Gifted education in Indonesia: A call for action

Year 2025, Volume: 12 Issue: 2, 189 - 202

Hanna David

Abstract

Gifted education has been practiced for hundreds of years in dozens of countries in many ways. In most cases, systems have been initiated by parents of gifted children and further developed by governmental, private, or non-profit organizations. However, until the third decade of the 21st century, many prejudices, half-truths, and even lies have been widespread. One of those non-true beliefs is that education of the gifted is unnecessary once the basic education is effective, when participation in primary and high school education is high, and the rate of non-literacy is low. The truth is the opposite: when public, free education is accessible, it means that the economic situation of the county is satisfactory, that good education is supplied to a high percentage of the population – if not for all of it, and that gifted education is either a part of the general high educational level, as is the situation in Finland, for example, or that private, semi-private of community organizations can supply it to their gifted members or their children.

Keywords

gifted education, identification-of-giftedness, dynamic evaluation system, Indonesia

References

• (January 19, 1960). The population of Israel is 2.09 million (in Hebrew). Haaretz. Retrieved from the journalism collection, the National Library, Jerusalem.
• (December 14, 2022). The average IQ of Indonesian kids is low: BKKBN. Retrieved from https://en.antaranews.com/news/265583/average-iq-of-indonesian-kids-low-bkkbn
• Beauvais, C. (2016). Californian Genius Lewis Terman's Gifted Child in Regional Perspective. Paedagogica Historica, 52(6), 748-765. https://doi.org/10.1080/00309230.2016.1243138
• Burks, B. S., Jensen, D. W., & Terman, L. M. [in association with additional three: The second: Helen Marshall, the third – Melita Oden] (1930). Genetic studies of genius, Vol. III: The promise of youth. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. Retrieved from https://digital.library.cornell.edu/catalog/hearth4216772_321
• Ben Shlomo, Y. (1992). The value of special classes for the gifted (in Hebrew). In Y. Yonai (ed.), Children blessed with talents (pp. 104–107). Jerusalem: The Ministry of Education.
• Bitan, D. (1992). One year to the program for nurturing the gifted (in Hebrew). In Y. Yonai (ed.), Children blessed with talents (pp. 71-76). Jerusalem: The Ministry of Education.
• Burg, B. (1989). Gifted Children and Science-Oriented Youths (in Hebrew). Jerusalem: The Ministry of Education and Culture, the department of gifted, talented, and science-oriented youth.
• Burg, B. (1992). Educational frames for the gifted (in Hebrew). In Y. Yonai (ed.), Children blessed with talents (pp. 119-123). Jerusalem: The Ministry of Education.
• The challenge: Children in Indonesia stand a better chance of being in school than ever before (2024). Education and Adolescents: Helping children and adolescents reach their full potential. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/indonesia/education-and-adolescents
• Cherry, K. (July 25, 2023). How Lewis Terman Influenced the Field of Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/lewis-terman-biography-2795523#:~:text=In%201921%2C%20Terman%20began%20his,socially%20adapted%20than%20other%20kids.
• Cox, C. M. [in association with Lela O. Gillan, Ruth Haines Livesay, Lewis M. Terman.] (1926). Genetic studies of genius, Vol. II: The Early Mental Traits of Three Hundred Geniuses. Stanford: Stanford UP. Retrieved from https://digital.library.cornell.edu/catalog/hearth4216772_320
• Cross, J. R. (2013). Gifted education as a vehicle for enhancing social equality. Roeper Review, 35(2), 115-123.
• https://doi.org/10.1080/02783193.2013.766962 https://scholarworks.wm.edu/educationpubs/140
• David, H. (2008). Integration or separate classes for the gifted? The Israeli view. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 17(1), 40–47.
• David, H. (2011). Teachers' Attitude: It is important to nurture and educate gifted children. Gifted and Talented International, 26(1-2), 65–80. http://doi.org/10.1080/15332276.2011.11673590
• David, H. (2012). Starting From the Beginning: On Building a School and Community-Based System Supporting the Gifted. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 3(4), 11–26. Published also in Journal of Humanistic and Social Studies, Year II, No. 3/2011, pp. 93–113.
• David, H. (2015). Does the gifted student need a gifted teacher? Gifted Education Press Quarterly, 30, 7–17.
• David, H. (2012). Ethical issues in educating and counseling the gifted. Gifted Education Press Quarterly, 26(3), 7–13.
• David, H. (2013). The overview of gifted education in Israel regarding the rate of receiving international prizes: Israelis and Jews Living Elsewhere. Journal of the Education of the Young Scientist and Giftedness, 1(1), 1–7.
