University-based Mentoring Program for School Going Gifted Students

ABSTRACT

Academically gifted students or high potential learners don’t feel challenged in regular classrooms. Teachers in schools are also note quipped with pedagogical interventions to meet the advanced learning needs of gifted students. Mentoring is considered an effective method to guide, motivate and optimize learning abilities of gifted students. The present paper discusses the process of developing a mentoring program for 32 gifted students in Science and Math who were selected through a two-tier identification process. Students were selected from three different locations in India and were invited to attend residential mentoring program in University of Delhi, Delhi. Students were administered Wechsler Intelligence Test (WISC) IV, Test of Intelligence and were closely observed during the mentoring session. Statistic alanalysis of WISC IV composite score and composite observation score indicated high positive correlation between the two scores and 93.75% students scored in top three categories of intelligence as specified in WISC IV score interpretation norm. Detailed qualitative analysis also helped to develop both learning profiles and a specific mentoring program for individual students.

KEYWORDS:

• Mentor
• mentoring
• learning profiles
• gifted student

Acknowledgments

The project was initiated, funded and monitored by the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India from the year 2014-2019. The Director, teaching faculty and students at Cluster Innovation Centre, University of Delhi provided their valuable inputs and support during the mentoring program.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India [Prn.SA/ADV/Gifted/Phase-2/2014 (G), Government of India].

Notes on contributors

Jyoti Sharma

Prof. Jyoti Sharma is a Professor in Education at Cluster Innovation Centre, University of Delhi. She is a math pedagogue and works with gifted and talented students, teachers, curriculum development and identification processes.

B. Biswal

Prof. B. Biswal is a Professor in physics at Cluster Innovation Centre. He works in research areas of non-linear dynamics, computational neuroscience, and complex networks and teaches engineering physics, design thinking, innovation & entrepreneurship, and ICT technology in mathematics pedagogy.

Pankaj Tyagi

Prof. Pankaj Tyagi is an academician with a teaching experience of more than 28 years at the University of Delhi. He works in the field of innovation at the undergraduate level, physics, electronics and innovative pedagogy. He has also contributed to the school education system through work on gifted education, writing books and talks on innovation.

Shobha Bagai

Prof. Shobha Bagai is currently Professor and Director at the Cluster Innovation Centre, University of Delhi. She is a distinguished educator, researcher and visionary administrator who has made remarkable contributions to academia through innovative teaching methodologies, transformative administrative initiatives, and groundbreaking research. She has also authored two seminal books and her publications serve as cornerstones in her field, providing insights and perspectives that continue to influence researchers and practitioners alike