwan

The rapid development of special education for the gifted in Taiwan from 1962 until the present is summarized. The comprehensive system of gifted education, using either the special class or the pull‐out model, that serve a very large number of learners is described. In Taiwan, high IQ and high overall academic performance learners are called intellectually gifted and those with specific talents in academic subjects (linguistic, mathematics, and national science, in particular), or in aesthetic or athletic domains are called talented. The identification procedure of gifted/talented students in Taiwan is very strict and systematic, based on multi‐assessment and step‐by‐step screening process. Although the number of the students served in the special programs has been steadily increasing, much remains to be done in order to develop the maximum potential of all gifted/talented students. These include proper identification procedures, program expansion and integration.

Development of exceptional academic talent: International research studies

Abstract This monograph deals with descriptions and evaluations of the Math Olympiad programs in five countries: United States, Taiwan, China, Japan, and Russia. This chapter provides the rationale underlying academic competitions that are designed to identify and nurture highly gifted individuals. The chapter also supplies the theoretical framework used in three parallel retrospective studies (United States, Taiwan, China), the results of which are summarized in separate chapters.

The development of school psychological services in Taiwan

Abstract This article reviews the historical development of psychological services in Taiwan schools, identifies some contemporary problems, and suggests possible directions for future developments.

Gifted Education Policies in Taiwan, R.O.C

This paper first proposes a framework of gifted education policy which embodies the hierarchy of policy, sources of policy and influencing factors. The formation of gifted education policy, using USA and Taiwan as examples, is discussed. A review of literature indicates that gifted education policies in Taiwan are characterized by being incorporated into a law with education for the disabled, being initiated by the government, broad definition of giftedness, flexibility in schooling and curriculum design, identification mainly based on tests, enrichment-focused, special qualified teacher, and utilization of community resources. Finally, the results of an empirical survey study conducted in Taiwan are presented in terms of public attitudes toward gifted / talented education, knowledge of gifted education policy, justification of gifted and talented education, support system, and educational strategies.

Current Trends in Gifted and Talented Education in Taiwan, R.O.C.

The paper traces the history of gifted and talented education programs in Taiwan and describes the factors which influence its development, the current goals and nature of gifted programs. The newly established programs such as Sun-Shine Summer Camps, Science Camps, and acceleration programs are discussed. Support systems are noted in four areas: program design, teacher training, resource, and research. The identification procedure emphasizes multiple criterion. After the promulgation of the Special Education Law in 1984 and its supplementary regulations, the rapid growth of the gifted and talented education in Taiwan, R.O.C. has followed.

Vocational Interests of Elementary and Junior High School Students as Related to Intelligence and Sex

本研究的目的有三：(1)探討資優學生、普通學生與智能不足學生的職業興趣所在；(2)比較三組學生的職業興趣之異同；(3)探討兒童生涯發展的影響因素及有效指引。研究樣本取自臺北市三所國小和七所國中，包括192名國小五年級學生和288名國中二年級學生。男女學生人數均衡，惟就智力水準而言，國小組僅有資優與普通二組，國中則包括三組，各組人數亦均相等。根據Holland (1973)的職業類型架構，並參照Barclay (1974)的班級氣氛問卷中之職業覺知量表，自編職業興趣問卷(VII)一種，經預試、項目分析後，正式題目共118題，包括下列六種職業興趣：實用的(realistic)、研究的(investigative)、藝術的(artistic)、社會的(social)、企業的(enterprising)、日常的(conventional)。職業興趣問卷施測後所得結果，藉SPSS電腦程式首先進行主軸因素分析，以探討三組受試職業興趣因素結構之異同，然後以社經地位(SES)爲共變項，實施雙向與三向共變數分析，以探究智力、年級、性別的主效果及其交互作用情形。本研究的主要發現如下：(1)資優學生與普通學生有相似的職業興趣因素結構，卽各有二項因素出現，智能不足組則只出現一項因素，顯示其職業興趣的分化程度較低；(2)在實用的、研究的、藝術的、社會的與日常的等五種職業興趣上，有顯著的年級差異，卽國中組學生較國小組學生顯示較多的興趣；(3)性别差異亦很顯著：男生較喜愛實用性與研究性職業，而女生則較喜愛藝術性與社會性的職業；(4)不同智力水準的職業興趣有顯著差異：智能不足組在所有六程職業類型上的興趣均低於其他兩組，這可能意味着智能不足學生較缺乏職業訊息。此外，資優學生在研究性與藝術性兩類職業興趣上，顯示比普通學生有較高度的喜愛，這亦與其本身能力和社會期望相符。本研究的主要涵義如下：(1)應爲國民中小學學生提供廣泛的職業訊息，以充實其生涯發展所需的知識；(2)對資優學生應提供較多研究性與藝術性的職業訊息與學習機會，並培養對工作的正確態度；(3)對智能不足學生應設法增進其對日常生活事務的了解，並提供較佳的學習環境；(4)社會對性别角色的過度强調可能影響個人能力的發展，在敎育生涯的初期，似乎不宜强調社會對男女職業角色的期待，而應首先考慮學生的能力與興趣的發展。 The purposes of this study were: (1) to investigate the vocational interests of the bright, the normal, and the mentally retarded students; (2) to compare vocational interests among the bright, the normal, and the mentally retarded students; (3) to seek influencial factors and effective guidelines in the area of childrens career development. The sample was drawn from ten schools in Taipei city, composed of 192 fifth graders and 288 eight graders. Based on Hollands paradigm (1973), the Vocational Interest Inventory (VII) in Chinese was devised and administered accordingly to the subjects. The VII consists of 118 items of six types of vocational interests, i.e., realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising and conventional. The data obtained were treated by a principle axis factor analysis and two and three-way analysis of covariance with social economic status as covariate. The main findings of this study were as follows: (1) The bright and normal students had similar factor structure in vocational preference, while the retarded showed less differentiation with only one factor emerged. (2) Grade effects were significant on five types of vocational interests, i.e., realistic, investigative, artistic, social and conventional. The higher grade students indicated more interests in these areas. (3) There were significant sex differences in the vocational choice: boys preferred realistic and investigative occupations, while girls preferred artistic and social ones. (4) There were significant intelligence effects: the retarded showed much fewer vocational interests in all types than the other two intelligence groups. It suggests that the retarded might be short of occupational information. On the other hand, the bright students expressed more interests in investigative and artistic domains than normal students. This is in accordance with their abilities as well as social expectations