The Role of Motivation and Educational Background in Learning Gains: Insights from a Gifted Program.

This study investigates the interplay between students’ motivation and educational background in their learning gains, within a gifted education program (CTY Greece’s summer programs). Using data spanning 9 years, it examines the effects of course placement (alignment with students’ first choice, or within the same field) and prior educational background (public or private schooling), on students’ prior knowledge and content assimilation, quantified by their pre-assessment score and assessment score improvement respectively. The findings aim to contribute to the understanding of the role of motivation and equity in gifted education, offering insights for optimizing student placement and addressing diverse educational needs.