Full Title: A Case for Affective Education: Addressing the Social and Emotional Needs of Gifted Students in the Classroom
Professionals in the field of gifted education have documented the affective characteristics of gifted individuals as well as the social and emotional needs related to those characteristics (Clark 2002; Cohen & Frydenberg, 1996; Cross, 2003; Delisle, 1987; Roeper, 1995; Silverman, 1993). Despite the evidence and support provided by the literature, proactive attention to the affective domain is often overlooked in many schools unless it is in reaction to overt threats or maladaptive behavior identified by the school community (Peterson, 2003).
Defining the Term
There are many theories which attest to the connection between the affective domain and cognitive processing. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Dabrowski’s theory of positive disintegration and overexcitabilities, Kohlberg’s stages of moral development, and Krathwohl’s affective taxonomy all address aspects of the social-emotional milieu as they relate to cognition. These theories provide a foundation for numerous definitions of affective education. Some elements associated with affective education include:
- individualized value systems (Krathwohl, Bloom & Masia, 1964)
- attitudes, beliefs, and values (Sellin & Birch, 1980)
- interests and appreciations (Carin & Sund, 1978)
- persistence, independence, and self-concept (Levey & Dolan, 1988)
- feelings, emotions, and awareness of self and others (Treffinger, Borgers, Render & Hoffman, 1976)
- interpersonal relations (Treffinger, et al., 1976)
- humanitarianism (Weinstein & Fantini, 1970)
- curiosity, risk-taking, complexity, and imagination (Williams, 1970)
- character and leadership (Delisle, 2002)
Why Is It Important?
With factors such as these linked to gifted education, the affective domain should be given a priority in school curricula. Amid emphasis on standardized testing and accountability, there is a pressing need to incorporate strategies that balance cognitive and affective development.
Morelock (1992) defines asynchronous development in gifted individuals as uneven rates of development across cognitive, affective, and physical domains. When curriculum focuses solely on the cognitive realm, other domains may lag, increasing feelings of being ‘out of sync’ and risking unhealthy coping (e.g., perfectionism, depression). Addressing affective issues helps gifted students develop emotional balance and coping mechanisms that promote reaching personal potential (Roeper, 1995).
As further support, Landrum, Callahan, and Shaklee (2001) incorporated affective components into NAGC standards. Guiding principle #4 states, “Gifted learners must be provided with affective curriculum in addition to differentiated guidance and counseling services.” Inclusion of affective components enhances the whole student rather than focusing solely on cognition.
Reasons For Neglect
Numerous rationales explain why schools often exclude the affective domain from curricula:
- the traditional lack of concern for the affective domain (Tannenbaum, 1983)
- attitudes that emotions should be dealt with at home rather than school (Elgersma, 1981)
- fear of indoctrination (Bloom, Hastings & Madaus, 1971)
- the belief that meeting cognitive needs will automatically yield affective development (Mehrens & Lehman, 1987)
- lack of reliable and valid assessment tools for affective functioning (Levey & Dolan, 1988)
- lack of clarity about optimal levels of affective functioning (Levey & Dolan, 1988)
- the belief that healthy emotional development is automatic (Blackburn & Erikson, 1986)
However, when affective issues are addressed and socio-emotional needs met, students develop emotional balance and coping mechanisms that promote personal potential.
All too often gifted students are told to set aside emotions and focus on academics. Research indicates connections between cognitive and affective functioning (Goleman, 1993). Perceived social status, teacher and peer perceptions, class participation, and self-direction can influence self-concept. Strategies such as safe classroom climates, arts integration, bibliotherapy, character education, service learning, and promoting self-understanding can adapt standards-based curricula to address the affective domain.
Closing Thoughts
Author and poet e. e. cummings wrote: “To be nobody but myself—in a world that is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else—means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting.” As professionals, educators should teach the whole child so students can develop gifts and talents without losing themselves.
Previously published as:
Ferguson, S. A. K. (2006, Winter). A case for affective education: Addressing the social and emotional needs of gifted students in the classroom. Virginia Association for the Gifted Newsletter, 1-3.
Reprinted with permission
References
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