An Analysis Of Stanley's Talent Search From Chinese Perspective

How to identify and discover gifted and talented students and teach them according to their aptitude is a key topic in the field of gifted and talented education, for which many education researchers have made great efforts. Talent Search, developed by Julian C. Stanley in America, is now considered as one of the most wide-welcomed and systematical methods to identify and develop gifted children in the field of gifted and talented education in America. Because little attention to the method is paid and little research is made on its application by mainlanders, this study aims at exploring Talent Search from a whole. For approaching the purpose, reading and analyzing relevant references are the most essential step. This study employs analytical method, historical method, inductive method and comparative method as instruments, and focuses on the points of view such as history and context, status, characteristics and evaluation of Talent Search. The intention of the dissertation is to make more researchers and scholars in field of education in China have a better understand of Talent Search as well as the status and trend of gifted and talented education in America, and a deeper reflection for the current situation of gifted and talented education in China.The whole dissertation covers five parts. Part one with title of introduction focuses on the literature review and the paper design. Part two introduces history of Talent Search, its content and the context in which Talent Search developed, that is, the development of identification and education of gifted and talented children, the education and research experience of Julian C. Stanley, and the development of Research University in American. Part three introduces status of Talent Search, including its conduct institute, identification process, educational programs, other services provided for gifted and talented students, and its trend. Part four mainly analyses the characteristics and various evaluations of Talent Search. There are mainly five characteristics from the aspect of its identification and education of academically gifted and talented students, that is, taking above-level testing as the main way to identify academically gifted and talented students; designing various supplemental educational programs according to students' testing results; taking universities as the place to identify and develop Pre-college academically gifted and talented students; close cooperation with local schools and parents; combining theory with practice closely. Talent Search is a qualified method according to Pre-K-Grade 12 Gifted Programs Standards made by NAGC. And there are also evaluations from researchers and participants of Talent Search. Finally, based on the results mentioned above, conclusions and suggestions as well as further research are provided.