The Role of Parents and Teachers in the Development of Scientific Talent: Lessons from Early Childhood and Adolescent Education of Nobel Laureates

AbstractAbstractThis article presents some of the main results from the project about early childhood and adolescent education of Nobel laureates in science: the exceptional roles of parents and of teachers in developing scientific talent. Winning a Nobel Prize represents the pinnacle of accomplishment possible in one's field of expertise. Despite the ever-increasing role of science in society and the importance of Nobel laureates in contemporary science, it should be acknowledged that their childhood and adolescent education has never been studied. The discovery of principles involved in the educational development of Nobel laureates will allow educators to accordingly improve, develop, modify and transcend areas in the current curriculum in an attempt to cultivate scientific talent, of Nobel calibre, in future generations.Keywords: Scientific talentNobel laureates in scienceearly childhood and adolescent education Additional informationNotes on contributorsLarisa ShavininaLarisa Shavinina is a Professor at the Université du Québec en Outaouais, Canada. Her research program focuses on the study of scientific talent in the case of Nobel laureates, intellectual and entrepreneurial giftedness, the phenomenon of individual innovation in the case of outstanding innovators, innovation-based economy, managerial talent, the role of wisdom and intuition in innovation, and innovation education. She edited the bestselling International Handbook on Innovation, International Handbook on Giftedness, the Routledge International Handbook of Innovation Education, and Silicon Valley North: A High Tech Cluster of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, as well as co-edited CyberEducation and Beyond Knowledge: Extracognitive Aspects of Developing High Ability.