The social-emotional well-being of gifted children of school age: a systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30827/publicaciones.v55i1.34351Keywords:
gifted children, well-being, physical activity, systematic review, school ageAbstract
Introduction: This study addresses the social emotional well-being of gifted children in the context of physical education, a crucial area for their integral development and scarcely researched. The limited number of studies highlights the necessity of this analysis underscores the need for this analysis. This systematic review seeks to know the status of socioemotional well-being of gifted children in the scientific literature.
Method: A systematic review was designed in accordance with PRISMA 2020 Statement and inclusion, and exclusion criteria were rigorously applied to select the most relevant studies. Study quality was assessed by two independent reviewers with field knowledge to reduce bias.
Results: Twenty-two articles, published between 1993 and 2025, were reviewed and the main topics were educational needs and strategies, school environment and emotional management.
Conclusions: The review highlights the need to create more Physical Activity and Sport programs for gifted children, following WHO recommendations and fostering the autonomy of participants through student-centred pedagogical models to maximize their socioemotional well-being and physical development.
Downloads
References
Ash, C., & Huebner, E. S. (1998). Life satisfaction reports of gifted middle-school children. School Psychology Quarterly, 13(4), 310-321. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0088987
Aykutlu, H. C., Dereli, F., Turan, B., Tuerk Kurtca, T., & Dursun, O. B. (2024). Gifted Children and Psychiatric Disorders: Is the risk increased compared with their peers? [Early Access]. Gifted Child Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1177/00169862241239649
Baena-Morales, S., & González-Víllora, S. (2024). Alumnado con altas capacidades: ¿Cómo abordarlos desde el sistema educativo? In S. González-Víllora, & J. C. Pastor-Vicedo (Eds.), Más allá de las notas. Comprendiendo al alumnado con altas capacidades (pp. 21-38). Morata.
Bastien, L., Theoret, R., Gagnon, K., Chicoine, M., & Godbout, R. (2022). Sleep Characteristics and Socio-Emotional Functioning of Gifted Children. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 20(5), 598-609. https://doi.org/10.1080/15402002.2021.1971984
Berger, C., Milicic, N., Alcalay, L., Torretti, A., Arab, M. P., & Justiniano, B. (2009). Bienestar socio-emocional en contexto escolar: la percepción de los estudiantes chilenos. Estudios sobre Educación, 17, 21–43. https://doi.org/10.15581/004.17.22422
Clark, B. (2008). Growing up gifted: developing the potential of children at home and at school. Pearson/Merril Prentice Hall.
Cordero-Monge, M. C. (2017). Las características del alumnado con Altas Capacidades intelectuales. In M. Dorado (coord.) Altas Capacidades Intelectuales. Guía práctica de atención al alumnado (pp. 19–43). Altaria.
Delaune, A., & Tapper, L. (2015). The well-being of gifted young children: Perceptions, pedagogy, and governance. He Kupu, 4(2), 93-106.
Eddles-Hirsch, K., Vialle, W., Rogers, K. B., & McCormick, J. (2010). “Just challenge those high-ability learners and they’ll be all right!” The impact of social context and challenging instruction on the affective development of high-ability students: The journal of secondary gifted education. Journal of Advanced Academics, 22(1), 106-128,168-172. 10.1177/1932202X1002200105
Gagné, F. (1995). From giftedness to talent: A developmental model and its impact on the language of the field. Roeper Review, 18, 103-111.
Grant, B. A., & Piechowski, M. M. (1999). Theories and the good: Toward child-centered gifted education. Gifted Child Quarterly, 43(1), 4-12. https://doi.org/10.1177/001698629904300102
Gómez-Masdevall, M. T., & Mir, M. (2011). Altas capacidades en niños y niñas. Narcea.
