Lifelong learning of gifted and talented students

Introduction. The research explores ways of increasing gifted and talented students' academic motivation and making their learning styles, inherently based on individual approach to self-education, less influenced by a frontal work focus existing in the majority of higher schools. Research Methods. Scientific literature on giftedness was analyzed. The authors also used the method of adaptation by proposing the adapted version of the Multidimensional Model of Learning Approaches by Dunn and Dunn. Besides, group-administered IQ tests were implemented. Research Results. The authors conclude that the educational community should elaborate the curriculum content for gifted and talented students taking into consideration that it is easier to learn, memorize and understand new information if the facts, ideas, concepts and skills are organized around the key concepts and impressive ideas. Discussion. Giftedness is conceptualized in terms of four cognitive categories, two of which are associated with intelligence (general intellectual ability and specific intellectual ability), while the other two (general original/creative thinking and specific creative talent) are linked with creativity. Conclusion. There should be a significant choice of versatile materials, methods and creative learning tasks which would promote the achievements and creativity of gifted and talented students with regard to their individual learning preferences. © 2017.