A Case Study on Enrichment Seminar and Gifted Adolescents

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore gifted alumni perceptions of how participating in an Enrichment Seminar course met their socioemotional needs as they related to identity formation, and whether or not their academic achievement was influenced. The researcher used interviews, narrative questions, and surveys to gather data. The research questions focused on the perspectives of gifted students regarding how Enrichment Seminar courses during high school met their socioemotional needs in relation to identity formation, and their perspectives on how the seminar course affected their academic achievement. The population of interest was gifted alumni who had participated in an Enrichment Seminar course at a public high school in the southwestern United States between the years of 2007 – 2011. The sample consisted of 30 participants who were surveyed using The Gifted Program Evaluation Survey, which included narrative questions. The interview sample consisted of 15 participants who came from the population of 30. The participants for this study were from both genders, were of various ethnicities and were between the ages of 19 and 23 years old. The results reflect that participants perceived the Enrichment Seminar positively influenced their identity formation through self-knowledge provided by the curriculum, and relationship building. The participants also perceived that participation in the Enrichment Seminar course positively influenced their academic achievement through college and career preparation.