Gender and Grade-Related Differences in Gifted Students' Preferences for Learning Alone and in Groups

• In Event: 75.062 - Poster Session 18
  In Poster Session: 75.062-4 - Poster Session: Research on Giftedness, Creativity, and Talent

Abstract

Pedagogical shifts favoring collaborative learning and recent findings have raised concerns regarding claims that gifted students prefer to work alone. This analysis explored gender and age-related differences in gifted students’ preferences for specific features of individual and group learning experiences. 416 gifted students in grades 3-8 completed a 110-item learning preference survey. Responses to 15 items related to group and solo work were analysed. No statistically significant differences were found related to gender and four related to age. Sitting in clusters and contributing to discussions were attractive to more older than younger students while teaching classmates and sitting alone became increasingly unpopular with age. Similar proportions of each group liked and disliked and working alone.

Author

• Lannie S. Kanevsky, Simon Fraser University