In recent years the social and emotional development of gifted and talented students has gained

considerable attention, although much of the research literature is opinion-based and few
empirical studies exist. This study combined quantitative and qualitative research methods to
examine secondary school teachers' perceptions of potential internal and external problems
facing gifted and talented adolescents and the frequency of use of certain teacher practices
relating to classroom climate, curriculum, and instructional strategies that address adolescent
social and emotional development. A new instrument, Teacher Perceptions and Practices: Social
and Emotional Development of Adolescents (TPP-SEDA), was developed for this study.
Quantitative questionnaire data were collected from 132 teachers of grades 7-12 from different
regions of the country and these questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive and other
univariate statistics. Qualitative procedures included interviews and observations with 16
teachers in 4 geographically diverse regions.

Quantitative results indicated that teachers do not perceive most internal issues, with the
exception of unhealthy perfectionism, to be problematic to any greater degree for gifted students
than for average ability students. External problems, specifically teacher and parent pressure to
perform at high levels, were perceived as negatively influencing students' learning and behavior
to a greater extent for gifted students than for average ability students. Teachers reported using
acceleration, enrichment, and independent study more frequently as curriculum modifications for
gifted students than for average ability students. Teachers employed grouping variations most
frequently as an instructional strategy to address social concerns for both average ability and
gifted students in the classroom. Qualitative results suggest that teachers' concerns about
addressing their students' social and emotional development are lack of training, lack of
awareness of the major issues, fear of making a mistake or overstepping professional boundaries,
lack of time due to curriculum issues and class size, and levels of parental involvement.

Meredith Greene earned her doctorate in educational psychology with a concentration in gifted
education and talent development at the University of Connecticut. Her primary research areas in
the field of gifted education are social and emotional development, career counseling, and gender
issues. Dr. Greene is currently a high school teacher and guidance counselor in Nova Scotia,
Canada. E-mail: mjgreene@bridgetown.ednet.ns.ca