• David, H. (August 8, 2013). About Dr. Erika Landau, the great woman who has just passed away (in Hebrew). Retrieved from https://www.hebpsy.net/blog_Post.asp?id=1041
• David, H. (2014). Diagnosis of the gifted in Israel. Gifted Education International, 30(1), 57–60. https://doi.org/10.1177/0261429413485393
• David, H. (2016). Diagnostic et enseignement pour les enfants hp: l'exemple d'Israël. Revue économique et sociale, 74(4), 103-112 [English version: Diagnosing and schooling of gifted children: The example of Israel].
• David, H. (2018a). 4.5-5.5-Year-old Gifted Students: Findings from the 2004 Cohort. Scholarly Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, 1(4), 75–81. DOI: 10.32474/SJPBS.2018.01.000117
• David, H. (2018b). Problems and challenges of the gifted adolescent: School-related issues of the gifted adolescent. Journal of Interdisciplinary Sciences, 2(2), 113–131.
• David, H. (September 29, 2021). Giftedness: Does it imply inequity, racism, or discrimination? Reading in Jewish sources and a comparison to contemporary scientific literature. Retrieved from https://www.hebpsy.net/blog_Post.asp?id=5593
• David, H. (2023a). The failure of gifted education in Israel. Journal of Gifted Education and Creativity (JGEDC), 10(2), 125–139.
• David, H. (2023b). Developing teachers' skills to identify high-ability students. Education, Society and Human Studies, 4(2), 41–58. http://doi.org/10.22158/eshs.v4n2p41
• David, H., & Wu, E. (2012). Gifted Education in Hong Kong and Israel: A Comparative Study. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 21(2), 81–89.
• David, H. (2024). David, H. (2024). Why do some programs for gifted students produce more and better studies than others? A comparative study of two such programs. Journal of Gifted Education and Creativity, 11 (4), 147– 160. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14599722
• David, H. (2025). Erika Landau’s Contribution to the History of Gifted Education. Springer International Publishing. ISBN-13 978-3031917004 http//doi.org/10/1007/978-3-031-22795-0
• David, H. & Landau, E. (2006). The first-born and the single gifted child: Findings in three-decade cohorts. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 15(2), 27–31.
• Executive Committee History (2025). Retrieved from https://world-gifted.org/about-wcgtc/history/executive- committee-history
• Explore all countries: Indonesia (2025). The CIA World Factbook. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/the-world- factbook/countries/indonesia/
• Fenanlampir, A., Rafafy, J. & Pattimura, B. (2019). The struggle of Indonesian students in the context of TIMSS and PISA has not ended. International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET), 10(2), 393-406.
• Goleman, D. (March 7, 1995). 75 Years Later, Study Still Tracking Geniuses. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/07/science/75-years-later-study-still-tracking- geniuses.html#:~:text=Terman%2C%20a%20Stanford%20University%20psychologist,test%2C%20the%20Stanford %2DBinet
• Grossman, G. (June 17, 2006). 60-year-old [former] [female] soldiers-teachers are required (in Hebrew). Retrieved from https://www.makorrishon.co.il/nrg/online/1/ART1/436/594.html
• Gupta, A. (September 24, 2022). The tangling tale of Terman's Termites. The story behind one of psychology's greatest studies. https://psychologywitharjun.substack.com/p/the-tangling-tale-of-termans-termites
• Hai, S. [August 5, 2013]. The mother of all the gifted, Dr. Erika Landau, died (in Hebrew). Retrieved from https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4414041,00.html
• Heller, E. (2015). Editor's preface (in Hebrew). Kolot, 10 [Voices: Journal of Educational and Social Issues].
• Hilgard, E. R. (1957). Lewis Madison Terman: 1877-1956. American Journal of Psychology, 70(3), 472–479.
• Hodges, J., Mun, R. U., & Johnson, R. (2021). Lewis Terman in context: An analysis of citations of Genetic Studies of Genius inside and outside the field of gifted education. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 44(3), 227–259. https://doi.org/10.1177/01623532211023596
• Hodges, J., Mun, R. U., E. Oveross, M., & K. Ottwein, J. (2021). Assessing the Scholarly Reach of Terman's Work. Gifted Child Quarterly, 65(1), 95–109. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986220928322
• Holahan, C. K. (2021). Achievement across the life span: Perspectives from the Terman Study of the Gifted. Gifted Child Quarterly, 65(2), 185-195. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986220934401
• Hollingworth, L. S. (1926). Gifted children: Their nature and nurture. Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1037/10599-000
• Hollingsorth, L. S. (1942). Children above 180 IQ: Origin and Development. World Book.
