Aurora University Professor Publishes Study

Aurora, Ill.- Jerald A. Thomas of Aurora, assistant professor of education and faculty assessment coordinator at Aurora University, has published a study in a national journal.

Thomas published "Reviving Perry: An Analysis of Epistemological Change by Gender and Ethnicity Among Gifted High School Students" in the winter 2008 edition of Gifted Child Quarterly.

The journal is published by Sage Publications USA of Thousand Oaks, Calif., for the National Association for Gifted Children in Washington, D.C. Thomas' study, a six-year effort, focused on three successive graduating classes of students at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora.

The focus of the study was on the effect of a specialized curriculum on intellectual development. Thomas used a paper-and-pencil measure of intellectual development to describe the differences between gender and ethnic groups at the secondary-level sophomore and senior years.

Thomas concluded that all groups showed significant improvement from sophomore to senior year. He found that there were no differences by gender or ethnicity at the sophomore year, but by senior year, significant developmental differences existed among ethnic groups.

Students entered the study somewhat ahead of their same-aged peers, but, by graduation, their performance was comparable to a college junior, which may be related to a specialized college preparatory curriculum.

For gifted students, it appears that a rigorous and engaging curriculum can accelerate development, Thomas said. He added that if institutions can create such experiences for their students, it has implications for course selection, college counseling, and career choices.

In addition to his teaching and research duties at AU, Thomas is vice president of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology, a Lynchburg, Va.-based consortium of 106 secondary schools for math, science, and technology.

--END--