The testing of students from
partner schools on the „Be STEMpatic!“ project in the Virovitica-Podravina
county was finalized last month. The project is focused on identifying, following
and working with students gifted in STEM domains, and is being carried out in 14
elementary schools and 7 high schools. Members of the JOBSTEM research team
came up with and participated in the implementation of the comprehensive
identification procedure which started in November of 2017 in the role of the
project's expert advisors. Apart from gathering teachers' suggestions, the
identification procedure included the collection of data on general, spatial
and numerical intelligence, measures of motivational constructs and creativity
in STEM areas, as well as an objective test of knowledge of the STEM domains.
The identification
procedure and the choice of measure inclusion were based on a review of current
theoretical models of giftedness and talent and empirical findings about the
specific area of STEM giftedness. The students who were determined to show a potential
for giftedness in STEM domains according to the data will have the opportunity
of participating in specifically tailored activities in the frame of a several
days long advanced STEM program in March.