Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect on Gifted Students’ Academic Self-Concepts: What If the Big Fish has Adaptable Academic Self-Concepts?

Abstract

According to the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE), equally able students would have lower academic self-concepts in high-ability settings than those who attend low- or mixed-ability settings. This study was an investigation of the BFLPE on math and science academic self-concepts of gifted students. Participants included 50 fifth- and sixth-grade gifted students who participated in an after-school program for gifted students (EPTS) at a university campus for five terms. Students’ academic self-concepts were measured using the Math and Science Academic Self-Concept Questionnaire both in the EPTS setting and in the school setting in three measurement points. Findings showed that gifted students’ academic self-concepts declined significantly from time 1 measurement to time 3 measurement. However, the level of their academic self-concepts was still high in the EPTS and very high in school. The main effect of setting showed that the overall academic self-concept in school (M = 34,24; SD = 2,26) was significantly higher than the mean of academic self-concepts in the EPTS (M = 31,49; SD = 3,87). They used the EPTS and school as two different frames of reference and thus held adaptable academic self-concepts, relatively low in the EPTS and relatively high in school.