The Life Journey of Gifted Adults: a Narrative Exploration of Developmental Differences By
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The Life Journey of Gifted Adults: a narrative exploration of developmental differences by Maree Gruppetta B.Tch (Primary), B.Ed. (Honours), M.Tch (Spec Ed). A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY from The University of Western Sydney School of Education Volume 1 June, 2009 STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICATION The work presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, original except as acknowledged in the text. I hereby declare that I have not submitted this material, either in full or in part, for a degree at this or any other institution. ………………………………………… Maree Gruppetta ii ABSTRACT The experiences of culturally diverse gifted learners have become a focus for research within the last decade, as have the experiences of gifted adults, yet few of these studies have been completed within Australia. The majority of research currently available in this field within Australia focuses on gifted children or adolescents. This doctoral research investigates the narrative lives of gifted adults across multicultural Australia. Interviews with Indigenous, Asian and European participants provided an array of cultural perspectives, and also represented a range of religious beliefs including Atheist, Buddhist, Christian, and Islamic viewpoints. Their culturally diverse life experiences, education, moral and spiritual development are shared through the presentation of their perspectives, insights and understandings of the phenomenon of giftedness. The study involved a bricolage of qualitative research methodology and data collection strategies, including phenomenology, ethnography, narrative and art inquiry, to inform the research. Therefore the narratives are collected from interview data, value activities and collage work. The research journey is complemented by metaphoric imagery and key themes are also represented visually. The author uses a bicompetent approach to research incorporating both traditional academic and indigenous styles of presentation. The combination of these methodologies and variety of data collection and analysis strategies used resulted in a many faceted, multi-voiced dissertation contributing to the literature on giftedness by exploring an under utilised source, the gifted adults of multicultural Australia, whilst honouring their narrative life stories. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to express her appreciation, and thereby acknowledge the support and assistance of a number of people who have made the completion of this project possible. Special thank you to my main supervisor and mentor, Dr. Janice Hall, for her assistance, expertise, guidance and encouragement throughout the project, and for allowing me to be ‘weird’. Thank you to my co-supervisor Dr. Mary Mooney for her expertise in qualitative research methodology and insight into working with collage elements. Thank you also to my other co-supervisors, Assoc. Prof. Steve Wilson, and initially Prof. Michael Singh, for their ongoing support and expertise throughout the project. Appreciation is also extended to my colleagues at the University of Western Sydney, for their consistent generosity in sharing their expertise throughout the research journey, and in particular to Catherine Camden-Pratt, Barry Harris, Terry Mason, Mona Shrestha, and Colin Webb, for their ongoing support and advice. Special gratitude is extended to Robyn Gregson for the ‘view from afar’ that extended timely insight into thesis elements; Denise Fraser and Linda Newman for their role as ethical sounding boards; and to Marilyn Kell for her feedback on story structure. Also appreciated for their analytical comments, encouragement and the clarification of a myriad of details pertaining to cross cultural proficiency during the various phases of the project are Judy Steele from ‘cross cultural solutions’, and Roseanna Henare-Solomona, for her knowledge of the Maori community. Acknowledgement also of the many academics providing audience to conference presentations, their generosity in providing feedback contributed greatly to the refinement of the thesis. Finally to my husband, Arthur; children, Jordan, Marissa and Mason; and friends, who have encouraged and supported me, and endured both my physical and mental absence during the course of the project, I extend my greatest appreciation, and acknowledge the assistance of my children and foster children with the finer points of computer graphic programs. iv © Gruppetta (2006) Main Image - Illustration 1 - A research journey through metaphoric imagery. v Illustration 1 – ‘A research journey through metaphoric imagery’ (Gruppetta, 2006b). This painting, shown on the previous page, is the final artwork that accompanied the research journey. Elements of this artwork are peppered throughout the dissertation along with