An ecological approach to understanding highly able students' experiences of their academic ...

260 Pages·2016·3.52 MB·English

by  Theresa Lai

An ecological approach to understanding
highly able students’ experiences of their
academic talent development in a
Singapore school

Theresa Poh Sin Thor

UCL, Institute of Education

Doctor of Education (Dual Award)

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DECLARATION
I, Theresa Poh Sin Thor confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own.
Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been
indicated in the thesis.

Word count: 44999

Signed:

Date: 30 June 2016

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ABSTRACT
This study seeks to understand highly able students’ experiences of their
academic talent development in a Singapore school, why they choose to do what
they do in their talent development, and why some students thrive in their talent
development while others do not. It uses an ecological approach that highlights the
central role of the overall environment as it interacts with students. A working
ecological system model drawn from Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems
theory provides a framework to describe the environment of the students.
Based on qualitative methodology, a case study research design was used to
examine the experiences of students in an advanced talent development programme.
The students belonged to the top 3 per cent of the national age cohort. The study
employed semi-structured focus group interviews, individual in-depth interviews and
document analysis. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.
The findings of this study suggested that the characteristics of students and
their multi-level ecological system environments are inextricably intertwined in the
talent development process. Individual characteristics affect students’ experiences
and their responses to experiences and these are themselves formed through
interactions with environmental conditions. Immediate settings connect directly to
students through their capacity to elicit participation and progression in the talent
development process. Moreover, congruent messages within overlapping immediate
settings amplify the developmental effects of individual settings, thereby sustaining
the talent development process. Further, more distal influences such as the systemic
and structural arrangements of schooling and talent development as well as national
macro factors such as meritocracy and a highly competitive education system affect
students’ decisions and interactions in their immediate settings. An important
implication of this study is the need to reconceptualise talent development more
holistically as nurturing the life of the mind rather than having a narrow focus on
nurturing elite students.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am grateful to some special individuals for their support which has made this thesis
a reality.
 Foremost, I wish to express my special gratitude to my principal supervisor,
Professor Ann Hodgson (UCL Institute of Education), for her constant
encouragement and expert guidance. She patiently read my work and
provided swift and invaluable suggestions, helping me distil and shape this
thesis. I am also indebted to her for keeping me focused throughout this
research journey as I struggled to maintain the balance between the thesis and
professional commitments in school.
 Heartfelt thanks are due to my co-supervisor, Associate Professor Mary Anne
Heng (NTU National Institute of Education), for her moral support and
helpful insights on education in Singapore, including gifted education. She
was always ready with advice when I sought her help.
 I wish also to express my gratitude to my principal and colleagues in school
for their unwavering support.
 I owe Dr Alistair Chew a special debt for the generous interest and
suggestions at various points of the research process. He was immensely
helpful as a critical friend.
 I am grateful for the moral support and friendship of my peers in the EdD and
PhD Programmes, all of whom helped to clarify the research process one way
or other.
 I will always have a special place in my heart for my research participants.
They deserve special mention for without their participation in my empirical
work, this thesis would not have been possible.
 Much enduring gratitude goes to my family who supported me ceaselessly
through good times and bad. They were unfailingly eager for me to be
successful in what I had set out to do.

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CONTENTS
Title Page …………………………………………………………………….. 1
Declaration …………………………………………………………………… 2
Abstract ………………………………………………………………………. 3
Acknowledgements …………………………………………………………... 4
Contents ……………………………………………………………………… 5
List of Tables ………………………………………………………………… 12
List of Figures ………………………………………………………………... 13
List of Abbreviations and Acronyms ………………………………………… 14
Reflective Statement …………………………………………………………. 15

Chapter 1 Setting the Scene ……………………………………………... 21

Introduction …………………………………………… 21
Statement of the Problem ……………………………... 22
Purpose of the Study …………………………………... 25
Theoretical Framework ……………………………….. 25
Personal Perspectives …………………………………. 32
Research Questions …………………………………… 33
Definition of Terms …………………………………… 33
Significance of the Study ……………………………… 35

Chapter 2 Literature Review ……………………………………………. 36

Introduction …………………………………………… 36
Definitions and Conceptions of Giftedness …………… 36
Empirical Studies on Highly Able Students …………... 38
Process-relevant Person Characteristics ………………. 41
Interests ………………………………………... 42
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Self-efficacy …………………………………... 43
Interpersonal Relations ………………………………... 44
Family …………………………………………. 44
Peers …………………………………………... 46
Provisions for Highly Able Students …………………. 48
Competitions …………………………………... 48
Non-competition Provisions …………………... 50
Culture and Context in Singapore …………………….. 51
Culture ………………………………………… 51
Gifted Education Context ……………………... 52
Globalisation, Educational Reforms and Meritocracy ... 53
Globalisation …………………………………... 53
Educational Reforms in Singapore ……………. 53
Meritocracy ……………………………………. 55
Global Mobility in Higher Education …………………. 58
Push and Pull Factors …………………………. 58
State Sponsorships …………………………….. 58
Conclusion 60