Gómez, O. R. O., Enriquez, O. N., Luján, R. C., Longoria, R. J. N., Jurado, F. V., & Sambrano, G. S. (2023). Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) un método de enseñanza comprensiva en educación física: Revisión Sistemática de los últimos 5 años. Retos: nuevas tendencias en educación física, deporte y recreación, 48, 374–379. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v48.97137
González-Cutre D., Romero-Elías, M., Jiménez-Loaisa, A., Beltrán-Carrillo, V. J., & Hagger, M. S. (2020). Testing the need for novelty as a candidate need in basic psychological needs theory. Motivation and Emotion, 44(2), 295–314. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-019-09812-7
Guijarro, E., Rocamora, I., Evangelio, C., & González-Víllora, S. (2020) El modelo de Educación Deportiva en España. Retos: nuevas tendencias en educación física, deporte y recreación, 38, 886–894. 10.47197/retos.v38i38.77249
Infantes-Paniagua, Á., Fernández-Bustos, J. G., Palomares Ruiz, A., Contreras-Jordán, O. R. (2023). Asociaciones entre actividad física y rendimiento académico en estudiantes con altas capacidades. Journal of Sport and Health Research,15(1), 177–196. https://doi.org/10.58727/jshr.90141
Jiménez-Loaisa, A., González-Cutre, D., & Ferriz, R. (2021). Teoría de la autodeterminación: Necesidades psicológicas básicas y motivación. In L. García-González (Coord.) Cómo motivar en Educación Física. Aplicaciones prácticas para el profesorado desde la evidencia científica. Red Internacional de Investigación en Educación Física y Promoción de Hábitos Saludables.
Kroesbergen, E. H., van Hooijdonk, M., Van Viersen, S., Middel-Lalleman, M. M. N., & Reijnders, J. J. W. (2016). The psychological well-being of early identified gifted children. Gifted Child Quarterly
Losada-Puente, L, Mendiri, P., & Rebollo-Quintela, N. (2022). Del bienestar general al bienestar escolar: una revisión sistemática. RELIEVE. Revista Electrónica de Investigación y Evaluación Educativa, 28, 1–29. https://doi.org/10.30827/relieve.v28i1.23956
Manzano-Sánchez, D., Merino-Barrero, J. A., Sánchez-Alcaraz, B. J., & Valero-Valenzuela, A. (2020). El modelo de responsabilidad personal y social desde la Educación Física a la educación general: Guía teórico-práctico para su aplicación en el contexto escolar. Wanceulen Editorial.
McQueen, P. (2024). The parental dilemma of talented children. Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, 51(3), 460–475. https://doi.org/10.1080/00948705.2024.2369921
National Association for Gifted Children. (NAGC). (2019). Key Considerations in Identifying and Supporting Gifted and Talented Learners.
Nicols, H., & Baum, S. (2000). Actively engaged but secretly stressed: Keys to helping youngsters with stress reduction. Parenting for High Potential, 8–12.
O’Boyle, M. (2008). Mathematically gifted children: Developmental brain characteristics and their prognosis for well-being. Roeper Review-a Journal on Gifted Education, 30(3), 181-186. https://doi.org/10.1080/02783190802199594
O’Connor, J. (2012). Is it good to be gifted? The social construction of the gifted child. Children and Society, 26(4), 293-303. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1099-0860.2010.00341.x
Ogurlu, U., Yalin, H. S., & Birben, F. Y. (2018). The relationship between psychological symptoms, creativity, and loneliness in gifted children. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 41(2), 193-210. https://doi.org/10.1177/0162353218763968
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., & Alonso-Fernández, S. (2021b). Declaración PRISMA 2020: una guía actualizada para la publicación de revisiones sistemáticas. Revista Española de Cardiología, 74(9), 790–799. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.recesp.2021.06.016
Palíšek, P., Jabůrek, M., & Portešová, Š. (2024). Thriving Through Autonomy: High-Ability Adolescents’ Well-Being Amidst the Pandemic. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 45(2), 248-276. https://doi.org/10.1177/02724316241249485 (Original work published 2025)
Pfeiffer, S. (2017). Identificación y evaluación del alumnado con altas capacidades. Una guía práctica. Universidad Internacional de la Rioja.
Promoting well-being. (2023, 29 mayo). https://www.who.int/activities/promoting-well-being
Quiño Toapanta, F. E. (2023). El aprendizaje cooperativo como método de enseñanza en la educación física: revisión sistemática. Dominio de las Ciencias, 9(3), 1744–1783. https://doi.org/10.23857/dc.v9i3.3660
Ramos-Álvarez, O., Cantarero-Prieto, D., Lanza-León, P., Cobo-Ortiz, N., & Arufe-Giraldez, V. (2024). Modificaciones en el estado de ánimo de la población escolar por aislamiento social relacionado con la práctica de actividad física. Retos, 62, 205–214. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v62.106822
Renatti, R., Bonfiglio, S., Mascia, M. L., & Penna, P. (2022). Exploring the attentional profile of gifted children using a VR-Based assessment tool. CELDA 185–192.
