Modeling Causal Relationships Among Giftedness Structure Variables

Abstract

The present research aimed at identifying the interrelationships between cognitive, meta-cognitive, and extra-cognitive abilities, and exploring the paths of causal relationships between the constituent variables of the model, as well as verifying the suitability of the structural model with its various components in the interpretation of giftedness. The research sample consisted of (130) male and female students in secondary grades one and two in Technology and Sciences School for gifted in Cairo (STEM Egypt), (32) female students, and (98) male students. The sample's aged between (15-17) years with an average of 15.87 years and a standard deviation of 1.13 degree. The instruments of the study were applied on them after checking their psychometric properties. These tools were: Raven's Progressive Matrices test (Abu Hatab, 1977), and Torrance creative thinking test (photo B) (Sulaiman & Abu Hatab, 1976), as well as a computerized battery that includes a computerized task specific metacognitive skills test, and a computerized Extra-cognitive abilities scale. The research concluded that there is a high impact of meta-cognitive abilities on cognitive abilities, except achievement, and high impact of extra-cognitive abilities on meta-cognitive skills. The results also showed the relevance of the proposed model with its variables in the interpretation of giftedness structure. Keywords: giftedness structure model, developmental cognitive theory of giftedness, meta cognitive abilities, extra-cognitive abilities.