Date of Completion

5-6-2015

Embargo Period

5-6-2015

Keywords

Achievement Orientation, Enrichment Triad, Type III Enrichment

Major Advisor

Del Siegle

Associate Advisor

E. Jean Gubbins

Associate Advisor

Catherine Little

Associate Advisor

Jennie Weiner

Field of Study

Educational Psychology

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Open Access

Open Access

Abstract

Gifted and talented students have special needs that require interventions, such as academic acceleration and academic enrichment. Additionally, without appropriate modifications gifted and talented students are at risk of underachievement. Grounded in the Schoolwide Enrichment Model and the Achievement Orientation Model, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to build understanding of the relationship between participation in academic enrichment, achievement attitudes, and the resultant behavior (self-regulation) of gifted secondary school students. Achievement attitudes include self-efficacy, goal valuation, and environmental perceptions. Participants included 10 students enrolled in one distinctive enrichment program, their parents, and their classroom teacher. The enrichment program was distinctive because it emphasized Type III Enrichment activities, which are individual and small-group investigations of real-world problems. Data included student, parent, and teacher responses in semi-structured interviews, student work, and project assessments. Data were analyzed thematically. Findings indicated a relationship between participation in Type III Enrichment and achievement orientation attitudes and the resultant behavior of secondary school gifted and talented students. Specifically, students engaged in Type III Enrichment perceived their projects as meaningful, viewed their environment as supportive, and were proud of their efforts and the outcome of those efforts. Additionally, students credited participation in Type III Enrichment with helping them to self-regulate. These findings can be used to inform gifted secondary school educational practices and specifically, how to design interventions that optimize learning experiences for secondary school gifted and talented students.

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