Dear Dr. Malčeski,

Strong competitions force gifted students to go over and beyond - when gifted person is in a challenging context, she/he grows. Without such context, they may start to stagnate.

In addition, gifted students in an average environment tend to overestimate their capabilities. Put them in a challenging context (math competitions) -> their self-assessment should become more realistic. 

As Dr. Hank Smid pointed out - that ensures nothing, however, I believe that increases the potential of success.

Regards,

Toso

They can be asked to solve complex problems in their local communities by partnering with them so they can see the benefit of their giftedness.

Best regards,

Debra

Mathematics competitions using 'moderately challenging" problems can help a wider range of students to show what they can do, and to develop mathematically. For many examples of 'moderately challenging" problems from a mathematics competition where students submitted their solutions electronically, together with an analysis of their problem solving approaches, see:

Carreira, S., Jones, K., Amado, N., Jacinto, H., & Nobre, S. (2016). Youngsters solving mathematical problems with technology: The results and implications of the Problem@Web Project. New York: Springer.

http://www.springer.com/gb/book/9783319249087

It may be interesting to plan a series of workshops on focused topics for talented students and to watch their emerging levels of involvements in these. The resulting interest will be indicative of the success or failure of this approach.

Vygotsky and more recent researchers showed that an adequate level of challenge keep s motivation high. The optimal level lies in the PDZ. That zone is obviously the place to obtain intrinsic motivation and the level of the contests questions lie mostly in the gifted ones PDZ. So the competition aspect or reward promise will take gradually less importance to the benefit of the discovery of the pleasure to achieve and discover.

Vygotsky, L. (1987). Zone of proximal development. Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes, 5291, 157.

Tardif, J. (1998). Pour un enseignement stratégique: l'apport de la psychologie cognitive, Montréal, Les editions logiques. GERMAIN, C.