A comparative study of teachers’ beliefs about gifted students’ leadership talent

ABSTRACT Despite the likely relevance of socio-cultural context, very few studies have examined the influence of cultural values on teachers’ perceptions of gifted students’ leadership development. This study chose three nations representing collectivistic to individualistic contexts and compared how 478 teachers from these countries (South Korea = 176, 36.8%, Australia = 169, 35.4%, U.S. = 133, 27.8%) differed in their beliefs about the prevalence and development of gifted students’ leadership talent. Differences were found between the individualistic (Australia and the U.S.) and collectivistic (South Korea) settings in their beliefs regarding which students have leadership potential; their judgments about effective leadership styles and leader qualities; their perceptions of gifted students’ qualifications as future leaders; and their preferred criteria for recommending students for a leadership education program. Although unable to identify causal relationships, this study nevertheless cautiously suggests that leadership and leaders are intertwined with culturally mediated values and practices. Future studies should continue examining these differences in cross-cultural comparative contexts.