The relationship between temperament characteristics of gifted and typically developing children and their moral sensitivity

This study aimed to examine the relationship between temperament characteristics and moral sensitivities of gifted and typically developing students. For this purpose, in the research designed according to the relational scanning model, the data were collected from students registered in the field of general mental ability attending private and public primary and secondary schools affiliated to the Ministry of National Education in the city center of Edirne and Şehit Nefize Çetin Özsoy Science and Art Center in the 2022-2023 academic year and collected from their parents. The sample group consists of a total of 100 students and 100 parents, including 50 gifted students and 50 typically developing students and their parents, who agreed to participate in the research voluntarily. As a data collection tool; Demographic Information Form including family structure, family socioeconomic status, family educational status, participant child gender, school type, Temperament Scale for School-Age Children (OCÇMÖ), Moral Maturity Scale for Children (ÇAOÖ) and Moral Reasoning Scenarios (AAM scenarios) developed by the researcher were used. Descriptive analysis and content analysis, Independent sample group t-test, Pearson Correlation coefficient, one-way ANOVA and two-way ANOVA were used to analyze the data. According to the results obtained from the analysis; when moral reasoning scenarios prepared according to Kohlberg's moral development theory of gifted and typically developing students were examined, it was found that majority of both groups were in the Law and Order stage. In the study, when the difference and relationship between students' temperament and moral maturity levels according to their giftedness or typical development status were examined; It has been determined that the moral maturity of typically developing students is higher than gifted students, but there is no difference in other sub-dimensions of morality and temperament characteristics. According to the "Exam-helpfulness Scenario" prepared regarding Kohlberg's moral development theory, no significant difference was found between the moral development levels and temperaments of gifted and typically developing students. According to the "Peer-Prejudice Scenario", there is no significant difference between the moral development levels and temperaments of gifted typically developing students, but there is a significant difference in the Tendency to Obey Morality and Avoid Punishment (Dependent Morality) in both groups; In this case, it was determined that the traditional level was higher than the post-traditional level. According to the "Homework-Obedience Scenario", it was concluded that there was no difference between the temperament characteristics and moral development of both gifted and typically developing students, and that both groups were clustered at the Traditional level in terms of moral level. When the difference between the temperament and moral maturity levels of gifted and typically developing students according to their gender is examined; For both groups, it was determined that the scores were in favor of girls in the Temperament-Approach-Avoidance dimension and in favor of boys in the Temperament-Activity dimension. Finally, it was concluded that there was no significant difference in the temperament and moral scores of gifted and typically developing students according to grade level.