The Relation of High-Achieving Adolescents' Social Perceptions and Motivation to Teachers' Nominations for Advanced Programs

Abstract

The discrepancies between test-based and teacher-based criteria of high achievement are well-documented for students of all ages. This study seeks to determine whether certain high school students who score high on tests of academic achievement are more likely than others to be nominated for advanced academic programs by their teachers. Using Gagné's Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent as a guide, this study focused on three categories of correlates: social perceptions, individual motivation, and demographic background. Analysis of data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 revealed separate correlational patterns for nomination to advanced English programs and nomination to advanced math programs. High-achieving English students were more likely to be nominated by teachers for advanced work in the subject if they had high intrinsic motivation to read, if they were female, and if they were not Black. To contrast, high-achieving mathematics students were more likely to be nominated by teachers for advanced work in this subject if they had high math self-efficacy, if they were female, and if their friends did not place high importance on social relationships. Moreover, high-achieving male math students were more likely to be nominated if they had high levels of intrinsic motivation in math and if their friends valued academic goals. These results speak to the importance of considering the context of a particular subject area when deciding on who is eligible for enrollment in advanced programs. They also show a potential bias against poorly motivated male students in subjects that are traditionally male dominated.

It takes a village

“…however, given its infancy and lack of empirical backing it was not chosen for the current study. While few scholars have explored the DMGT as a comprehensive model, those that have, found the model was consistent with findings in their given case studies (Barber & Tomey-Purta, 2008;Batenburg, 2011;Ho & Chong, 2008;Novak Lycan, 2009).…”

“…Researchers exploring the DMGT framework have found empirical support for many of the Intrapersonal Catalysts (Barber & Tomey-Purta, 2008;Batenburg, 2011;Ho & Chong, 2008;Novak Lycan, 2009); in particular, motivation was consistently found to be a significant intrapersonal catalyst in research of gifted students in each study. Selfregulation has also been an area of study among researchers exploring gifted students (Calero, Garcia-Martin, Jimenez, Kazen, & Araque;2007;Dai, Moon, & Feldhusen, 1998;Heo, 2014;Tortop, 2015).…”

“…The inclusion of this construct is supported by the well-known Bloom (1985) study of talent development, which indicated the significant role of family and other individuals in the lives of those interviewed. Since then, many researchers have pointed to the importance of parents and teachers in the growth and development of gifted students (Barber & Tomey-Purta, 2008;Batenburg, 2011;Ho & Chong, 2008;Novak Lycan, 2009).…”

Teachers See What Ability Scores Cannot

“…For high-achieving secondary students, teacher recommendations for advanced coursework in English and mathematics may be related to their perceptions of students' self-efficacy, motivation, and demographic characteristics (Barber & Torney-Purta, 2008). Traits such as self-discipline (Duckworth & Seligman, 2005), conscientiousness (O'Connor & Paunonen, 2007), and positive attributional style (Leeson, Ciarrochi, & Heaven, 2008) have also been shown to predict academic success in adolescents and young adults.…”

Influences of Formal Schooling on International Mathematical Olympiad Winners From Korea

“…Teachers are particularly influential in the education of gifted students because it is often a teacher who identifies students' special abilities and makes recommendations for interventions or programs (Barber & Torney-Purta, 2008;Elhoweris, 2008;Tarver & Culross, 2007). Teachers play a vital role in nominating low achieving but highly gifted students to specialized programs or schools (Kissane, 1986).…”