A Comparative Analysis of Questioning and Responding Strategies Used by Mothers of Gifted and Typically Developing Children

This study explored differences in questioning and responding strategies used by mothers of children identified and not identified as gifted, examining the dynamic of question-answer communication within the mother-child relationship. Employing a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 44 mothers from Türkiye, comprising 19 with children identified as gifted and 25 with children not identified as gifted. The findings show that mothers of children identified as gifted mostly use hypothesis, interpretation, and reflective question types for their children, whereas mothers of children not identified as gifted mostly use inference and interpretation question types. Regarding responding strategies, mothers of children identified as gifted mostly provide explanations grounded in cause-and-effect relationships and offer collaborative exploration to address their children’s questions. On the other hand, mothers of children not identified as gifted mostly address their children’s questions by explaining with examples. This research substantially contributes to the ecological aspect of giftedness by demonstrating how maternal questioning and responding strategies can distinctively shape the child’s cognitive developmental paths. This research provides invaluable insights into the complex dynamics of question-response communication in mother-child relationships.