The Effects of Gifted and Talented Programs on Academic Self-Concept: The                Big Fish Strikes Again

Marsh, Herbert W.; Chessor, Danuta; Craven, Rhonda; Roche, Lawrence A.

doi:10.3102/00028312032002285

Cited by 252 publications

(161 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…In putting forth their argument Dai and Rinn stated that: "One can argue that gifted education provides an ideal test bed for the BFLPE theory" (p. 11) and that participating in a self-contained or short-term gifted program "gets close to the essence of the metaphor of a big fish in a little pond suddenly turned median or small when thrown into a big pond with many big or bigger fish" (p. 11). Whereas several of the studies of gifted education programs that they reviewed did show a decline in ASC consistent with BFLPE predictions (Marsh et al 1995;Zeidner and Schleyer 1998), others showed no decline or declines that returned to base-line levels when students in short-term gifted programs returned to regular classes. Based on these "mixed" findings, the authors concluded that findings from gifted education research were not entirely consistent with BFLPE predictions and that consequences of participation were more complex than suggested by BFLPE theory.…”

Section: Effects Of Ability Tracking Achievement Grouping and Giftementioning

confidence: 99%

“…For a large, nationally representative (US) database, Marsh and Rowe (1996) found that the BFLPE was clearly evident for students of all achievement levels and that the size of the BFLPE varied only slightly with individual student achievement. In two studies demonstrating BFLPEs in students attending gifted-and-talented programs, Marsh et al (1995) found no significant interaction between the size of the BFLPE and achievement level of individual students. In their cross-cultural study of the BFPLE in 26 countries, Marsh and Hau (2003) also found that the BFLPE did not vary with individual achievement levels.…”

Section: Moderation Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Marsh (1984aMarsh ( , 1987Marsh ( , 1991Marsh and Craven 1997;Marsh et al 1995;Marsh and Rowe 1996) argued that attending high-ability schools should lead to reduced ASCs for students of all achievement levels based on several different theoretical perspectives. For a large, nationally representative (US) database, Marsh and Rowe (1996) found that the BFLPE was clearly evident for students of all achievement levels and that the size of the BFLPE varied only slightly with individual student achievement.…”

Section: Moderation Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Importantly, the model does not posit that individual and school-average ability are the only determinants of ASC or that there are no other individual student and contextual Educ Psychol Rev (2008) 20:319-350 323 characteristics that moderate the size-and possibly even the direction-of the BFLPE. Indeed, because reducing or even eliminating the negative consequences of the BFLPE has important theoretical and practical implications, many BFLPE studies have looked for moderators of the BFLPE Marsh 1987Marsh , 1991Marsh , 2007Marsh et al 1995Marsh et al , 2000Marsh et al , 2001Marsh and Craven 2002). …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Big-fish–little-pond-effect Stands Up to Critical Scrutiny: Implications for Theory, Methodology, and Future Research

et al. 2008

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The big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE) predicts that equally able students have lower academic self-concepts (ASCs) when attending schools where the average ability levels of classmates is high, and higher ASCs when attending schools where the schoolaverage ability is low. BFLPE findings are remarkably robust, generalizing over a wide variety of different individual student and contextual level characteristics, settings, countries, long-term follow-ups, and research designs. Because of the importance of ASC in predicting future achievement, coursework selection, and educational attainment, the results have important implications for the way in which schools are organized (e.g., tracking, ability grouping, academically selective schools, and gifted education programs). In response to Dai and Rinn (Educ. Psychol. Rev., 2008), we summarize the theoretical model underlying the BFLPE, minimal conditions for testing the BFLPE, support for its robust generalizability, its relation to social comparison theory, and recent research extending previous implications, demonstrating that the BFLPE stands up to scrutiny. Educ Psychol Rev (2008) 20:319-350 DOI 10.1007 Quotations (associated page numbers) to the Dai and Rinn (2008) article are based on a prepublication version of the article available to the authors of this article that may have changed during the final preparation for publication.The authors would also like to express thanks to David Dai and Anne Rinn for their encouragement and assistance to us in preparation of our article, whilst still acknowledging that they might not agree will all the views expressed here. Keywords Big-fish-little-pond-effect . Social comparison theory . Ability grouping . Academic self-concept In its simplest form, the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE) predicts that students have lower academic self-concepts (ASC) when attending schools where the average ability levels of other students is high compared to equally able students attending schools where the school-average ability is low. Findings support the BFLPE and are remarkably robust, generalizing over a wide variety of different individual student and contextual level characteristics, settings, countries, longterm followups, and research designs. The results also have important policy implications for the ways in which schools are organized (e.g., ability grouping, tracking, selective schools, gifted education programs, etc.). An Advance OrganizerThe Dai and Rinn (2008) critique of the BFLPE is reminiscent in many ways of the Dai (2004) comment on a cross-cultural study on the BFLPE by Marsh and Hau (2003). To differing extents, both critiques by Dai (2004) and by Dai and Rinn (2008) suggested that: the BFLPE might be a short-term, ephemeral effect; noted situations in which there might be positive effects of school-average ability on ASC that is claimed to be inconsistent with BFLPE predictions; argued that there might be a number of individual student or contextual characteristics that moderate the BFLPE; contrasted BF...

