Investigation of social adaptation problems of gifted students

The main purpose of the study is to reveal the sources of social adaptation problems of gifted students they experience at school. The study used a nested multiple case design. The participants of the study are comprised of second-grade students attending a public school with resource room for gifted pupils. As data collection tools, observations and semi-structured interview form were used. The Walker-McConnell Social Competence and School Adjustment Scale and a sociometric form created by the researcher were used to identify the participants. Potential participants were identified based on scale results and sociograms obtained from the sociometry application. The participants are the gifted pupils who experience social adaptation problems in both their own classrooms and the resource room. Additionally, observations were made in the resource room and in the classrooms to determine the participants. The study had been conducted with six participants who were identified following these observations. To reach the participants' primary environment, interviews were conducted with the participants, their parents, their classroom teachers, and the resource room teachers. The data were analyzed with the help of an analysis group of experts. The analytical actions sequence method was taken as the basis for the analysis. Findings obtained from the analyses catogiresed the sources of social adjustment difficulties the gifted students experience at school under three headings: school-related, family-related, and individual sources. The individual sources were identified as inability to make friendships, exposure to and engagement in bullying behaviors, desire to be a leader, competition and loneliness. Family-related sources are categorised as parental attitudes, imposing excessive responsibility, anxiety caused by being identified as gifted, maintaining an intensive program, low family participation in education, and insecure attachment problems. School-related sources were determined as inadequate educational environment and teacher attitude. Keywords: Gifted, Social adaptation, Social adaptation problem, Resource room