El estudio de la alta capacidad intelectual en España: Análisis de la situación actual

Although research in the field of high intellectual ability has a long tradition, the issue has sparked renewed international interest in recent decades due to the growing number of arguments that point out the impact that the promotion of human capital has on the intellectual, cultural, social and economic development of nations. The aim of this paper is to analyze the current situation of the research on high intellectual ability in Spain. Through a review of research conducted recently in this field, this study first introduces the different cognitive variables (e.g., creativity, cognitive styles) and non-cognitive variables (e.g., adjustment and social adaptation) that have been incorporated during the past years to the study of high intellectual ability and have contributed to the development of a broader, more comprehensive portrait of the defining characteristics of high-ability students in Spain. Second, this study discusses the ongoing process of design and adaptation of techniques and instruments that pose an alternative to the traditional intelligence tests used to identify high-ability students in our context; these alternatives have equipped researchers and educators with new tools for identifying the broad spectrum of high intellectual ability. Third, the study highlights the need for further research on the effectiveness and appropriateness of various techniques and strategies in achieving educational response in highability students. Lastly, the conceptual approaches currently used to study high ability in Spain from a scientific perspective are identified, and some directions that could guide the studies to come are discussed.