An Overview and Social Validity of the Education Programs for Talented Students Model (EPTS)

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to review the Education Programs for Talented Students (EPTS) model by focusing on its social validity. The EPTS is a university-based, after-school program for talented students in elementary and secondary schools. It is a 6-component program model including identification, curriculum, instruction, assessment, program organization, and teacher training models. Research participants included 84 sixth, seventh and eighth grade students who were identified to be talented in mathematics and science by the EPTS identification system. The participants had attended the EPTS for one to five semesters. The EPTS Evaluations Student Form was used to investigate the social validity of the EPTS. Findings showed students’ perceptions about the EPTS to be positive and higher than the criteria 3 (very good). That is, the EPTS has high social validity.