Gifted Student's Perceptions of AP Classes

What gifted students think about their Advanced Placement Classes, along with their successes and failures in the AP Program.

For many students classified as gifted, advanced placement classes are the only course option available to meet their needs and challenge their minds. The post below aims to identify and address the various perceptions that gifted students have about their AP programs at their school and their AP classes. The literature and research about gifted students’ perceptions break down into three main categories, the learning environment, the teachers, and supports. The information below is from various research studies where gifted students in high school and college reflect on and discuss their perceptions and experiences of their AP classes.

The Learning Environment

The learning environment is the most frequently discussed topic in the interviews from the students. One particular study found that “Climates of intellectual safety motivated students and created a sense of belonging” (Mullet, Kettler, & Sabatini, 2018, p. 76). Another study found that minority gifted students feel that AP class “environments that are flexible and attuned to the varying and individual needs of these culturally, linguistically, social, and economically divers students are ones in which learning can experience success” (Kyburg, Hertberg-Davis, & Callahan, 2007, p. 205-206). Gifted students express multiple times in these studies the importance of an AP classroom environment that challenges them with high expectations but also is sensitive to students need for academic freedom. Gifted students perceive memorization of material in AP classes to be an obstacle and unhelpful. Gifted students prefer an AP environment in which they can also have academic autonomy. A student states, “I liked my biology class because she (the teacher) left the students a lot of freedom, like it was basically up to us to do things. That’s fine for me because I learn best, you know, on my own” (Mullet, Kettler, & Sabatini, 2018, p. 78). Some students did not enjoy being completely left alone in studying the material but most gifted AP students prefer some academic autonomy with guidance when needed. When gifted students felt that their learning environment was not meeting their needs, they perceived it as a waste of their time.

The Teacher

Aside from the classroom environment, the second most discussed topic gifted students mention about their AP classes are their teachers. Their teachers shape many of experiences and perceptions gifted students have of their AP classes. Most common positive perceptions of teachers come from passionate teachers who are experts in their field. In addition to being passionate and knowledgeable about subject content, students felt that teachers that saw them as young adults and built relationships with them also helped student gain a positive perception of their AP classes. “Caring teachers made a deep impression on gifted students; these teachers’ everyday interactions with their students make students feel esteemed” (Mullet, Kettler, & Sabatini, 2018, p. 81). Students with negative perceptions of their AP teachers described them as “teachers who lacked skill or knowledge” (Mullet, Kettler, & Sabatini, 2018, p. 82). Others described negative perceptions when teachers had low expectations. One student described, “I didn’t like a lot of my AP teachers because I felt like they expected little from me” (Mullet, Kettler, & Sabatini, 2018, p. 83).

For more information about what gifted students need form their teacher, see my other Blog post: "What Gifted AP Students Need from Their Teacher"

Parental, School, and Social Supports

The final category of topics discussed that shapes students’ perceptions of their AP classes is the supports they have while in the programs. Supports here means parental support, school support in the form of councilors, and finally peer or social supports. Parents of gifted students tend to hold their students to a higher standard and want them to be successful. A study of the predictors of success for students in AP classes found that students who have authoritative parents with little parent-child conflict are more successful in their AP classes (Suldo, Shaunessy-Dedrick, Ferron, & Dedrick, 2018, p. 366). When gifted students are more successful, they have positive perceptions of their experiences. A component of gifted students’ experiences that brought on negative perceptions was the lack of guidance and career planning provided by the school and guidance counselors. Many students felt that their counselors in school were there to help them choose their AP classes, but not what to use them for and help them plan for college and career after the courses were finished. Students overall feel that counseling failed to meet their needs, leaving them alone to determine their career path (Mullet, Kettler, & Sabatini, 2018, p. 80). Finally, gifted students peers in their AP classes are the last component mentioned in shaping their perceptions of their AP classes. Almost all students believe that being grouped with other intellectual and motivated peers created a sense of support and belonging. Many students also discussed how being grouped with these students through multiple AP class experiences helped them develop strong and long lasting friendships with a “Close-knit kind of foundation” (Mullet, Kettler, & Sabatini, 2018, p. 81).

Personal Reflection

Students in my classroom commonly discuss many of the perceptions researched and discussed in this post. In my experience, many of my AP students love to discuss and talk about their struggles and stresses of other AP classes in my own AP class. (Am I the only one?!). Sometimes I listen to what students have to say about other teachers and use what they say to change my teaching to better meet their needs. Students constantly discuss their teachers, and while I do not let them talk bad about other teachers in my classroom, they still know whom the “easy” AP teachers are. The AP teachers that give students high grades to help their GPA. They also know whom the teachers are that truly care about educating them in the material and will give them their best educational experience. Students also know what teachers care about them and have supportive environments and those that do not. When students feel more comfortable in their classes and know their teacher believe they can succeed, they will be more successful (Kyburg, Hertberg-Davis, & Callahan, 2007, p. 205). At my school, many of the guidance counselors are there to help them choose and register for classes, but only a few are known to help them with career path decisions. Students’ mental health and career path decisions are so crucial at this age and I feel that our schools are falling short in helping our students meet this crucial need. I have also found that peer support is one of the most rewarding and positive experience AP students have in these classes. Many of the same group of students move through AP courses together in their high school career and it allows them to build strong group of close-knit friendships that last. I have also observed that students are happier and more motivated in classes where like-minded students surround them.

References

Kyburg, R. M., Hertberg-Davis, H., & Callahan, C. M. (2007). Advanced placement and international baccalaureate programs: Optimal learning environments for talented minorities? Journal of Advanced Academics, 18(2), 172–215.

Mullet, D. R., Kettler, T., & Sabatini, A. (2018). Gifted students’ conceptions of their high school STEM education. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 41(1), 60-92.

Suldo, S. M., Shaunessy-Dedrick, E., Ferron, J., & Dedrick, R. F. (2018). Predictors of success among high school students in advanced placement and international baccalaureate programs. Gifted Child Quarterly, 62(4), 350–373.