Actualizing Talent in Physics: A Qualitative Study of Gifted Finnish Upper-Secondary-School Physics Students

This qualitative study used in-depth interviews to investigate how gifted Finnish upper-secondary-school physics students (N = 24) actualize their physics talent in their career choices. The data were analyzed using inductive content analysis. Half of the students had their primary career choice in natural sciences and engineering (NS&E). The study further identified students’ perspectives related to their career decision-making, including the reasons for their career choices, perceived quantity and quality of career information in physics and related domains, and the sources of such information. Moreover, students’ perspectives on the different ways of actualizing physics talent were explored. The analysis revealed gender differences in students’ career choices as well as a strong overall need for more career information in physics-related fields. The findings can be used by policymakers, school counselors, and teachers to identify the factors that contribute to the career decision-making processes of gifted physics-oriented students.

[1]  K. Tirri.  Giftedness in the Finnish educational culture , 2021, Gifted Education International.

[2]  M. Burton.  Career and Life Planning for Gifted Adolescents , 2021, the Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children.

[3]  J. Niemela.  Physics for a better world , 2021, Nature Physics.

[4]  J. Y. Jung,et al.  After the International Mathematical Olympiad: The Educational/Career Decisions and the Development of Mathematical Talent of Former Australian Olympians , 2021 .

[5]  R. Sternberg.  Transformational Giftedness: Rethinking Our Paradigm for Gifted Education , 2020 .

[6]  Susannah M. Wood,et al.  Supporting the career development of gifted students: New role and function for school psychologists , 2020 .

[7]  Enyi Jen,et al.  The gender role and career self-efficacy of gifted girls in STEM areas , 2019 .

[8]  Andrei Cimpian,et al.  How Do We Encourage Gifted Girls to Pursue and Succeed in Science and Engineering? , 2018, Gifted Child Today.

[9]  M. Kollmayer,et al.  Gender stereotypes in education: Development, consequences, and interventions , 2018 .

[10]  Mervi A. Asikainen,et al.  The influence of parents, teachers, and friends on ninth graders’ educational and career choices , 2018 .

[11]  Daniel Patrick Balestrini,et al.  The Learning and Educational Capital of Male and Female Students in STEM Magnet Schools and in Extracurricular STEM Programs: A Study in High-Achiever-Track Secondary Schools in Germany , 2017 .

[12]  Lia D. Falco.  The School Counselor and STEM Career Development , 2017 .

[13]  Christopher G. Kolar,et al.  Parent or guardian characteristics and talented students’ persistence in STEM 1 , 2017 .

[14]  P. Olszewski-Kubilius,et al.  Factors That Contributed to Gifted Students’ Success on STEM Pathways: The Role of Race, Personal Interests, and Aspects of High School Experience , 2017 .

[15]  J. Y. Jung.  Occupational/Career Decision-Making Thought Processes of Adolescents of High Intellectual Ability , 2017 .

[16]  Robert W. Lent,et al.  Social Cognitive Career Theory in a Diverse World , 2017 .

[17]  M. Steffens,et al.  Traditional Masculinity and Femininity: Validation of a New Scale Assessing Gender Roles , 2016, Front. Psychol..

[18]  Enyi Jen,et al.  Social and Affective Concerns High-Ability Adolescents Indicate They Would Like to Discuss With a Caring Adult , 2016 .

[19]  Michelle C. Muratori,et al.  Guiding the Talent and Career Development of the Gifted Individual , 2015 .

[20]  Angela Byars-Winston.  Toward a Framework for Multicultural STEM-Focused Career Interventions. , 2014, The Career development quarterly.

[21]  Lori Andersen,et al.  Expectancy-Value Models for the STEM Persistence Plans of Ninth-Grade, High-Ability Students: A Comparison Between Black, Hispanic, and White Students , 2014 .

[22]  Henriette Tolstrup Holmegaard,et al.  To Choose or Not to Choose Science: Constructions of desirable identities among young people considering a STEM higher education programme , 2014 .