collage work and other metaphoric visual images. Each phase of this artwork is explained in detail relating to the relevant section of the thesis, as visual imagery tracking each phase of the research. Each of the collages and metaphoric visual images are also accompanied by text explaining their connotative meaning. However, the full import of this artwork - ‘A research journey through metaphoric imagery’ (Gruppetta, 2006b) will be gradually revealed as it accompanies the unfolding research journey, with a final summative explanation in the conclusion. NOTE TO READERS It should be noted that as this is an Australian dissertation Australian English was used. Therefore words are spelt correctly for Australian usage, for example ‘colour’ rather than ‘color’, and words such as ‘specialisation’ are spelt with an ‘s’ rather than a ‘z’, also words such as ‘learnt’ are acceptable whereas the term ‘learned’ is correct in overseas countries. Where Australian colloquialisms are used, mainly by the research participants, these are explained within text to ensure understanding. The use of terms that may be unclear, or specific terminology pertinent to the discussion, are also clarified within the text. Notes in purple will denote Comments from the author’s research journal and/or commentary from participants author’s commentary, will be added within the right margin (as shown) in the form of a ‘soliloquy’ to specifically journal excerpts ensure consistency to research design. A soliloquy is a “form of discourse where the to expand on points as character reveals his or her thoughts without addressing a listener” described (Freedictionary.com, 2007) or “the act of speaking to oneself” (Freedictionary.com, within research design. 2007). As explained in detail in the methodology section this technique is used to Notes in blue will denote reflect on the researcher’s and/or participants’ perspectives and biases (Burns, 1997; commentary from the Vockell & Asher, 1995), and therefore ‘bracket’ or suspend prior assumptions, research partners, in their before beginning analysis (Thomas & Pollio, 2002). actual words/voice where ‘italicized’ vi CONTENTS TITLE PAGE………………………………………….……..i CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY……………………....ii ABSTRACT………………………………………………….iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………….………iv NOTE TO READERS…………………………………………………….vi CONTENTS…………………………………………………………………….1 LIST OF FIGURES…………………………………………………………9 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS………………………………………......10 LIST OF APPENDICES…………………………………………………11 1. GENESIS………………………………………………...…………..…12 1.1 GENESIS OF THE RESEARCH…………………………….…….14 1.2 PRESENTATION OF THE THESIS………………………..…….15 1.3 RESEARCHER’S PERSPECTIVES…………………………...…17 1.3.1 RESEARCHER’S BIAS…………………………………………....17 1.3.2 EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS……..18 2. ORIENTATION……………………………………………………..20 2.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY…………………………….….21 2.2 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY………………………………………...22 2.3 CONTEXT OF THE STUDY…………………………………….….23 2.3.1 POPULATION STATISTICS………………………………………24 2.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY………………………………..25 2.5 DEFINITION OF TERMS……………………………………….….26 2.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY………………………………....27 1 2.6.1 SCOPE AND TIME FRAME……………………………………….27 2.6.1 SMALL SAMPLE SIZE…………………………………………….27 2.6.3 THE POSSIBILITY OF INACCURATE DATA…………………...27 2.6.4 THE POSSIBILITY OF RESEARCHER BIAS……………………28 2.6.5 THE POSSIBILITY OF GENDER BIAS…………………………..29 2.6.6 THE POSSIBILITY OF CULTURAL/RELIGIOUS BIAS………...29 3. GAUNTLET………………………………………..………………....30 3.1 THE CHALLENGES………………………………………………….31 3.1.1 CHALLENGES WITHIN TRADITIONAL APPROACHES TO GIFTEDNESS………..........................…………………………32 3.1.2 TRADITIONAL PRESENTATION OF RESEARCH…………......33 3.1.3 ETHICAL CHALLENGES…………………………………………34 3.1.3.1 Ethical Codes………………………………………………..35 3.1.3.2 Ethical dilemmas……………………………………………39 3.1.3.3 Ethical Dilemmas from other Studies……………………….40 3.1.3.4 Participant negotiation…………………………………........42 3.1.3.5 Non-discriminatory research………………………………..44 3.1.4 LEGAL CHALLENGES……………………………………………46 3.1.4.1 Racial Laws…………………………………………………46 3.1.4.2 Privacy Issues……………………………………………….48 3.1.4.3 Copyright Issues…………………………………………….50 3.1.5 DEVELOPING MY OWN ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES………..51 3.1.6 POST ETHICAL REVIEW…………………………………………54 3.1.7 MY PERSONAL CHALLENGES………………………………….56 4. VISTA……………………………………………………………………58 4.1 GIFTEDNESS…………………………………………………………...60 4.1.1 DEFINING GIFTEDNESS………………………………………....60 4.1.1.1 Recent Giftedness Theories………………………………...68 4.1.2 GIFTED CHARACTERISTICS…………………………………….75 4.1.2.1 Dabrowski’s Intensities……………………………………..77 2 4.1.2.2 Negative Character Traits………………………………….82 4.1.3 MYTHS ABOUT GIFTEDNESS………………………………….85 4.2 MASQUERADE……………………………………………………….97 4.2.1 DANDELION SYNDROME – THE DEFICIT