Degree Name

EdD (Doctor of Education)

Program

Educational Leadership

Date of Award

August 1982

Abstract

The problem of this study was to determine if young gifted and talented students who participate in a special program of the fine arts score significantly higher on tests of intelligence, language arts achievement, creativity, and personality than young gifted and talented students who do not participate in the program. For the study 102 students from kindergarten, first, second and third grades were selected. At the end of the study, ninety-seven students were posttested. Five students had moved from the school district. The students were selected for the program on the basis of teacher recommendations and on the basis of scores acquired on tests of intelligence, achievement, and creativity. Students selected for the program were additionally administered a personality pretest. Following participation in the fine arts program they were administered posttests in the four areas. The following questions were considered: (1) Does participation in a fine arts program significantly enhance the test scores of young gifted and talented students in the areas of intelligence, language arts achievement, creativity, and personality? (2) Does participation in a fine arts program and in an additional home component of the program significantly enhance the test scores of young gifted and talented students in the areas of intelligence, language arts achievement, creativity, and personality? (3) Does the basis of selection for a special program for gifted and talented students significantly influence the test scores in the area by which the student was selected? The study revealed that gifted and talented students at certain grade levels who participated in a fine arts program for a minimum of one hour per week scored significantly higher on tests of intelligence and on tests of creativity than young gifted and talented students who did not participate in the program. The study also revealed that students selected for the program on the basis of creativity showed significant increases in test scores of intelligence when compared with students selected on the basis of intelligence or language arts achievement.

Document Type

Dissertation - unrestricted

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