Chapter 3 Methodology ………………………………………………….. 61

Introduction …………………………………………… 61
Research Design ………………………………………. 61
Qualitative Approach ………………………….. 61
Case Study Design …………………………….. 61
Research Context ……………………………………… 62
Research Site ………………………………….. 62
Rationale for Research Site …………………… 67
Selection of Participants ………………………. 68
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Data Collection Methods and Procedures …………….. 69
Focus Group Interviews ………………………. 69
Individual Interviews ………………………….. 71
Documents …………………………………….. 73
Data Analysis ………………………………………….. 74
Analysing Data During Collection ……………. 74
Managing Data ………………………………... 74
Thematic Analysis …………………………….. 74
Inductive and Deductive Approach …………… 76
Cross-case Analysis …………………………… 76
Trustworthiness ……………………………………….. 76
Ethical Considerations ………………………………… 78
Conclusion …………………………………………….. 78

Chapter 4 Individual: Person Characteristics and Talent
Development Outcomes ……………………………………… 79

Summary Description of Case Study Participants ……. 79
Alex …………………………………………… 79
Gibbs …………………………………………... 82
Knight …………………………………………. 85
Michael ………………………………………... 88
Jay …………………………………………....... 91
Mark …………………………………………... 94
Matthew ……………………………………….. 97
Zach ………………………………………….... 100
Person Characteristics ………………………………… 103
Force Characteristics ………………………….. 103
Resource Characteristics ……………………… 105
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Demand Characteristics ……………………….. 106
Talent Development Outcomes ……………………….. 107
Success in TD …………………………………. 108
Thriving in TD? ……………………………….. 109

Chapter 5 Microsystem: Immediate Experiences………………………. 112

Introduction …………………………………………… 112
Objects and Symbols ………………………………….. 112
Solo Proximal Processes and Person
Characteristics ………………………………… 112
Other Person Characteristics ………………….. 114
Building Upon Person Characteristics ………… 115
Summary ………………………………………. 115
Peers …………………………………………............... 115
G90 Peer Groups ……………………………… 117
G20 Peer Groups ……………………………… 118
Summary ………………………………………. 122
Seniors …………………………………………............ 122
Summary ………………………………………. 124
Teachers ………………………………………….......... 124
Reciprocity ……………………………………. 124
Lack of Responsive Attention ………………… 125
Summary ………………………………………. 128
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Family …………………………………………............. 128
Family Demographics ………………………… 128
Family Climate ………………………………... 129
Values Espoused and Enacted ………………… 131
Summary ………………………………………. 133

Chapter 6 Mesosystem, Exosystem and Macrosystem ………………… 134

Mesosystem: Overlapping Relationships ……………... 134
School Culture ………………………………… 134
Family and School …………………………….. 135
Favourable and Less Favourable TD Settings … 137
Summary ………………………………………. 141
Exosystem: Systemic and Structural Arrangements ….. 141
Policies and Provisioning for TD ……………... 142
Schooling Requirements ………………………. 146
Summary ………………………………………. 147
Macrosystem: National-level Factors …………………. 148
Meritocracy and a Highly Competitive
Education System ……………………………... 148
What the State Values ………………………… 150
Government Scholarships and Global Elite
Universities ……………………………………. 151
Summary ………………………………………. 153

Chapter 7 Discussion, Implications and Conclusion …………………... 154

Discussion …………………………………………....... 154
154
Research Question 1 …………………………...
155
Research Question 2 …………………………...
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Research Question 3 …………………………... 156
Reflections on HOPE …………………………. 162
Implications and Conclusion ………………………….. 164
Implications …………………………………… 164
Conclusion …………………………………….. 166

References …………………………………………........................................ 169

Appendices …………………………………………....................................... 190

Appendix A: Overview of Data Collection and Timeframe ………... 190
Appendix B: Focus Group Guide …………………………………... 191
Appendix C: Focus Group Free-response Questionnaire …………... 194
Appendix D: Student Interview Guide ……………………………... 195
Appendix E: Parent Interview Guide ………………………………. 203
Appendix F: Teacher Interview Guide ……………………………... 206
Appendix G: Overview of Data Sets ……………………………….. 208
Appendix H: Examples of Coding and Thematic Maps ……………. 209
Appendix I: Example of a Full Case Study Description …………... 217
Appendix J: Analysis of Person Characteristics (Extract) ………… 236
Appendix K: Checklist for Analysis of TD Outcomes …………....... 241
Appendix L: Cross-Case Analysis of TD outcomes (Extract) ……... 243
Appendix M: Cross-Case Analysis of Micro-1 Systems …………..... 246
Appendix N: Cross-Case Analysis of Micro-2 Systems …………..... 248
Appendix O: Cross-Case Analysis of Student-Peers Interactions
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