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Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory study was to assess the effect of a novel approach to mathematics instruction on gifted high school students’ engagement, motivation, and metacognition. Participants in this study included gifted students who were enrolled in a 3-year, residential, specialized mathematics and science high school. Rather than respond only to problem sets assigned by the teacher, students were asked to create original, conceptual mathematics problems at several points over an academic semester. After completing the assignment, students were administered a follow-up Likert-type scale and open-ended survey designed to assess sources of motivation and rationales for choosing a particular type of problem. No differences were found between gender or grade, but patterns of engagement, challenge, and intrinsic motivation were found in open-ended responses.

Keywords

creativity gifted education high school mathematics motivation

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The Problem Is the Solution

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