Renzulli’s Three Ring Conception of Giftedness

Renzulli’s Three Ring Conception of Giftedness

By Savannah Taylor

Creativity

Outline of Key Points

Personality and Environmental factors also affect the interaction of the three rings.

These factors may cause someone to display gifted behaviors at certain times or under certain circumstances.

-Renzulli’s Three Ring Theory broadened the conception of giftedness

-Three types of behaviors are essential for gifted level achievement:

Above Average Intelligence

Creativity

Task Commitment

-Interaction of the three rings results in superior performance

-Allows students to be identified in areas other than academic achievement

-Recommends 3 E’s essential to gifted curriculum

Enjoyment

Engagement

Enthusiasm for Learning

Joseph Renzulli, an American education psychologist, views giftedness as a behavior, rather than an attribute.

From his studies examining the traits of highly successful adults in various fields of achievement, he developed the Three Ring Conception of Giftedness

-Students exhibit fluency, flexibility, and originality of thought

-Are curious and open to new experiences and ideas

-May be sensitive to aesthetic characteristics or willing to take risks

Implications for Identification

Renzulli believes the interaction of the three rings is the necessary ingredient for gifted-level achievement and therefore results in superior performance.

Above Average Ability

-Renzulli’s conception of giftedness allows students to be identified in areas not dependent on academic testing.

-Widely supported by educators whose “gut instinct” leads them to believe a student is gifted

-Applies to cultural models of giftedness, as it understands the intermingled roles that creativity, task commitment, and above average ability play in culturally valued activities

Renzulli believes that “three clusters of characteristics are important in students who can benefit from gifted education: above average intelligence, above average creativity in the area of interest, and task commitment (motivation or persistence).”

(Renzulli, 2005)

-Broken down into General Ability or Specific Abilities

-General Ability is “the capacity to process information, to integrate experiences that result in appropriate and adaptive responses in new situations, and the capacity to engage in abstract thinking.” (Renzulli, 2005) Examples include: excellent memory, superior word fluency, etc.

-Specific Abilities are abilities that require knowledge or skills to perform a specialized kind of activity. Examples include: ballet, cinematography, etc.

Renzulli then developed the Enrichment Triad Model and the Schoolwide Enrichment Model, which are both grounded on the theory of the Three Ring Conception of Giftedness, to provide differentiated education for gifted students.

Task Commitment

References

Giger, M. Renzulli’s Three-Ring conception of Giftedness. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from http://www.gigers.com/matthias/gifted/three_rings.html

Page, A. (2006). Three Models for Understanding Gifted Education. KAIRARANGA, 7(2),

Renzulli, J. S. (2005). The Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness: A Developmental Model for Promoting Creative Productivity. In R. J. Sternberg, J. E. Davidson, R. J. Sternberg, J. E. Davidson (Eds.) , Conceptions of giftedness, 2nd ed (pp. 246-279). New York, NY, US: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511610455.015

Photos:

http://www.whps.org/page.cfm?p=2246

http://slideplayer.com/slide/4219065/

Implications for Curriculum Development

-A focused form of motivation, necessary for a student to succeed at a gifted level

-Some characteristics related to this concept are perseverance, endurance, hard work, dedicated practice, self-confidence and a belief in one’s ability to carry out important work (Renzulli, 2005)

-Students with high task commitment may have an intense focus with a particular area of interest

-Renzulli identifies 3 E’s that are essential to curriculum development for gifted students: Enjoyment, Engagement, and Enthusiasm for learning

-Recommended that Renzulli’s Three Ring Model be used in conjunction with other models of giftedness, such as the SEM, to develop a fusion of information about a child’s ability.