Mathematical Intelligence as a Diagnostic Framework for Academic Excellence: A Field Study on HighAchieving Fourth-Year Middle School Students in Bouira, Algeria

This study investigates the role of mathematical intelligence as an approach to diagnosing academic excellence among high-achieving fourth-year middle school students in Bouira, Algeria.While academic achievement in mathematics is often considered an indicator of excellence, the study critically examines whether it adequately reflects higher-order cognitive abilities associated with mathematical intelligence.Conducted during the 2024/2025 academic year, the research relied on a purposive sample of 82 high-achieving students, including 45 female students enrolled in local middle schools.Adopting a descriptive research design, the study employed the Mathematical Intelligence Test developed by Senoussi Boumediene and compared its outcomes with student performance on achievement tests across the first and second terms.The findings reveal that most high-achieving students demonstrate an average level of mathematical intelligence, and that the correlation between mathematical intelligence and both overall academic achievement and achievement in mathematics remains moderate to weak.These results suggest that high academic performance does not necessarily correspond to excellence in mathematical intelligence.The novelty of this research lies in reframing academic excellence assessment by moving beyond grades to include cognitive diagnostic tools.The study contributes to the literature by highlighting the necessity of adopting multidimensional frameworks for identifying excellence, thereby informing both educational policy and classroom practices.It recommends the revision of achievement tests to capture diverse aspects of intelligence and the integration of multiple diagnostic approaches to better identify and nurture exceptional talent.