Gifted Irish students’ perception of academic experiences during the pandemic

ABSTRACTCovid-19 had direct impact on education systems worldwide with school closures affecting learning for many students, including gifted adolescents. This study explored students’ perceptions of emergency online learning at school and how these differed to in-person classes and online classes they attended in the Centre for Talented Youth, Ireland (CTYI). Data analyses identified four factors of student responses (N = 322): Teacher Support, Self-Regulated Learning, Motivation Support, and Resource Access. Overall, CTYI received the highest mean scores across all categories and students favored in-person learning to online learning. Results highlighted a significant difference in scores between students in junior cycle of secondary school and senior cycle. Senior cycle students consistently reported less positive perceptions of their online learning than did junior cycle students. Using cluster analysis, patterns of online learning responses were identified. Despite differences in group comparisons, both senior and junior cycle students were found in clusters with positive attitudes and in clusters with negative attitudes. The findings have implications for future research, which should explore motivational and support changes that may be occurring in the transition from junior to senior cycle, as well as differences in self-regulation abilities.KEYWORDS: Academic experiencesadolescentsCOVID-19educationemergency online learninggiftedmotivationself-regulation Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationNotes on contributorsRebecca McDonnellRebecca McDonnell, MSc is a research assistant at the Cetre for Talented Youth Ireland.She has an MSc in Applied Developmental Psychology and is currently training to be a Doctor in Educational Psychology in University College Dublin. Her areas of interest include coping mechansisms in students and professional development of teachersJennifer Riedl CrossJennifer Riedl Cross, Ph.D. is Director of Research at the William & Mary Center for Gifted Education. She is the Editor of the National Association for Gifted Children’s research journal, the Gifted Child Quarterly. She co-edited, with Tracy L. Cross, of the Handbook for Counselors Serving Students with Gifts and Talents, now in its second edition. Her research in the field emphasizes social and psychological aspects of gifted educationColm O’ReillyColm O’Reilly, Ph.D is the Director of the Irish Centre for Talented Youth (CTYI) at Dublin City University. CTYI provides fast paced classes for academically talented students aged 6 – 16 years from all over Ireland and overseas. Colm has worked in the area of gifted and talented education for over 20 years and has written books and articles and presented papers at numerous conferences around Europe and worldwide. He has experience in teacher training for gifted students and is responsible for the implementation of many classes and initiatives for gifted children in Ireland.Tracy L. CrossTracy L. Cross, Ph.D., is the William & Mary Jody and Layton Smith Professor of Psychology and Gifted Education, and the executive director of the W&M Center for Gifted Education and the Institute for Research on the Suicide of Gifted Students. He has published more than 150 articles, book chapters, and columns; made hundreds of presentations at conferences; and published numerous books. He is past editor of numerous journals, including Gifted Child Quarterly, Roeper Review, and the Journal for the Education of the Gifted and he is the founder of SENG Journal: Exploring the Psychology of Giftedness.Leeanne HinchLeeanne Hinch, Ph.D is the Academic Coordinator for the Centre for Talented Youth (CTYI) at Dublin City University. Leeanne holds a PhD in Science Education from Dublin City University, specifically focusing on the preparation of pre-service science teachers. She has worked in the area of gifted and talented education for over 10 years and has published articles and presented papers at conferences around the world. Her research interests include gifted and talented children, gifted disadvantaged students, inquiry based science education, effective practices for teaching science to gifted students, and professional development for teachers.Anyesha MishraAnyesha Mishra, is a doctoral student in the Gifted Education Administration program of the Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership department at William & Mary School of Education. With a background in psychology, Anyesha has a special interest in understanding the psychological and social factors influencing the development of students with gifts and talents. Her other areas of interest include programs and institutional collaboration in nurturing and motivating such students, and evaluation of programs for the gifted. She is presently the administrative editorial assistant for Gifted Child Quarterly.