Patterns of high ability and underrepresented students’ subject-specific psychosocial strengths: A latent profile analysis

Abstract

Students underrepresented in traditional school-based gifted and talented programs require innovative programs that help them to identify their domain-specific talent and psychosocial strengths. The current study integrated the Talent Development Megamodel with Social Cognitive Career Theory to better identify clusters of psychosocial strengths and aptitudes of a group of middle school students. Sixth and seventh grade students (n = 240) attending schools in a predominantly midwestern state in the United States participated in the grant-funded Talent Identification and Career Exploration (TICE) program. Students completed assessments of their aptitude, academic-specific self-efficacy, outcome expectations, interests, and goals as part of the program. Results indicated a five-class Latent Profile Analyses (LPA) solution was considered the best fitting model, identifying student profiles labeled uninspired, confident but directionless, humanities, STEM, and confident and highly capable. There were no differences in class assignment based on prior identification as gifted and talented or presence of twice-exceptionality, and groups did not differ significantly in aptitude. Findings suggest the importance of tailoring interventions considering students’ psychosocial strengths and aptitudes and linking these profiles to career exploration activities.