An Examination of Selective Achievement in Gifted Males

Selective achievers are intrinsically motivated individuals whose performance matches ability only in specific areas that satisfy their interests and personal goal orientations. Through a qualitative research design, this study investigated the phenomenon of selective achievement by examining the ex...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal for the education of the gifted 2010-06, Vol.33 (4), p.570-605
Main Authors: Hébert, Thomas P., Schreiber, Catherine A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Ability
Academic Achievement
Academically Gifted
Attendance
Case Studies
College campuses
College Students
Colleges & universities
Coping
Data collection
Design
Education
Educational Experience
Extracurricular activities
Gifted
Gifted education
Gifted persons
Goal Orientation
Graduate studies
Grounded Theory
Laptop Computers
Learning
Learning Motivation
Literature Reviews
Males
Motivation in education
Psychological aspects
Qualitative Research
R&D
Research & development
Research Design
Research Methodology
Researchers
Student Interests
Student motivation
Teacher Characteristics
Teaching Methods
Teaching Styles
Underachievement
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Summary:Selective achievers are intrinsically motivated individuals whose performance matches ability only in specific areas that satisfy their interests and personal goal orientations. Through a qualitative research design, this study investigated the phenomenon of selective achievement by examining the experiences of 2 gifted university males. The findings indicated that strong intrinsic motivation, combined with independence and resistance to conformity, played important roles in shaping who these young men were as gifted selective achievers. These gifted males demanded serious intellectual challenges associated with acquiring practical knowledge that could assist them in reaching their personal goals. In addition, the young men identified educators' personalities and teaching styles as critical in determining whether or not they would put forth effort. Implications of the findings are presented along with recommendations for educators, counselors, and parents struggling to understand gifted young people who are selective in their approach to academic achievement.
ISSN:0162-3532
2162-9501
DOI:10.1177/016235321003300406