• Janos, P. (1987). A fifty-year follow-up of Terman's youngest college students and IQ-matched age mates. Gifted Child Quarterly, 31(2), 55-58. https://doi.org/10.1177/001698628703100202
• Jolly, J. L. (2005). Pioneering Definitions and Theoretical Positions in the Field of Gifted. Historical Perspectives, 28(3), 38–44. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ694020.pdf
• Jolly, J. L. (2006). Historical perspectives: Curriculum for the gifted student: Lulu Stedman's contributions. Gifted Child Today, 29(1), 49–53. https://doi.org/10.4219/gct-2006-188
• Jolly, J. L. (2008). Historical Perspectives: A Paradoxical Point of View: Lewis M. Terman. Gifted Child Today, 31(2), 36–37. https://doi.org/10.4219/gct-2008-757
• Jolly, J. L. (2010). Florence L. Goodenough: Portrait of a Psychologist. Roeper Review, 32(2), 98-105. https://doi.org/10.1080/02783191003587884
• Katz, A. (2 March, 21). Meat grinder or springboard? (in Hebrew). Retrieved from https://www.makorrishon.co.il/nrg/online/archive/ART/121/852.html
• Kaufman, S. B. (September 9, 2009). The Truth About the "Termites". What do the results of Lewis Terman's famous study demonstrate? Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/beautiful-minds/200909/the-truth-about-the-termites
• Kern, M. L., Hampson, S. E., Goldberg, L. R., & Friedman, H. S. (2014). Integrating prospective longitudinal data: Modeling personality and health in the Terman Life Cycle and Hawaii Longitudinal Studies. Developmental Psychology, 50(5), 1390–1406. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030874
• Lahav, M. (1988). Change processes in educational orientation: The case of a dormitory for gifted high school students from low socio-economic backgrounds (in Hebrew). Tel Aviv University: Master's thesis.
• Landau, E. (1969/1971/1974). Psychologie der Kreativität (Psychology of creativity). München-Basel: Reinhardt. Translated into 12 languages.
• Landau, E. (1974). Father died, or facing the experience of death (in Hebrew), Tel Aviv, Israel: Bezal'el Cherikover Publishing House.
• Landau, E. (1976). Children ask questions about the future of humankind. In Gibson, J., and Channels, P. (Eds.), Gifted children: Looking to their future. London: Latimer.
• Landau, E. (1979a). Parents and their gifted child (in Hebrew). Tel Aviv, Israel: The Young Persons' Institute for the Promotion of Art and Science, Haaretz Museum.
• Landau, E. (1979b). The Young Persons' Institute for the Promotion of Art and Science. In J. Gallagher (Ed.), Gifted children are reaching their potential (pp. 347–363). Jerusalem: Kolleck & Son.
• Landau, E. (1981). The profile of the gifted child. In Kraner, A. (Ed.), Gifted children – Challenging their potential: New perspectives and alternatives (pp. 21–32). New York: Trillium Press.
• Landau, E. (1984). Kreatives Erleben. München-Basel: Reinhardt.
• Landau, E. (1987). The questions children ask. Gifted and Talented International, 4(2), 102–109. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332276.1987.11672726
• Landau, E. (1990). The courage to be gifted. Unionville, NY: Trillium.
• Landau, R. (1997). Emotional Maturity (in Hebrew). Tel Aviv, Israel: Miskal.
• Landau, E. (1998). The Self – The global factor of emotional maturity. Roeper Review, 20(3), 174-178. https://doi.org/10.1080/02783199809553886
• Landau, E. (2000). To give a meaning. Memories from childhood and the holocaust (in Hebrew). Bnei Brak, Israel: Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House.
• Landau, E. (2001). The courage to be gifted. Unionville, NY Trillium Press.
