Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of DISCOVER, a performance-based assessment, in identifying gifted students in Lebanon. DISCOVER is grounded in Gardner’s MI theory and consists of tasks involving problem-solving and creative abilities. The sample consisted of 49 middle-class 5-th graders, with a mean age of 10.2 years attending a private school in Beirut, Lebanon. High correlations were found between the participants’ DISCOVER ratings and their corresponding school grades in mathematical, spatial analytical and written linguistic intelligences. Discrepancies were found between students’ grades and corresponding DISCOVER ratings in spatial artistic and oral linguistic intelligences. However, 19% of the participants were identifi ed, with no gender differences.Findings were corroborated by interviews with the teachers. The researcher concludes the DISCOVER instrument holds promise for identifying gifted Lebanese children, but advises research on larger samples of Lebanese students should be conducted before drawing solid conclusions
Citation:
Sarouphim, K. M. (2007). DISCOVER travels to Lebanon. Gifted and Talented International, 22(2), 45-53.
