The Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect on Science Self-Concept: Some Implications in Educational Placement for Gifted Students

Author: Ya-Ling Hou(Department of Special Education, National Pingtung University of Education)

Vol.&No.：Vol. 55, No. 3
Date：September 2010
Pages：61-87
DOI：10.3966/2073753X2010095503003

Abstract：

The big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE) theoretical model posits that students who are educated in academically selective schools and classes will have lower academic self-concepts, than equally able students in non-selective environments. In the present research, 367 gifted students in special homogeneous classes and 1,364 regular classes’students have been investigated for assessing whether the BFLPE is evident in Taiwan. Because the BFLPE is inherently a multilevel phenomenon that incorporates both the individual level and group level, researcher used a two-level multilevel modeling statistical analyses to analyze data. The results provided evidence that BFLPE existed in 9-Grade gifted student in Taiwan, the classes-average ability had a stronger negative effect and a weaker positive effect on science self-concept. Science self-concept was significantly positively predicted by individual science achievement (both linear and quadratic) and class glory status. At the class level, the consistency between the science self-concept and science achievement was stronger for the gifted class than regular class. Finally, the researcher provided some implications for gifted educational placement.

Keywords：big-fish-little-pond effect, science self-concept, educational placement, hierarchical linear models, gifted students

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