Intelligence Measurement In The Identification of Gifted Children: A Literature Review on Accuracy, Fairness, and Implementation Challenges

Abstract

Intelligence testing remains the dominant gatekeeping mechanism for gifted identification, yet its reliance on unidimensional IQ cutoffs has been increasingly criticized for producing inaccurate and inequitable outcomes, particularly among culturally, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse populations. This study aims to systematically synthesize theoretical and empirical developments concerning the accuracy, fairness, and implementation challenges of intelligence measurement in identifying gifted children over the past decade, while identifying an integrative framework connecting these three dimensions an area underexplored in prior fragmented reviews. A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 protocol, involving four-stage screening (identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion) across Scopus, SINTA, ERIC, and ProQuest databases, resulting in a final sample of 15 peer-reviewed articles published between 2016 and 2022. Findings reveal that CHC-based instruments demonstrate strong predictive validity for academic outcomes but inadequately capture creative and socio-emotional giftedness; differential item functioning analyses confirm systematic bias against non-dominant linguistic and cultural groups; and structural interventions such as universal screening and multiple-criteria identification improve equity but demand greater administrative capacity, explaining persistent implementation gaps in non-Western contexts, including Indonesia. This review concludes that measurement accuracy, socio-cultural fairness, and systemic feasibility constitute an interdependent causal chain requiring integrated, culturally adapted, and policy-coordinated identification models to advance equitable gifted education practice globally.