[23]  J. Ritchie,et al.  Qualitative Research Practice: A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers , 2013 .

[24]  Charles P. Chen,et al.  Career counseling for gifted students , 2013 .

[25]  J. Y. Jung.  Giftedness as a Developmental Construct That Leads to Eminence as Adults , 2012 .

[26]  Ellen Karoline Henriksen,et al.  Participation in science and technology: young people’s achievement‐related choices in late‐modern societies , 2011 .

[27]  F. Gagné,et al.  Motivation within the DMGT 2.0 framework , 2010 .

[28]  James J. Watters,et al.  Career Decision Making Among Gifted Students: The Mediation of Teachers , 2010 .

[29]  Sharan B. Merriam,et al.  Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation , 2009 .

[30]  D. Lubinski,et al.  Ability Differences Among People Who Have Commensurate Degrees Matter for Scientific Creativity , 2008, Psychological science.

[31]  Helvi Kyngäs,et al.  The qualitative content analysis process. , 2008, Journal of advanced nursing.

[32]  Angela M. Housand.  Talented Children and Adults: Their Development and Education , 2008 .

[33]  M. Maxwell.  Career Counseling Is Personal Counseling: A Constructivist Approach to Nurturing the Development of Gifted Female Adolescents. , 2007 .

[34]  Meredith J. Greene.  Helping Build Lives: Career and Life Development of Gifted and Talented Students: , 2006 .

[35]  J. Yoo,et al.  Counseling Needs of Gifted Students: An Analysis of Intake Forms at a University-Based Counseling Center , 2006 .

[36]  Anna Cleaves,et al.  The formation of science choices in secondary school , 2005 .

[37]  D. Lubinski,et al.  Mathematically facile adolescents with math-science aspirations: New perspectives on their educational and vocational development. , 2002 .

[38]  A. Orb,et al.  Ethics in qualitative research. , 2001, Journal of nursing scholarship : an official publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

[39]  Steven D. Brown,et al.  Toward a Unifying Social Cognitive Theory of Career and Academic Interest, Choice, and Performance , 1994 .

[40]  A. Bandura.  Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory , 1985 .

[41]  Sonja Laine,et al.  Finnish Conceptions of Giftedness and Talent , 2020, Conceptions of Giftedness and Talent.

[42]  J. Lavonen,et al.  General and Physics-Specific Mindsets about Intelligence and Giftedness: A Study of Gifted Finnish Upper-Secondary-School Students and Physics Teachers , 2020 .

[43]  Susannah M. Wood,et al.  Career counseling and the gifted individual: Applying social cognitive career theory to the career decision making of gifted individuals. , 2018 .

[44]  Daniel Schraad-Tischler.  Social Justice in the EU – Index Report 2015Social Inclusion Monitor Europe , 2016 .

[45]  H. Shapiro.  Does the EU need more STEM graduates?: final report , 2015 .

[46]  Marilyn L. Mitchell,et al.  In-Depth Interviews , 2013 .

[47]  R. Subotnik,et al.  Rethinking Giftedness and Gifted Education : A Proposed Direction Forward Based on Psychological Science , 2011 .

[48]  D. Lubinski,et al.  Beyond the Threshold Hypothesis: Even Among the Gifted and Top Math/Science Graduate Students, Cognitive Abilities, Vocational Interests, and Lifestyle Preferences Matter for Career Choice, Performance, and Persistence , 2010 .

[49]  V. Meisalo,et al.  STUDENTS’ MOTIVATIONAL ORIENTATIONS AND CAREER CHOICE IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A COMPARATIVE INVESTIGATION IN FINLAND AND LATVIA , 2008 .

[50]  L. Cohen,et al.  Research methods in education, 6th ed. , 2007 .

[51]  Svein Sjøberg.  Science and scientists: the SAS-study : cross-cultural evidence and perspectives on pupils' interests, experiences and perceptions : background, development and selected results , 2000 .

[52]  J. Piirto.  Talented Children and Adults: Their Development and Education. , 1994 .