Social Behavior Competence

Third component is gifted students’ social behavior competence. Social behavior is an important
ability possessed by every individual in living activities of social life. The importance of this has made
the Indonesian government to stop the acceleration program as educational service for gifted
students (Taslim, 2017). Indonesia governement agreed that accelaration program does not give a
achance for gifted students to advance their social behavior with their peers, the complex material
which should be leaerned by the gifted students forces them to only achieve their academic
competence (Sidik, 2014; Burhani, 2017). The goverment’s worriedness is developed and give
attention for education professional. Neihart (2007) reveals that altought acceleration program is
effective in giveng contribution and advantage academically for gifted studens, but its resistance of
the usage raises concerns becuase its practice can cause social or emotional harm for gifted
students. Thus, it needs to be traced to know the truth and make it a prove which is worth to be a
consideration for anticipation.

It certainly becomes a consideration and needs to be explored. Hence, we tries to explore it through
some professionals’ experiences and developed cointries such as America which have done much
program development for gifted students. Research on these concerns is not entirely true. This is
revealed by Wahab (2005) that the acceleration program is not entirely true that it has negative
effect on gifted students (Wahab, 2005). This is in line with Taslim (2007) that he dissappointed on
governments’ decision to stop the accelaration program because of the worriedness of the negative
effect of acceleration program on students’ social aspect and it needs more observation and
research because the previous opinion do not have a strong evidence and foundation.

The controversy does not only occur n Indonesia, based on some research which is done by
education professionals, acceleration program does not have any negative effect for gifted students,
on the contray acceleration program can increase gifted students’ social adjustment and
psychological (Boazman & Sayler, 2011). It is also explained by Colangelo, Assouline, dan Gross
(2004) that social behavior which become a conern is not being a problem anymore, because it is
written in book entitled “A Nation Deceived”. It is a comprehensive review on opinion about the
concern of acceleration program which has negative effect on gifted students’ social behavior. This
book coclude that it is wrong. Although students experience some problems when attending an
acceleration program, this is not caused by the program itself but can be caused by internal or
external factors and the problem can still be overcome by providing counseling guidance that
effectively deal with gifted students (Wahab, 2005, 2010). It is also supported by some research that
proper acceleration program will give a challange environment intellectually and gain better
academeic improvement. Besides that, the social adjustment of gifted students with their peers will
be mor positive rather than if gifted students do not get acceleretion program (Colangelo, Assouline,
& Gross, 2004). Hence, it can be concluded that the concerns of negative impacts (especially social
attitudes) generated by the acceleration program are not entirely true, but it does not mean that it
is being something that should be neglated because social important is still an important aspect in
social life. So, social behavior competence is important to be considered in program development
for giftend students even regular students.

Program Development for Gifted Students

Each country certainly education program development in order to improve the quality of a nation
to face competition globally. In facing the global competition, Indonesia needs to improve the
prospective future, and to achieve that it is necessary to have a good quality education system that
can build excellence (Wahab, 2010). Various country such as Korea has developed a program
development for gifted students in science with University based curriculum. Uae and Malaysia has
also made a similar program by giving some trainings for all teachers as additional competences to
be more competent in facing gifted students’ competences. Moreover, Japan also develope a
program by differentiate the materials for gifted students as a foundation to to improve the sciences
instruction.

How is the Indonesia government’s effort for gifted students? Particularly for gifted students’ future
which is known that the population of gifted students is 3-5% from the total of Indonesia population
(Wahab, 2010). Along with this, Anatanews media has provided information to the public that
currently the Indonesian government through the Directorate General of Secondary Education has
made efforts to develop educational programs for gifted students through the program of
deepening interest (Sidik, October 2014). Previously, the government already has a gifted student
education program through enrichment program, acceleration, cluster grouping (Efendi & Mariana,
2013) and inclusive model (Ishartiwi, 2012). It is done with a resaon because in reality among the
gifted students pupolation, the gifted students do not show the optimal performance (Wahab,
2010).

The education program development for gifted students in Indonesia is certainly can not compare
with the developed coutries sudch as America which is done many program development around 18
program through acceleration systems (Kanevsky & Clelland, 2013). Indonesia govervent is known as
a country that often undertakes program for gifted students thorugh the programs from America.
One of that program is interest-intensive program which is developed from Advance Placement (AP)
program (Directorate of PSMA, 2015). That program is one of a popular program in the United States
of America (Kyburg, Hetberg-Davis & Callahan, 2007;Warne, 2017). Based on this fact, by the
excixtence of this interest-intensive program, hoped it will develop the potential of gifted students.
Furthermore, it is expected to improve and fix the worrriedness of negative effect on social behavior
of the previous program, that is an acceleratin program by skipping or jumping class.