Conceptual Replication of Parental Influences on the Academic Motivation of Gifted Students: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective

Abstract

Despite the strong influence parenting plays in every aspect of child development, there has been relatively little research focused on how parents influence the academic motivation of their high-ability or gifted child in the home setting. The current study details a conceptual replication of one widely cited study on this topic conducted by Garn et al. (2010). We used an exploratory qualitative design to analyze interview responses gathered from 14 parents (mothers of 22 gifted students) using a content analysis approach within the theoretical framework offered by the Self-Determination Theory taxonomy of motivation developed by Deci and Ryan. Our independent analysis grouped the content of parent responses into four themes that are consistent with those reported in the original study by Garn et al.