As underachievement is an issue in Gifted Education, I picked up Grant’s work ready to glean the key take-aways especially relevant to my role at the College as the K-12 Gifted and Talented Coordinator. Let me be clear; this is not because I’m suggesting for a moment that only gifted learners have potential. At Barker, we have a mission to inspire every learner, every day. In a culture of academic care, we have high expectations of all our students. However, I am also a firm believer that a rising tide lifts all boats. In this spirit, while Grant’s book is relevant and helpful to all learners (and if anyone at all finds this review resonating with them, I highly encourage them to read the book and apply it for themselves) there are strong associations with gifted education and it is full of strategies I endorse for the students with who I spend most of my time working.

Across Australia, Gifted Education is informed by Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (2020). Its premise is that raw, innate potential is transformed into achievement (talent) through intrapersonal, environmental and chance factors (Gagné, 2020). In Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things, Grant focuses significantly on the intrapersonal and environmental components of transforming potential into performance. These are the two areas labelled as “Catalysts” in Gagne’s model below.

To begin with, Grant looks at the character skills (Gagné’s intrapersonal catalyst) which impact one’s temperament and motivation to learn effectively. He reflects on the importance of tenacity, agility of thinking, and a collective purpose stating that ‘the people who grow the most aren’t the smartest people in the room. They’re the ones who strive to make themselves and others smarter’ (page 235). He recommends that such learners should try new methods, sit with the discomfort of the unfamiliar, and embrace mistakes and imperfection as a given of any process. Grant also reflects on the importance of absorbing an abundance of new knowledge and skills, while filtering out unhelpful feedback and information based on the principles of credibility, familiarity and care.

Later in his work, Grant discusses techniques used to overcome obstacles in acquiring expertise (Gagné’s environmental catalyst). These include transforming regular practice into play, adapting routines, being proactive about rest and recovery. Interestingly, Grant (2023) also explores the importance of seeking multiple mentors. He observes that momentum in learning can be increased when different perspectives are harnessed. Grant also reflects on the power of teaching as a learning tool. He recommends the process of explaining as a route to deeper understanding, as well as building one’s confidence by coaching others.

Finally, Grant points to individualising learning as a needed condition of productive school systems which zone in on the potential in students. He holds up Finland’s education system as including best practices. These practices include personalised learning which plays to student interests, and the ‘looping’ of teachers (‘looping’ refers to a teacher following a student through multiple years of schooling). At Barker, our Individualised Learning Staff, Heads of House, and Classroom Teachers work closely together to enable both these principles. For our gifted learners, we are committed to a K-12 pathway; offering ‘value add’ each year by tracking progress and participation, compacting curriculum, and enabling a smooth transition from Junior School into Senior School.

Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things (Grant, 2023) is an enjoyable, easy and fulfilling read, offering fascinating case-studies and practical strategies for improving one’s performance. I particularly recommend this book to Senior School students and their parents who are supporting the development of habits of excellence within study routines. While gifted education specializes in the top ten per cent of cohorts, Grant posits that we all have great distance to travel in our learning if we reflect on character skills and the cultures in which learning design takes place.

Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (2020) may focus on gifted learners but the idea of talent development as a process of transforming potential to performance through intrapersonal and environmental catalysts can be extrapolated to apply to all learners. In this way, enabling and celebrating gifted learners doesn’t leave children behind. Lessons from gifted education can inform and benefit the academic care of all learners. In 2025, following the advice in Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things (Grant, 2023), Barker staff are ready to collaborate and teach with the goal of unleashing the potential of our students.

References

Gagné, F. (2020). Françoys Gagné - Professional website. Dmgt-Mddt. https://gagnefrancoys.wixsite.com/dmgt-mddt

Grant, A. (2023). Hidden Potential. Penguin.