Academically Gifted Undergraduate Students: Their Preferred Teaching Strategies

Abstract

Much attention is being paid to the students who give evidence of high achievement capability in specific academic fields. This interest includes choosing sufficient teaching strategies that suit their characteristics. However, this study aims at identifying what teaching strategies are preferred by academically gifted students in Princess Rahma University College/Al-balqa Applied University. A validated scale, covered four dimensions, was developed to measure preferred teaching strategies. The four dimensions were Presentations, Accommodations for Individual Differences, Critical Thinking Strategies, and Creative Thinking Strategies. The study sample consisted of 66 students who were academically gifted. Results revealed that the highest teaching strategies preferred by the students that were related to Creative Thinking dimension followed by Critical Thinking Strategies, the lowest preferred teaching strategy was Presentations. The study urges instructors, who have academically gifted students in their classes, to carefully employ appropriate teaching strategies that meet their needs and increase their potentials.