Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on academic motivation and knowledge gap of gifted secondary school students in Serbia

Abstract

This study aimed to explore teachers' and gifted students' perspectives on the changes in academic motivation and school knowledge during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is part of the broader qualitative study about the effects of the pandemic on schooling in regional countries. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 gifted secondary school students and their teachers (eight of them). A topic guide was designed, covering various themes related to students' school and out-of-school life during the pandemic. Teachers didn't recognize significant changes in gifted students’ academic motivation and their acquired knowledge. Students predominantly reported a decrease in their academic motivation and described negative effects on school knowledge (e.g., working less, postponement of school competitions), while some pointed out that they learnt more or they learnt in more convenient conditions. However, some students more often observed an increase in the knowledge and competencies unrelated to the school curriculum. Typically, these students stressed more free time for developing their specific interests as the positive side of the pandemic. Our results suggest that gifted students vary in the level of self-regulation and that teachers tend to overlook gifted students' academic needs in times of the crisis and provide those who are less self-regulated with adequate support.