The Optimal Context for Gifted Students: A Preliminary Exploration of Motivational and Affective Considerations

Abstract

This study was designed to verify the efficacy of a conceptual model intended to be used to examine the relative effectiveness of a variety of educational interventions in terms of the self-reported satisfaction of gifted students' effective and motivational needs. The participants in this stage of the study were 540 Year 7 students comprising 402 gifted students grouped in selective high schools, 76 gifted students grouped in accelerated cohorts, and a mixed ability group of 62 students. The preliminary analysis of self-reports from the total population of students who participated in the first stage of this study, including principal components analysis and multiple regression analyses, supports the social-constructivist conceptual framework proposed. The hypothesized positive correlation between the Quality of School Life variables and Intrinsic Motivation was confirmed. The positive correlations between the Anxiety and Tedium variables and the corresponding negative correlation with Quality of School Life variables lent support for the theoretical rationale under-pinning the inclusion of measures of boredom.