Gifted, disadvantaged, unseen: A scoping study of giftedness, disadvantage and cultural difference in young adult learners

Gifted young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are often overlooked for gifted programs due to their relatively lower financial, social and cultural capital. One promising area of research is the reflexive analysis of the enablers and barriers for these students once they have successfully progressed to university. This scoping review examines current research into factors that hinder or enable gifted students from disadvantaged backgrounds to develop their latent talent and complete higher education. It drew on four education databases and analysed ten peer reviewed studies at the junction of giftedness; disadvantage; and young adults. The conclusion is that there is little current research on gifted, disadvantaged, young adult learners. This paper offers a new conceptualization of talent development through a lens of poverty.