Life Stories of Students with High Ability in Paraguay: Participants of a Specialized Program in Mathematics

Abstract

This qualitative study aimed to know life stories of high ability students in Paraguay, to explore the perceived impact of having high abilities and of participating in a specialized program for the development of mathematical talent. Authors used a cross-sectional narrative design, with life stories collected in individual interviews until reaching data saturation. Eight participants between the ages of 12 and 18, identified as having high intellectual abilities, selected in a representative manner from the Scientific Initiation with Emphasis in Mathematics for Young Talents Program at OMAPA. Inductive data analysis sought to discover emerging themes and patterns among responses. Results indicate that this group of students had happy childhoods in supportive families, schools that did not meet their educational needs, and strong personal satisfaction and fulfillment since starting the program.