Problems that Face Students and Coping Strategies they Use to Confront it

Abstract

This study aimed at recognizing the problems that face gifted and talented students in pioneers’ centers in comparison with students in regular schools and to investigate the differences in coping strategies between gifted and talented students in pioneers’ centers and their peers in regular schools. Two scales were developed for the purpose of this study: the first one is the scale of problems that students are suffering from. The second is the scale of coping strategies students use when facing problems. Convenient validity and reliability coefficients were reached for the purpose of this study. The two scale were administered on the study sample that consisted of (162) students, (81) students from pioneers’ centers. And (81) students from regular schools. Data was collected and statistics analysis was performed. Means, standard deviations, and percentages were calculated. T test was conducted to investigate the differences between the means. Results showed that there were significant differences in Academic, emotional, family and social problems between gifted and talented students comparing to their peers in regular schools in favor of the second group. On the other hand, no differences between the two groups in decision making problems. Results also indicated significant differences in coping strategies of expressing emotions and feelings, relaxation, physical and verbal aggression in favor of the gifted and talented group in pioneers centers when comparing them with their peers in regular schools. There were no significant differences in social support cognitive methods, situations avoidance, physical movements, isolation and exercising certain habits strategies.