Gifted boys voice their perspectives of online learning at high school

Online learning plays a significant role in supporting students during their academic endeavours at high school. More specifically, online resources and applications can be used to engage and motivate gifted students to achieve their goals and further work is needed to understand gifted boys’ perspectives of online learning at school. This is especially so for gifted boys who may be at greater risk of underachieving and disengaging at school. This exploratory study interviewed four gifted boys (14–15 years old) attending one independent high school in Australia, to investigate how they used online learning in their classrooms. The boys were interviewed in pairs using a semi-structured approach that prompted them to share their perspectives and experiences of online learning and discuss the types of online activities and applications they used in their classrooms. Overall, the boys highlighted the importance of not disregarding traditional teaching methods but integrating both online learning activities and traditional face-to-face activities in a balanced way that sustained their motivation, provided opportunities to work with challenging problems, and would support characteristics of gifted learners. The boys also shared that building trust between teacher and student was essential to ensure their engagement. Practical recommendations for teachers are also discussed.