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.