ABSTRACT
The current study examined the epistemological beliefs of gifted EFL students compared to non-gifted ones at the Saudi Arabian context. More specifically, the study investigated how far epistemological beliefs can be potential predictors of gifted EFL students’ goal orientation, cognitive engagement, perceived linguistic competence and achievement. Four tools were used for data collection, including an Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire, a Goal Orientation Questionnaire, a Cognitive Engagement Questionnaire, and a Perceived Linguistic Competence Questionnaire. Students’ achievement was assessed by their GPAs. These tools were administered to a cohort of 163 (37 gifted, 126 non-gifted) EFL students in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth levels at Riyadh Teachers’ College. Findings of the study indicated that gifted EFL students possess sophisticated epistemological beliefs along the six epistemological belief dimensions. Variance in development among belief dimensions did exist with beliefs in the “integration of knowledge” being the most sophisticated and beliefs in the “source of knowledge” the most naive. Findings of the study also indicated that gifted EFL students hold more sophisticated epistemological beliefs than their non-gifted peers. Statistically significant differences were found between gifted and non-gifted students in five of the six dimensions under investigation. No significant difference was found between the two groups in the “source of knowledge” dimension. Further, findings of the study indicated that some epistemological dimensions can potentially predict given psychological constructs but not others. The epistemological dimension of the “integration of knowledge” had the greatest predictive power. It predicted most of the variables under consideration in the current study (perceived linguistic competence, strategic processing of linguistic knowledge, self-regulation of language learning, persistence when encountering difficulties in language learning settings, and overall achievement in EFL classes). The “certainty of knowledge” dimension predicted such variables as performance goal orientation, strategic processing of linguistic input, self-regulation of language learning, persistence in the face of difficulties, and overall achievement in language classes. The “speed of knowledge acquisition” dimension predicted goal orientation adoptions (learning goal orientation and performance goal orientation). The “control of knowledge” dimension predicted students’ self-regulated language learning. The structure of knowledge dimension predicted students’ overall achievement in language classes. The study provides some recommendations for the education of the linguistically gifted students and suggestions for further research.