Differences in Academically Gifted Honors and Non-Honors Students

Many students who have been identified as academically gifted in their grade school years pursue honors programming in college. On the other hand, there are a number of these gifted students who choose not to take honors courses. This study attempted to identify differences among students who were identified as gifted in their earlier education placement and were completing honors requirements in college, those who were gifted and not pursuing honors requirements, those who were not gifted and pursuing honor requirements, and those who were neither gifted nor pursing honors requirements. To examine differences among these groups, 128 college student participants were recruited and given a packet of measures to assess their perceived school competence, motivational styles, educational aspirations, and relationships with their parents. Significant differences were found among the groups in self-perceptions of education-related abilities and educational aspirations. Non-honors gifted students scored lower in their perceptions about their own intelligence and school competence than both honors students who were gifted, and honors students who were not gifted. The nonhonors gifted students also had lower educational aspirations than the honors gifted students and the non-gifted honors students. These findings suggest that honors students feel more confident in their own academic abilities. With encouragement in these areas more gifted students may join honors programs in college