High-achieving students in mathematics: A heterogeneous group

Although high-achieving students in mathematics are often regarded as a homogeneous group, there may be differences within this group. This study used a person-centred approach to investigate quantitative and qualitative differences between 625 high-achieving students (top 20 %) of Grades 3–6 in the Netherlands. Latent profile analyses were conducted based on a range of cognitive (nonverbal intelligence, verbal working memory and visual-spatial working memory), motivational (interest, perceived competence, and anxiety), and mathematics achievement (general mathematics achievement and arithmetic fluency) measures. Per grade, two to four latent profiles emerged (e.g., in Grade 3: ‘relatively low on all variables’, ‘relatively uninterested very high achievers’ and ‘motivated’). While the variation on all variables was substantial, motivational variables contributed most to the distinction between the profiles. This heterogeneity among high-achievers implies that high-achieving students may have diverse educational needs to flourish and reach their full mathematical potential. • High-achievers in mathematics are often regarded as a homogeneous group in research. • This study shows there is substantial heterogeneity among high-achieving students. • Students differ in level and pattern of math achievement, cognition and motivation. • Motivational variables contribute most to the heterogeneity. • High-achieving boys and girls are mostly distributed equally across the profiles.