A Comparison of Creative Problem Solving Features of Gifted and Non-Gifted High School Students

Abstract

Creativity and creative problem-solving are seen as the most important components of education today. This situation reveals the need to identify students’ creative problem-solving characteristics. This study, it was aimed to examine the creative problemsolving characteristics of gifted and non-gifted students in terms of giftedness diagnosis, gender, and grade level variables. The research used the descriptive research model and causal comparison design, which are among the scanning models. The sample was collected in Bursa and consists of 73 gifted students, and 302 non-gifted students from grades 9th to 12th. “Creative Problem Solving Features Inventory” was used as a data collection tool in the research. It has been observed that the creative problem-solving skills of the gifted and non-gifted students differ in divergent thinking, general knowledge and skills, and the general average in favor of the gifted. There was a significant difference in favor of girls in the general average scores and the mean scores of the environment sub-dimension among gifted students. A significant difference was found in favor of the gifted in the dimension of divergent thinking at the 9th-grade level, and in the dimension of divergent thinking and general knowledge and skills at the 11th-grade level.