Most gifted students feel supported, but one in three feel stigmatized

Gifted students are often placed in separate classes under different expectations. And while some experience school just like any other kid, a recent study from the University of Georgia found some gifted students face challenges their peers don’t.

About one in three gifted students said they struggled to connect with others and didn’t feel like they belonged in the new study. Some felt isolated because they were labeled as gifted while others believed teachers and fellow students treated them differently because they were gifted.

“It was surprising that only about one-third of the gifted students reported feeling some sort of stigma related to their giftedness,” said lead author Shannon Carter, a recent graduate from UGA’s Mary Frances Early College of Education and an eighth grade science teacher. “I really thought that would be a higher number.

“We anticipated that more students might report struggles, but it was good to know that most of them were just like their non-gifted peers.”

Being ‘gifted’ may mean higher expectations, more work

The researchers surveyed 748 middle and high school students from a large school district in the southeastern U.S. for the study. More than 250 were part of their school’s gifted program.

Most gifted and non-gifted students reported similar school experiences, such as getting along with their peers and feeling engaged with their work.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t always the case.

"For any student, we have to see them as a whole person.” —Shannon Carter, College of Education

Students identified as gifted often excel in their classes and have access to unique opportunities and greater independence. But with those benefits often come higher expectations.

“I’ve had parents say, ‘I don’t want my kid tested because I don’t want them challenged. I don’t want them to feel pressure,” Carter said. “For some of the students, they feel that ‘If I’m in these classes, I have to perform.’”

This mindset may be frightening for kids, Carter said, as they may think they will have to do more work and their assignments will be judged more harshly. These concerns can be common, but with the right support, many students thrive in gifted programs.

Emotional, social needs should be a focus for teachers

Difficulties with mental health or making friends aren’t exclusive to gifted students.

In 2021, about 42% of students reported feeling sad or hopeless, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One in three said they experienced poor mental health.

And though not every gifted student feels stigmatized and not every student experiences mental health challenges, teachers should be trained to know what to do if issues arise, the researchers said.

“For any student, we have to see them as a whole person,” Carter said. “And if we’re only meeting their academic needs, but we overlook the social and emotional, then we can be failing our students.”

The study was published in Psychology in the Schools and co-authored by Ayse Hilal Avci and Sakhavat Mammadov.