Nurturing talents and creativity in youth: Challenge to contemporary world

Abstract

The paper reviews approaches to the development of talents and creativity using surveys communicated in the 1975-2005 period at world, European and regional scientific conferences on gifted children and youth. Methods of studying and treating the gifted over the past three decades were analyzed on the basis of data available in records, proceedings of papers and other publications of the mentioned conferences as well as of personal findings of the present paper’s authors who participated in some of those conferences. In addition to identifying the subjects that captured attention of researchers and practitioners in a certain period of time, an attempt was made to describe trends in studying them and those likely ones for future work. The results indicate that the most frequent subjects under study were problems facing conception and definition of giftedness, talents and creativity, instruments for identifying gifted individuals, and manners of providing adequate education for them. Over time there was an increase in the number of studies related to identifying specific personality traits of a gifted individual and his environment, critical for his development and achievement. It is noticeable that interest in gifted children and youth is growing all the time, involving not only researchers and teachers but parents, the gifted themselves and other important social groups and institutions. It is concluded that encouraging talents and creativity in youth is a challenge to contemporary world, which will determine its future.

Pregled pristupa razvoju talenata i kreativnosti sačinjen je na osnovu rezultata istraživanja saopštenih na svetskim, evropskim i regionalnim naučnim konferencijama o darovitoj deci i mladima koje su održane u periodu od 1975. do 2005. godine. Na koji način su proučavani i kako su tretirani daroviti, u prethodne tri decenije, analizirano je na osnovu podataka dostupnih u pisanim materijalima, zbornicima radova i drugim publikacijama sa pomenutih skupova, kao i ličnih saznanja do kojih su došli autori teksta učestvujući u radu nekih od ovih skupova. Pored identifikovanja tema koje su privlačile pažnju istraživača i praktičara u određenom vremenu, učinjen je pokušaj da se prikažu trendovi u njihovom proučavanju, kao i mogući budući pravci rada u ovoj oblasti. Rezultati ispitivanja ukazuju da su predmet proučavanja najčešće bili: problemi koncipiranja i definisanja darovitosti talenata i kreativnosti, instrumenti za identifikaciju darovitih pojedinaca i načini njihovog adekvatnog obrazovanja i vaspitanja. Vremenom se uvećavao broj ispitivanja koja se odnose na utvrđivanje specifičnih osobenosti ličnosti darovitog pojedinca i njegovog okruženja a koje su kritične za njegov razvoj i uspeh. Uočeno je da interesovanje za darovitu decu i mlade kontinuirano raste, šireći se sa istraživača i nastavnika na roditelje, same darovite i druge značajne društvene grupe i institucije.