Gifted children’s social problem solving skills, social competence and school adjustment

Abstract

The study was conducted to examine the relationship between social problem solving skills, social competencies and school adjustment of gifted children. The main problem of the study is the examination of the relationship between social problem solving skills, social competencies and school adjustment of gifted children. In addition, the study examined gifted children's social problem-solving skills, social competencies and school adjustment by gender and grade. The study was designed in correlational research model as it examines the relationship between social problem solving skills, social competencies and school adjustment. The study group consisted of 63 gifted primary school students studying in a science and art centre. The Social Problem Situations Inventory for Children and the Walker-McConnell Social Competence and School Adjustment Scale were used as data collection instruments. The data were collected in the autumn term of the academic year 2021-2022. The Social Problem Situations Inventory was distributed and completed by the children. The Walker-McConnell Social Competence and School Adjustment Scale was completed by the teachers for the children. The Mann-Whitney U-test and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient were used to determine the level and direction of the relationship between scale scores. As a result of the study, the social problem solving skills, social competence and school adjustment levels of the gifted children were high. Gender did not have a significant effect on social problem solving skills, social competence and school adjustment, but grade level did. Finally, there was a positive and significant relationship between gifted children's social problem solving skills, social competence and school adjustment. Gifted children have sufficient skills, social competence, and ability to adapt to school in order to overcome social problems. Interventions may be planned to increase social problem-solving skills, social competence and school adjustment of gifted children, and comparisons may be made by including typically developing children.