Myth busting: Do high-performance students prefer working alone?

Abstract

ABSTRACT There has been a longstanding assumption that gifted, high-ability, or high-performing students prefer working alone; however, this may not be true in every case. The current study expanded on this assumption to reveal more nuanced learning preferences of these students. Sixty-nine high-performing and community-school students in Grades 5 and 6 participated. A 26-item questionnaire addressed students’ learning preferences. Nine students were interviewed after completing the questionnaire to further explore their answers. Substantial evidence supported high-performing students’ preferences for working with others. These preferences were complex and varied depending on the learning situation. Implications for future research were discussed.