Renatti, R., Pfeiffer, S., & Bonfiglio, S. (2025). Predictors of parental stress in families with gifted children: The role of cognitive and emotional challenges. Gifted Children International, 41(1), 112–136. https://doi.org/10.1177/02614294241300245
Renzulli, J. S. (1986). Systems and models for developing programs for the gifted and talented. Creative Learning Press.
Requejo, E., Losada-Puente, L., Rebollo-Quintelo, N., & Mendiri, P. (2022). Narrativas del alumnado de Educación Primaria sobre su bienestar escolar: un diagnóstico inicial. Revista de Investigación en Educación, 20(1), 5-20. https://doi.org/10.35869/reined.v20i1.3964
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860
Saiz-González, P., Coto-Lousa, J., & Fernández-Río, J. (2024). Programas de actividad física y deporte para el alumnado con altas capacidades intelectuales. In S. González-Víllora, & J. C Pastor-Vicedo (Coords.), Más allá de las notas. Comprendiendo al alumnado con altas capacidades (pp. 143–156). Morata.
Sanchez, C., & Blanc, N. (2023). Feelings about school in gifted and non-gifted children: What are the effects of a fine art program in primary school? Education Sciences, 13 (5), Article 512. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13050512
Sánchez, C., Sierra Díaz, M.-J., & González-Víllora, S. (2025). El aprendizaje-servicio en edad escolar en el área de Educación Física: una revisión sistemática. Retos, 64, 110–122. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v64.103075
Sanz-Chacón, C. (2014). La maldición de la inteligencia. Plataforma editorial.
Sastre-Riba, S., & Castelló-Tarrida, A. (2020). Educación de la alta capacidad intelectual. Síntesis.
Sastre-Riba, S., & Fonseca-Pedrero, E. (2019). Perfeccionismo y alta capacidad intelectual. MEDICINA (Buenos Aires), 79(1), 33–37.
Sastre-Riba, S., Fonseca-Pedrero, E., & Ortuño-Sierra, J. (2019). Desde la alta capacidad intelectual hacia el genio: Perfiles de perfeccionismo [From high intellectual ability to genius: Profiles of perfectionism]. Comunicar, 27(60), 9–17. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3916/C60-2019-01
Stevenson, H. W., Chen, C., & Lee, S. (1993). Motivation and achievement of gifted children in east Asia and the United States. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 16(3), 223–250. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/016235329301600302
Tourón, J. (2020). Las altas capacidades en el sistema educativo español: reflexiones sobre el concepto y la identificación. Revista de Investigación Educativa, 38(1), 15-32. http://dx.doi.org/10.6018/rie.38.1.396781
Townend, G., McGregor, M., Alonzo, D., & Nguyen, H. T. M. (2024). What would it take? Enhancing outcomes for high-ability students with disability [Review]. Frontiers in Education, 9, Article 1322872. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1322872
Valadez, M. d. l. D., Rodriguez-Naveiras, E., Castellanos-Simons, D., Lopez-Aymes, G., Aguirre, T., Flores, J. F., & Borges, A. (2020). Physical activity and well-being of high ability students and community samples during the COVID-19 health alert. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 606167. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.606167
Vidal-Valero, S. (2018). Actividad física y altas capacidades. Propuestas didácticas. Horsori Editorial.
Weyns, T., Colpin, H., & Verschueren, K. (2021). The role of school-based relationships for school well-being: How different are high-and average-ability students? British Journal of Educational Psychology, 91(4), e12409. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12409
World Health Organization. (WHO). (Recuperado en 2022, 5 octubre). Actividad física. https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity
Zanetti, M. A., Intra, F. S., Taverna, L., Brighi, A., & Marinoni, C. (2024). The influence of gifted children’s stress management on parental stress levels. Children, 11(5), 538. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/children11050538
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
The authors whose submissions are published in this Journal accept the following terms:
- The copyright is held by the author(s), which will simultaneously be subject to a licence Creative Commons 4.0 BY-NC-SA allowing third parties to share the work provided that the author is cited and granting the Journal the right to first publication.
- The author(s) may enter into any other licence agreements for non-exclusive distribution of versions of the published work (e.g. deposit in an institutional repository or publication in a collective work) provided that the initial publication in this Journal is stated.
- The author/s is/are permitted and recommended to post their work online (e.g. in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges and increase the number of citations of the published work. (See The effect of open access).
