• Landau, E., & David, H. (2005a). Characteristics of gifted students: Age and Gender. Findings from three decades. Gifted Education International, 20(2), 28–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/026142940502000206
• Landau, E. & David, H. (2005b). Who will be the gifted of the future? Gifted Education International, 20(3), 343– 347. https://doi.org/10.1177/026142940502000308
• Landau, E., & Weissler, K. (1991). Tracing leadership in gifted children. The Journal of Psychology, 125(6), 681-688. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.1991.10543331
• Landau, E., & Weissler, K. (1993). Parental environment in families with gifted and nongifted children. The Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, 127(2), 129–142. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.1993.9915549
• Landau, E., & Weissler, K. (1998). The Relationship between Emotional Maturity, Intelligence, and Creativity in Gifted Children. Gifted Education International, 13(2), 100-105. https://doi.org/10.1177/026142949801300202
• Landau, E., Weissler, K., & Golod, G. (1996). Motivation and Giftedness. Gifted Education International, 11(3), 139– 142. https://doi.org/10.1177/026142949601100306
• Landau, E., Weissler, K., & Golod, G. (2001). Impact of an Enrichment Program on Intelligence, by Sex, Among Low SES Population in Israel. Gifted Education International, 15(2), 207–214. https://doi.org/10.1177/026142940101500211
• Leslie, M. (July/August 2000). A tale of Two Termites. Retrieved from Stanford Magazine https://stanfordmag.org/contents/a-tale-of-two-termites
• Leslie, M. (July/August 2000). The vexing legacy of Lewis Terman. Retrieved from https://stanfordmag.org/contents/the-vexing-legacy-of-lewis-terman
• Minton, H. L. (1988). Lewis M. Terman: Pioneer in psychological testing. New York: New York Press.
• Mazie, S. (2009). Equality, race, and gifted education: An egalitarian critique of admission to New York City's specialized high schools. Theory and Research in Education, 7(1), 5–25. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477878508099747
• Maree, J. G. (2006). Some thoughts on the training of teachers of gifted learners. Gifted Education International, 21(2-3), 201–217. https://doi.org/10.1177/026142940602100311
• Maree, J. G. (2018). Gifted education in Africa. In S. I. Pfeiffer, E. Shaunessy-Dedrick, & M. Foley-Nicpon (Eds.), APA handbook of giftedness and talent (pp. 131–142). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000038-009
• Merry, M. S. (2008). Educational justice and the gifted. Theory and Research in Education, 6(1), 47–70. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477878507086730
• Mullis, I. V. S., Martin, M. O., Foy, P., Kelly, D. L., & Fishbein, B. (2020). TIMSS 2019 International Results in Mathematics and Science. Retrieved from Boston College, TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center website: https://timssandpirls.bc.edu/timss2019/international-results
• (n.a.). (2013). The life story of the late Dr. Erika Landau. Retrieved from https://ypipce.org.il/?page_id=27
• Neuman, S. (1999). Aliyah to Israel: Immigration under Conditions of Adversity. Discussion. Paper series, Institute for the Study of Labor, December 1999, Bonn, Germany: IZA. Retrieved from https://docs.iza.org/dp89.pdf
• Oden, M. H. (1968). The fulfilment of promise: 40-Year follow-up of the Terman gifted group. Genetic Psychology Monographs, 77(1), 3-93. Retrieved from https://gwern.net/doc/iq/high/1968-oden.pdf
• OECD (2023). PISA 2022 Results (Volume I): The State of Learning and Equity in Education. PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/53f23881-en
• Paddock, R. C. (July 30, 1995). The Secret IQ Diaries: They Were Guinea Pigs in the Longest-Running Psychological Study Ever, Their Identities Largely Kept a Mystery. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-07-30-tm-29325-story.html
• Reichenberg, A., Landau, E. (2009). Families of Gifted Children. In: Shavinina, L. V. (Eds.) International Handbook on Giftedness (pp. 873-883). Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6162-2_43
• Robinson, A., Bradley, R. H., & Stanley, T. D. (1990). Opportunity to achieve: Identifying mathematically gifted Black students. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 15(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/0361-476X(90)90001-H
• Seagoe, M. V. (1975). Terman and the gifted. Los Altos, CA: W. Kaufmann.
• Simonton, D. K. (2019). A publication missing from Lewis M. Terman's CV? Ralph K. White's 1931 "The versatility of genius". History of Psychology, 22(4), 372–374. https://doi.org/10.1037/hop0000135_c
• Shehory-Rubin, Z. (2011). 1954-2004, 50 years of teachers' training in the Negev. A Retrospective. Kaye Academic College of Education.
• Shoshana, A. (2006). The invention of a new category: Gifted in need to be nurtured" (in Hebrew). Theory and Criticism, 29, 125–147.
• Shoshana, A. (2011). Role-play and the "As If": Self in everyday life (in Hebrew). Society and Welfare: Social Work Quarterly, 31(3), 365–387.
• Shurkin, J. N. (1992). The groundbreaking study of how the gifted grow up. Boston, MA: Little, Brown, and Company.
• Smilansky, M., & Nevo, D. (1970). The students of the dormitories project for gifted, underprivileged children. Follow-up research on gifted children from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds and their success in elementary school (in Hebrew).
