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School Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study of Academic Motivation, Peer Connectedness, and School Liking among Gifted and Nonidentified Early Adolescents

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Title: School Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study of Academic Motivation, Peer Connectedness, and School Liking among Gifted and Nonidentified Early Adolescents
Language: English
Authors: Tzu-Jung Lin (ORCID 0000-0002-4525-1001), Trent N. Cash (ORCID 0000-0001-6624-9616), Hyun Ji Lee (ORCID 0000-0002-9511-8452), Saetbyul Kim (ORCID 0000-0003-2425-8156), Eric M. Anderman (ORCID 0000-0002-3473-0971), Wonjoon Cha (ORCID 0009-0007-5532-671X), Xingfeiyue Liu (ORCID 0000-0003-2767-1210), Ziye Wen (ORCID 0000-0002-8544-3956)
Source: Gifted Child Quarterly. 2026 70(3):368-387.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 20
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education
Grade 3
Primary Education
Grade 4
Intermediate Grades
Grade 5
Middle Schools
Grade 6
Descriptors: Academically Gifted, Early Adolescents, Well Being, COVID-19, Pandemics, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Children, Student Motivation, Student Attitudes, Peer Relationship, Expectation, Risk, Resilience (Psychology)
DOI: 10.1177/00169862251392225
ISSN: 0016-9862
1934-9041
Abstract: This longitudinal study tracked the trajectories of school well-being of gifted and nonidentified early adolescents before and through the COVID-19 pandemic (2019-2022). We used a prospective cohort panel design that followed students (N =1,033) from Grade 3 until the end of Grade 6. Three aspects of school well-being were examined through both hedonic and eudaimonic views of well-being: school liking, peer connectedness, and academic motivation. Longitudinal multilevel modeling showed that the pandemic was associated with negative shifts in students' academic motivation, but not with school liking or peer connectedness. When considering students' gifted status, students gifted in superior cognitive abilities, reading, or math showed similar trajectories of school liking but greater declines in peer connectedness than their nonidentified peers, especially during the pandemic years. The gifted students also showed a slower rate of growth in math expectancy than nonidentified students over time, regardless of the state of the pandemic. Students gifted in math experienced a shift from high and stable academic motivation in the prepandemic years to a decline during the pandemic, while other students experienced a shift from growth in academic motivation before the pandemic to maintaining the same or lower levels during the pandemic. Our findings shed light on gifted early adolescents' resilience and vulnerability during transitions and upheavals like the pandemic, illuminating future research directions on how schools can differentiate their adaptation and support for gifted students at a uniquely important time in their development.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1508553
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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PubType: Academic Journal
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IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
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  Data: School Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study of Academic Motivation, Peer Connectedness, and School Liking among Gifted and Nonidentified Early Adolescents
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  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tzu-Jung+Lin%22">Tzu-Jung Lin</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4525-1001">0000-0002-4525-1001</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Trent+N%2E+Cash%22">Trent N. Cash</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6624-9616">0000-0001-6624-9616</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hyun+Ji+Lee%22">Hyun Ji Lee</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9511-8452">0000-0002-9511-8452</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Saetbyul+Kim%22">Saetbyul Kim</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2425-8156">0000-0003-2425-8156</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Eric+M%2E+Anderman%22">Eric M. Anderman</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3473-0971">0000-0002-3473-0971</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wonjoon+Cha%22">Wonjoon Cha</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5532-671X">0009-0007-5532-671X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Xingfeiyue+Liu%22">Xingfeiyue Liu</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2767-1210">0000-0003-2767-1210</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ziye+Wen%22">Ziye Wen</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8544-3956">0000-0002-8544-3956</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Gifted+Child+Quarterly%22"><i>Gifted Child Quarterly</i></searchLink>. 2026 70(3):368-387.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: N
– Name: Pages
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  Data: 20
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  Label: Publication Date
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  Data: 2026
– Name: TypeDocument
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education%22">Early Childhood Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+3%22">Grade 3</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Primary+Education%22">Primary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+4%22">Grade 4</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Intermediate+Grades%22">Intermediate Grades</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Middle+Schools%22">Middle Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+6%22">Grade 6</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academically+Gifted%22">Academically Gifted</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Early+Adolescents%22">Early Adolescents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Well+Being%22">Well Being</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pandemics%22">Pandemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+3%22">Grade 3</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+4%22">Grade 4</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+6%22">Grade 6</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Children%22">Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Motivation%22">Student Motivation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Peer+Relationship%22">Peer Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Expectation%22">Expectation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Risk%22">Risk</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Resilience+%28Psychology%29%22">Resilience (Psychology)</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
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  Data: 10.1177/00169862251392225
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0016-9862<br />1934-9041
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: This longitudinal study tracked the trajectories of school well-being of gifted and nonidentified early adolescents before and through the COVID-19 pandemic (2019-2022). We used a prospective cohort panel design that followed students (N =1,033) from Grade 3 until the end of Grade 6. Three aspects of school well-being were examined through both hedonic and eudaimonic views of well-being: school liking, peer connectedness, and academic motivation. Longitudinal multilevel modeling showed that the pandemic was associated with negative shifts in students' academic motivation, but not with school liking or peer connectedness. When considering students' gifted status, students gifted in superior cognitive abilities, reading, or math showed similar trajectories of school liking but greater declines in peer connectedness than their nonidentified peers, especially during the pandemic years. The gifted students also showed a slower rate of growth in math expectancy than nonidentified students over time, regardless of the state of the pandemic. Students gifted in math experienced a shift from high and stable academic motivation in the prepandemic years to a decline during the pandemic, while other students experienced a shift from growth in academic motivation before the pandemic to maintaining the same or lower levels during the pandemic. Our findings shed light on gifted early adolescents' resilience and vulnerability during transitions and upheavals like the pandemic, illuminating future research directions on how schools can differentiate their adaptation and support for gifted students at a uniquely important time in their development.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1508553
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1508553
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        Value: 10.1177/00169862251392225
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      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 20
        StartPage: 368
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Academically Gifted
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Early Adolescents
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Well Being
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: COVID-19
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pandemics
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      – SubjectFull: Grade 3
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      – SubjectFull: Grade 4
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      – SubjectFull: Grade 6
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      – SubjectFull: Children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Motivation
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      – SubjectFull: Student Attitudes
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      – SubjectFull: Peer Relationship
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      – SubjectFull: Risk
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