Interest, Challenge, Choice, and Enjoyment for the Gifted Learner

Abstract

Gifted learners are engaged in many classroom settings that each offer something different. This study investigated how gifted learners perceive interest, challenge, choice, and enjoyment across three classroom settings: their regular classrooms, gifted classrooms, and a summer enrichment camp classroom. Through the use of the My Class Activities survey developed by Gentry and Gable (2001), students reflected on the elements they experienced in these three educational settings. These surveys were then analyzed to determine the discrepancies between each educational setting and the levels of interest, challenge, choice, and enjoyment in each. After ANOVA and MANOVA tests were run, it was found that statistically significant differences existed between the three educational settings. In addition, students experienced differing levels of interest, challenge, choice, and enjoyment amongst their classroom settings.