The Impact of Entering a High School for The Academically Talented, on The Academic Self-Concept, Social-Emotional Adjustment, and Causal Attributions of Beginning Students

Abstract

This study investigated the impact that the entry into a school comprised of all academically talented students had upon the academic self-concept, social emotional adjustment, and causal attributions of the beginning students. The students entered this school from the sixth and seventh grade. Each student was given a pre-measure of academic self-concept, social-emotional adjustment, and causal attributions at the beginning of the first semester. A post-measure of these three instruments was given at the end of the first semester. A t-test was computed to determine the nature of the impact on the students. The results indicate both academic self-concept and social-emotional adjustment remained stable. There was a shift in the causal attributions of the students. There was an increase in the amount of responsibility for failure the students attributed to a lack of ability and to a lack of effort. The other causal attributions did not significantly change. These results imply the academic self-concept and social-emotional adjustment of the students were not altered by entry into a school comprised of all gifted students. This transition does however appear to result in an increased internal attribution for failure.