• Smilansky, M., & Nevo, D. (1979). The gifted disadvantaged: A ten-year longitudinal study of compensatory education in Israel. London: Routledge Library Editions. Technical report, no. 2. Tel Aviv University and the Szold Institute for Behavioral Sciences, Jerusalem.
• Stanely, T. D. & Robinson, A. (1990). Sifting Statistical Significance From the Artifact of Regression- Discontinuity Design. Evaluation Review, 14(2), 166–181. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193841X9001400204
• Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (2025). Retrieved from https://my.vanderbilt.edu/smpy/publications/camilla-benbow/
• Terman, L. M. (1924). Section II.—Special Studies: The physical and mental traits of gifted children. Teachers College Record, 25(4), 155–167.
• Terman, L. M. [in association with additional 14] (1925). Genetic studies of genius, Vol. I: Mental and physical traits of a thousand gifted children. Stanford: Stanford UP. Retrieved from https://digital.library.cornell.edu/catalog/hearth4216772_319
• Terman, L. M. & Oden, M. H. [in association with 4] (1947). Genetic studies of genius: Vol. IV. The gifted child grows up: Twenty-five years' follow-up of a superior group. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. Retrieved from https://digital.library.cornell.edu/catalog/hearth4216772_322
• Terman, L. M., & Oden, M. H. (1951). The Stanford studies of the gifted. P. Witty (Ed.), The gifted child (pp. 20–46). Boston, MA: D.C. Heath.
• Terman, L. M. (1953). Scientists and Nonscientists in a Group of 800 Gifted Men. Psychological Monographs, 68 (7), 1–44. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0093672
• Terman, L. M. (1954). The Discovery and Encouragement of Exceptional Talent. American Psychologist, 9, 221– 230.https://doi.org/10.1037/h0060516
• Terman, L. M. & Oden, M. H. (1959). Genetic studies of genius: Vol. V. The Gifted Group at Mid-life: Thirty-five years' follow-up of the superior child. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. Retrieved from https://digital.library.cornell.edu/catalog/hearth4216772_323
• Tirri, K. (2017). Teacher education is the key to changing the identification and teaching of the gifted. Roeper Review, 39(3), 210-212. https://doi.org/10.1080/02783193.2017.1318996
• Tirri, K., & Kuusisto, E. (2013). How Finland serves gifted and talented pupils. g pupils. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 36(1), 84-96. https://doi.org/10.1177/0162353212468066
• Togas, M., Gunardi, H., Sekartini, R., Pudjiati, S. R. R., & Hogervorst, E. (2020). Comparison of a cognitive ability screening test set for primary school-aged children in Indonesia. Medical Journal of Indonesia, 29(4), 392–398. https://doi.org/10.13181/mji.oa.203808
• Vidergor, H. E. (2010). Teachers of the gifted in Israel: Cognitive aspects of the training program (in Hebrew). Ph.D. thesis, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
• Vidergor, H. (2014). Erika Landau†: A lifetime of creativity. Gifted Education International, 30(2), 136–147. https://doi.org/10.1177/0261429413481123
• Wagner, G. (2022). How group composition affects gifted students: Theory and evidence from school effectiveness studies. Gifted and Talented International, 37(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332276.2021.1951145
• Warne, R. T. (2019). An evaluation (and vindication?) of Lewis Terman: What the father of gifted education can teach the 21st century. Gifted Child Quarterly, 63(1), 3–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986218799433
• Winkler, D., & Bernel, R. (2020). Terman, Lewis. In Zeigler-Hill, V., & T. K. Shackelford (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences (pp. 5433–5437). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319- 28099-8_1018-2
• Winkler, D. L., & Jolly, J. L. (2013). Lewis M. Terman: A misunderstood legacy (1877-1956). In A. Robinson & J. L. Jolly (Eds.), A century of contributions to gifted education: Illuminating lives (pp. 88–102). Routledge.
• Weissler, K., & Landau, E. (1993). Characteristics of families with no, one, or more than one gifted child. The Journal of Psychology, 127(2), 143-152. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.1993.9915550
• Ziegler, A. (2005). The Actiotope model of giftedness. In R. J. Sternberg & J. E. Davidson Eds.), Conceptions of giftedness (2nd Ed.) (pp. 411–436). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
• Ziegler, A. & Phillipson, S. N. (2012). Towards a systemic theory of gifted education. High Ability Studies, 23(1), 3– 30. http://doi.org/10.1080/13598139.2012.679085
• Ziegler, A., Vialle, W., & Wimmer, B. (2013). The actiotope model of giftedness: A short introduction to some central theoretical assumptions. Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers. 526. Retrieved from https://ro.uow.edu.au/sspapers/526