Fish pond effect

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The fish pond effect (from the English big-fish-little-pond-effect (BFLPE), formerly also reference group effect ) describes in pedagogy the phenomenon that pupils have a stronger motivation to learn because of less proficient classmates in their class , because their achievements are more noticeable there, are particularly rewarded and they strive to keep their lead. This is especially true for students whose self-confidence is not particularly strong. On the advice of psychologists, some parents send their children to schools that have a reputation for poor performance. According to Herbert W. Marsh , the BFLPE states that similarly gifted students develop a lower level of self- concept when they attend a school for the more gifted and that they develop a higher level of self-concept when they attend a school with a lower level of ability.

This is countered by the reflected glory effect (also known as the assimilation effect), which describes the special incentive of a student at a school with a known high level of performance.

The fish pond effect is an addition of the two effects "negative contrast effect" and "positive (but smaller) assimilation effect", which results in a negative correlation between the mean performance level of the reference group and the student's self-concept.

Empirical studies

Germany 1991

As a result of reunification in 1991, the GDR school system was largely dissolved. Meanwhile, students who previously deliberately not were grouped by performance, were now on their ability to main , secondary schools and high schools of the West German school system distributed. A study by Herbert W. Marsh , Olaf Köller and Jürgen Baumert showed clear effects of the fish pond effect on the West German pupils who had been teaching separately for two years at the beginning of the first school year. The East German students who had not previously been taught in a selective manner showed no significant effect at the beginning of the school year. As expected, the difference between the two groups disappeared by the end of the school year.

PISA study 2003

As part of the data of the PISA study, Herbert W. Marsh and Kit-Tai Hau carried out a study on the generalizability of the big-fish-little-pond effect. Here it was shown that the negative effect of the mean school achievement level on the mathematical self-concept of the students was significant for 24 of the 26 countries considered, while it was not significantly negative for the remaining two. Mash rated this as good evidence that the BFLPE can be generalized across different cultures and school systems. However, based on the PISA 2003 data, Salchegger found that the BFLPE is more pronounced in school systems with early selection of pupils than in comprehensive school systems.

Australia

The SELF Research Center in Australia is currently conducting a study with swimmers (sic!) Of different ability groups in a competition.

Origin of the term

Fish pond effect is the abbreviated transfer of the English big-fish-little-pond-effect ( German : big-fish-little-pond-effect). The term was coined in 1984 by Herbert W. Marsh, founder of the Australian SELF Research Center.

The term illustrates that in a small pond the few large fish can still attract attention, while in a large lake one large fish is no longer a special feature alongside the many other large fish; In order to be noticed, a fish has to be even bigger, or translated: have even better school grades. The imagery is not entirely successful, because the statement of the fish pond effect does not refer to small schools (small pond), but to those with weaker students (small fish).

See also

literature

  • Marsh, HW, Hau, K.-T. (2003): A Cross-Cultural (26-Country) test of the negative effects of academically selective schools

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Marsh, HW (2005). Big-fish-little-pond effect on academic self-concept. Journal of Educational Psychology, 19 , 119-127.
  2. ^ Marsh, HW, Köller, O., & Baumert, J. (2001). Reunification of East and West German school systems: Longitudinal multlevel modeling study of the big-fish-little-pond effect on academic self-concept. American Educational Research Journal, 38 , 321-350.
  3. ↑ Salchegger, S. (2016). Selective school systems and academic self-concept: How explicit and implicit school-level tracking relate to the big-fish-little-pond effect across cultures. Journal of Educational Psychology, 108, 405-423. doi : 10.1037 / edu0000063