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Factors influencing altruism in gifted adolescent girls : a qualitative study
Author
G Sundari, Pramathevan
Supervisor
Bacsal, Myra Garces
Abstract
This study aimed to identify factors that would link to the development of altruistic behavior among gifted female adolescents in Singapore. Ten gifted adolescents between the ages of 15 to 17 who had exceeded the mandated hours (12 hours a year) of voluntary community service in their school were selected for this study. They shared their background and experiences with service-learning and the factors that led them to doing voluntary services in the community. A questionnaire was designed and administered to ask about the participants‘ and parents‘ demographic information. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and data was analyzed using a grounded theory approach. The study shows that personality factors such as empathy, high sense of justice, optimism, courage, perseverance, social skills and social factors such family, school culture and service-learning experiences may contribute to altruism in gifted female adolescents. These findings can be used as a guide to structure educational experiences for gifted pupils enabling them to use their talents in socially constructive ways to make a positive difference in society.
Date Issued
2010
Call Number
BJ1474 Gsu
Date Submitted
2010