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Section: Effects Of Ability Tracking Achievement Grouping and Giftementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Moderation Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Moderation Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Big-fish–little-pond-effect Stands Up to Critical Scrutiny: Implications for Theory, Methodology, and Future Research

et al. 2008

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“…Marsh, Chessor, Craven, and Roche (1995) predicted varying development of different parts of the self-concept depending on educational experiences. In two studies of gifted pupils in grades four through six, experimental pupils attended a special class while control pupils attended regular mainstream, mixed ability classes.…”

Section: Types Of Curricular Interventions and Effects On Gifted Pupilsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Education and self‐regulation of learning for gifted pupils: systemic design and development

Mooij

2008

Research Papers in Education

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Gifted pupils differ from their age-mates with respect to development potential, actual competencies, self-regulatory capabilities, and learning styles in one or more domains of competence. The question is how to design and develop education that fits and further supports such characteristics and competencies of gifted pupils. Analysis of various types of educational interventions for gifted pupils reflects positive cognitive or intellectual effects and differentiated social comparison or group-related effects on these pupils. Systemic preventive combination of such interventions could make these more effective and sustainable. The systemic design is characterised by three conditional dimensions: differentiation of learning materials and procedures, integration by and use of ICT support, and strategies to improve development and learning. The relationships to diagnostic, instructional, managerial, and systemic learning aspects are expressed in guidelines to develop or transform education. The guidelines imply the facilitation of learning arrangements that provide flexible self-regulation for gifted pupils. A three-year pilot in Dutch nursery and primary school is conducted to develop and implement the design in collaboration with teachers. The results constitute prototypes of structured competence domains and supportive software. These support the screening of entry characteristics of all four-year old pupils and assignment of adequate play and learning processes and activities throughout the school career. Gifted and other pupils are supported to work at their actual achievement or competency levels since their start in nursery school, in self-regulated learning arrangements either in or out of class. Each pupil can choose other pupils to collaborate with in small groups, at self-chosen tasks or activities, while being coached by the teacher. Formative evaluation of the school development process shows that 2 the systemic prevention guidelines seem to improve learning and social progress of gifted pupils, including their self-regulation. Further development and implementation steps are discussed.

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Competency beliefs, positive affect, and gender stereotypes of elementary students and their parents about science versus other school subjects

André

Whigham

Hendrickson

et al. 1999

J. Res. Sci. Teach.

193

171

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Iowa students and parents completed related attitude and belief questionnaires about school subjects. Grade K-3 students received simpler questionnaires than did Grade 4-6 students or parents. Among Grade 4 -6 children, girls perceived higher competence in reading than did boys, but boys perceived higher competence in physical science. All children perceived physical science competence lower than reading or math competence. Parents perceived boys as more competent in science. Girls like reading more than boys did; boys and girls did not differ in liking of science. Grade 4 -6 children also expected lower grades in and attached lower importance to physical science than to reading. Parents perceived science as more important for boys and expected higher performance of boys. Jobs related to math or science were seen as more male dominated. These results provided a more comprehensive picture of attitudes and beliefs about science in the elementary school than had existed and suggested that attitudinal gender differences related to physical science begin to develop by the earliest elementary school years. Policy implications are that intervention programs designed to promote gender equity should be extended to the early elementary school years and also should address parental attitudes. Additional implications for policy and research are discussed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 36: 719 -747, 1999 While much research on attitudes toward and beliefs about science has been conducted, relatively little of this research has (a) focused on elementary school students, (b) examined developmental trends, or (c) compared attitudes and beliefs toward science to attitudes and beliefs toward other school subject matters. To improve attitudes toward science, knowledge is needed about the current state of attitudes toward school subjects across grade levels for each gender. Haladyna and Shaughnessy (1982) called for more developmental research on attitudes. In addition, examining the relationship between parent and student attitudes provides a basis for understanding extrascholastic influences on the development of subject matter specific attitudes. This article focuses on the developmental pattern of students' attitudes and beliefs toward school subject matters during the elementary years and the relationship of student attitudes and parental attitudes. We focus on five attitudes and beliefs: (a) positive affect or liking of the subject matter, (b) perceived importance of the subject matter, (c) perceived competence in the subject mat-JOURNAL

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The Effects of Gifted and Talented Programs on Academic Self-Concept: The Big Fish Strikes Again

Cited by 252 publications

References 36 publications

The Big-fish–little-pond-effect Stands Up to Critical Scrutiny: Implications for Theory, Methodology, and Future Research

The Big-fish–little-pond-effect Stands Up to Critical Scrutiny: Implications for Theory, Methodology, and Future Research

Education and self‐regulation of learning for gifted pupils: systemic design and development

Competency beliefs, positive affect, and gender stereotypes of elementary students and their parents about science versus other school subjects

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