Identifying and Cultivating Innovators and Increasing Diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): A Needed Paradigm Shift

Although writers have advocated a shift from the gifted child to a talent development paradigm, changes in methods for identifying and cultivating talent in STEM are needed. We present evidence that using a talent development paradigm supported by differentiation with an organicist rather than a mechanistic perspective was effective in identifying and cultivating potential innovators in STEM while also increasing the diversity of students identified. Exceptional talent was defined as having three components integrating the constructs of intelligence and creativity: (a) solving complex problems, (b) solving varied types of problems, and (c) having a complex and integrated knowledge structure in the domains assessed. Practices consistent with the talent development and differentiation paradigms include using measures of problem solving in different domains to create profiles and providing programs to engage all students in solving real-world problems.