The Effects of Differentiated Mathematics Instruction on the Academic and Attitudinal Outcomes of Gifted Students: A Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis investigates the impact of differentiated mathematics instructions on gifted students’ academic achievement and attitudes. Such programs address advanced learning needs through curriculum compacting, acceleration, and enrichment. Synthesizing data from multiple studies, this analysis explores overall effectiveness, effects on attitudes, and moderating factors. Findings indicate positive effects on academic performance (effect size = 0.23) and attitudes toward mathematics (effect size = 0.34), though significant variability exists. Moderating factors included study origin and grade level; international and elementary-level studies showed greater academic gains, whereas high school students exhibited stronger improvements in attitudes. Results highlight the potential of differentiated instructions to support gifted learners academically and emotionally, emphasizing the importance of considering context, age groups, and cultural settings. The study calls for additional research into long-term impacts across diverse populations