The primary purpose of this study was to determine perceptions of academic efficacy of gifted young women in three different learning environments---a public high school, an early college entrance program and a private high school affiliated with the Coalition for Essential Schools. The second purpose of the study was to ascertain which factors in the learning environments influenced the students' perceptions of academic efficacy. The participants in the study were twenty gifted high school females in Grades 11 or 12, and, in the case of the early entrance program, in their first year of college. All were studying in the northeastern United States. The qualitative design of the study entailed an emerging analysis of data gathered through separate focus groups in each environment, close observation of the students in the environments, and reconvening the participants in a follow-up focus group. In addition, individual reflective assessments completed by participants and interviews with the directors of the programs provided triangulation data. A computer-assisted analysis of the data for each site was followed with analysis across-sites, from which emerged significant themes and constructs regarding efficacy and learning environments. Results of the study indicated that gifted young women have perceptions of academic efficacy that differed in the different learning environments. All students reported perceptions of strong academic efficacy. Students in the public high school perceived themselves strongest in specific subject matter efficacy. Young women in the early entrance program revealed strong global self-efficacy as well as an emerging sense of self-agency. Gifted young women in the private high school demonstrated significant metacognitive efficacy. Consistent with social learning theory, students' perceptions, behaviors and environments were reciprocally influenced in each of the learning climates. In addition, analysis revealed significant findings regarding early perceptions of intelligence and placement in the family constellation. The concluding chapters examine major themes and constructs that emerged regarding the psychosocial development of gifted young women and how learning environments can assist their development more effectively.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uottawa.ca/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/4488 |
| Date | January 1998 |
| Creators | Navan, Joy L. |
| Contributors | Leroux, J., |
| Publisher | University of Ottawa (Canada) |
| Source Sets | Université d’Ottawa |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 208 p. |
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