Selection standards of outstanding and talented students in model schools in the governorate of Aden – reality and contemporary trends

Abstract

Abstract

The study aims to identify the selection standards of outstanding and talented students in model schools in the governorate of Aden, reality and contemporary trends. The researcher adopted the longitudinal studies approach, and the design of the one-group to answer the questions of the study. The sample was systematic and randomly chosen from the students of ninth grade of the academic year 2006-2007. The total number of the sample is 1400 students enrolled in a number of districts of Aden which are: Sira, Sheikh Othman, Al-Mansoura, Alsha'ab, Khormaksar, Almeena, and Al-Mua'alla, at the rate of 200 students from each district. The sample also included 100 students who finished ninth grade in the academic year 2006-2007 and were accepted in tenth grade in Albaihani model school. This number is 100% of the total number of the students of level one at Albaihani model school for the academic year 2007-2008. The tool of the study included both; students' rates of ninth grade exam for the academic year 2006-2007 and the marks of the students of level one in Albaihani model school on the IQ Standardized Test for Secondary Stage Students in Yemen Republic, for the academic year 2007-2008.  The test is composed of four main abilities; verbal, numeric, spatial, and inferential. To answer the questions of the study, the researcher used means, standard deviations, Pearson correlation coefficient, and frequencies of the students admitted to Albaihani model school in level one for the academic year 2007-2008, level two students for the academic year 2008-2009 and level three students for the academic year 2009-2010.  The study revealed the criterion used in the selection process of outstanding and talented students admitted to the model school. The study also clarified some contemporary trends in classifying talented and outstanding students, in addition to how to derive norm-referenced standards to classify the students based on individual differences. What's more,  the study showed deficiencies in assessment methods followed in classifying outstanding and talented students as they are considered the potential candidates to be admitted to model schools. It was also found that there is no significant correlation between students achievement rates and their total marks on the IQ standardized test for secondary stage students in Yemen Republic. Besides, results revealed that ninth grade exams has no predictive validity as the numbers of students decreased in tenth, eleventh and twelfth grades. The study concluded that the more varied the sources of the data obtained,  the lower the error rate in the selection process, especially if these data were dealt with using sound scientific methods. To achieve the purposes of using the talented detection standards, attention should be given to the exams' psychometric parameters used to detect the outstanding and talented students considering individual differences