Exploring the motivational trajectories of gifted university students

Globally, universities have an interest in recruiting the most talented students; however, limited attention has been given to how these students experience their transition and adjustment to university life. This mixed-methods study analyzes the academic, social, emotional, and institutional dimensions of gifted students’ adjustment to university in the context of post-Soviet Kazakhstan, a country characterized by a strong emphasis on the education of gifted students. The findings of the study confirm that the process of gifted students’ adjustment to university is a complex phenomenon, and all the aspects of students’ first-year experiences should be carefully taken into consideration when studying the transition to postsecondary education. The results of the study are useful for understanding the issues that gifted students face in the transition to higher education and have important implications for research on gifted students’ postsecondary experiences internationally.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

On Being Gifted at University: Academic, Social, Emotional, and Institutional Adjustment in Kazakhstan

Almukhambetova

Hernández-Torrano

2020

“…Information gathering. Younger students may not be able to start the actual process of applying to colleges, but academically advanced students can begin to assess their general preferences early in the search phase, including whether they want to go to an in-state or out-of-state school, whether they prefer a larger or smaller student body, and potential academic degree plans and special programs, such as honors colleges (Hammond et al, 2007;Hossler & Gallagher, 1987;Rinn & Plucker, 2004, 2019Wilson & Adelson, 2012). For participants in this sample, college cost was a concern; however, these students still pursued postsecondary options that included moving away from home, rather than lower cost alternatives such as community college, or commuting to nearby 4-year colleges and universities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Hossler and Gallagher (1987) model addresses the fact that for many academically talented students, there is already a predisposition to attend college. For students who participate in ability-grouped, advanced academic programming in high school, college choice sets are often based on a desire to find similar settings in college, including honors colleges and interest-based programs (Hammond et al, 2007;Han, 2014;Rinn & Plucker, 2004, 2019Singell & Tang, 2012;Wilson & Adelson, 2012). Creating a viable set of choices is a critical element in the college choice process, but choice sets are heavily influenced by a number of factors, including a student's prior identity development opportunities.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

College Bound: Advice for Academically Talented Students From Recent Graduates

Meyer

Cranmore

2019

For students who decide to enroll in college after high school graduation, there are numerous factors to consider when searching for potential matches and choosing from the available options. Ten recent high school graduates who participated in self-selected, ability-grouped, advanced academic courses in high school were interviewed at the end of senior year. These students shared valuable lessons they learned about the college decision-making process to offer guidance to students beginning the college search, and the adults, in and out of school, who help them make those choices. Participants offered advice about preparing to apply to college, the application process, and related social and emotional considerations. Nine key themes were identified in which participants encouraged early exploration of career-related interests, a focus on person-environment fit, and managing expectations. Implications for students, parents, and school personnel are also discussed.

“…For lower-division students, experiences with faculty and peer interactions have been shown to influence students’ decision to remain in an honors program (Kampfe et al, 2016). Hammond et al (2007) observed that honors college participation provided a supportive social network and opportunities to be challenged. In addition, for honors students in academically based living-learning communities, increased interaction with faculty was an important element of the student experience (Wawrzynski et al, 2012).…”

Section: Faculty In Honors Colleges and Programsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teaching Honors Courses: Perceptions of Engagement from the Faculty Perspective

Miller

Silberstein

BrckaLorenz

2020

Research suggests that honors students are more likely to be engaged in some, but not all, aspects of the college experience, although there is less information available from the faculty perspective. This study presents findings from the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), comparing various engagement-related practices between faculty who teach honors courses and those who do not. Along with core FSSE items, this study uses responses from 1,487 faculty members at 15 institutions on two items about teaching honors courses. A series of ordinary least squares regression analyses suggest that faculty who teach honors courses are more likely to encourage engagement in the areas of student–faculty interaction, learning strategies, and collaborative learning, even after controlling for other demographic and institutional variables. These findings are considered within the context of existing research and theory, connecting knowledge from higher education and gifted education.