Validating a Classroom Perception Instrument for Gifted Students in a University

Summer enrichment and residential programs can provide gifted students with positive social interactions and challenging curricula. However, little research has focused on gifted students’ perceptions of the learning environment in such programs. This research project evaluated the psychometric properties and practical applications of the Student Perceptions of Classroom Quality (SPOCQ) instrument. The two studies used a total sample of 1,492 diverse, gifted students in Grades 5 through 12 who participated in a university-based enrichment residential program from 2010 through 2013. Confirmatory factor analysis results indicated that although the original model was a moderately good fit for the gifted student participants in 2010 to 2011, some items on the SPOCQ were classroom specific and did not apply to residential programs. Therefore, those items were revised and retested, and results showed that the modified model was a better fit for gifted student participants in 2012 to 2013