Volume 69 No.3(Open Access) - 2023-09-30

Systematic Pressures of Students in the Gifted Class: From the Underachievers’ Perspectives

資優班生的系統性壓力:落後者觀點

Author:
Wen-Hsiu Wu, Jeng-Yi Tzeng / 吳玟秀、曾正宜
Keyword:
systematic pressure, underachiever, gifted education, math and science gifted program / 系統性壓力、落後生、資優教育、數理資優班
  • Summary
  • Chinese Summary
  • Reference
  • Scholarly references
Many students are fascinated with the idea of attending gifted classes but know little about their true nature and high demands. While the purpose of gifted education is to facilitate students with talents in actualizing their potential, people rarely consider whether gifted classes are suitable for every qualified student. In fact, the underachievers in gifted classes bear the conflicting dual labels of “gifted students” and “underachievers,” and these dual pressures are rarely understood. Based on the qualitative research paradigm, we conducted in-depth interviews with four students who attended a high school math-science academic gifted class years ago and suffered from falling behind and maladjustment. We used the bioecological model and the holisticcontent method to analyze the pressures they experienced from the environmental systems, including social culture (Macrosystem), school regulations, class teaching, and family (Mesosystem and Microsystem). We explored the meanings of these experiences in their life-development from the Chronosystem perspective. We found that schools, teachers, and families tended to treat students in the gifted class as homogeneous, which not only overlooked students’ individual needs but also aggravated the pressures from dual labeling. We hope this study will draw attention to the heterogeneity and diverse needs among students in gifted classes and bridge the gap between the ideals and practices in gifted education.
許多學生希望能擠進資優班窄門,卻對資優班裡的世界一無所悉。資優教育旨在協助資賦優異學生適性發展潛能,卻未曾真正思考資優班教育是否真的適合每位資優班生。而資優班落後者同時背負資優生與落後者兩個衝突的二元標籤,其所面臨的雙重壓力更是鮮少被認真探討,因此,本研究從生物生態系統角度,以質性研究範式深度訪談四位曾就讀高中數理資優班且經歷學習落後的學生,以整體內容分析從社會文化(大系統)、學校制度、班級教學、家庭(中系統及小系統)等層面探討他們所背負的壓力,並從時間系統的角度檢視多年前資優班經驗對其往後生涯發展的意義。研究結果發現,學校、教師、家庭常將資優班生視為同質,忽視其個人需求,也加劇資優與落後雙重標籤所帶來的壓力。本研究希望藉此促發更多強調學生殊異性與個別需求的對話,從而面對並解決資優教育在理念與實務間的落差。