Long-term total negative effects of school-average ability on diverse educational outcomes: Direct and indirect effects of the big-fish-little-pond effect

In a longitudinal analysis of students measured on five occasions over eight critical developmental years (grade 10 to five years after high school graduation), school-average ability (M-ABIL) had negative effects on academic self-concept (ASC), school grades, and educational and occupational aspira...

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Main Authors: Marsh, H, O'Mara, A
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2010
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author Marsh, H
O'Mara, A
author_facet Marsh, H
O'Mara, A
author_sort Marsh, H
collection OXFORD
description In a longitudinal analysis of students measured on five occasions over eight critical developmental years (grade 10 to five years after high school graduation), school-average ability (M-ABIL) had negative effects on academic self-concept (ASC), school grades, and educational and occupational aspirations. For educational attainment, the direct effects were positive, the indirect effects negative, and the total effects nonsignificant. Previous research has typically reported short-term negative direct effects of M-ABIL, known as the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE). Using complex structural equation models, we demonstrate that long-term total (direct plus indirect) effects are systematically much more negative than direct effects across diverse educational outcomes, and explore how M-ABIL effects on long-term distal outcomes are mediated through effects on more proximal variables and distinguished from effects of school-average SES. We also demonstrate how 'grading on a curve' effects (in which equally able students get lower school grades in schools with a high M-ABIL) - often confounded with the BFLPE in short-term studies - is qualitatively different from the BFLPE when considered longitudinally. © 2010 Verlag Hans Huber, Hogrefe AG, Bern.
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spelling oxford-uuid:910e8c05-1620-4078-aed6-81059473ef152022-03-26T23:16:01ZLong-term total negative effects of school-average ability on diverse educational outcomes: Direct and indirect effects of the big-fish-little-pond effectJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:910e8c05-1620-4078-aed6-81059473ef15EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2010Marsh, HO'Mara, AIn a longitudinal analysis of students measured on five occasions over eight critical developmental years (grade 10 to five years after high school graduation), school-average ability (M-ABIL) had negative effects on academic self-concept (ASC), school grades, and educational and occupational aspirations. For educational attainment, the direct effects were positive, the indirect effects negative, and the total effects nonsignificant. Previous research has typically reported short-term negative direct effects of M-ABIL, known as the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE). Using complex structural equation models, we demonstrate that long-term total (direct plus indirect) effects are systematically much more negative than direct effects across diverse educational outcomes, and explore how M-ABIL effects on long-term distal outcomes are mediated through effects on more proximal variables and distinguished from effects of school-average SES. We also demonstrate how 'grading on a curve' effects (in which equally able students get lower school grades in schools with a high M-ABIL) - often confounded with the BFLPE in short-term studies - is qualitatively different from the BFLPE when considered longitudinally. © 2010 Verlag Hans Huber, Hogrefe AG, Bern.
spellingShingle Marsh, H
O'Mara, A
Long-term total negative effects of school-average ability on diverse educational outcomes: Direct and indirect effects of the big-fish-little-pond effect
title Long-term total negative effects of school-average ability on diverse educational outcomes: Direct and indirect effects of the big-fish-little-pond effect
title_full Long-term total negative effects of school-average ability on diverse educational outcomes: Direct and indirect effects of the big-fish-little-pond effect
title_fullStr Long-term total negative effects of school-average ability on diverse educational outcomes: Direct and indirect effects of the big-fish-little-pond effect
title_full_unstemmed Long-term total negative effects of school-average ability on diverse educational outcomes: Direct and indirect effects of the big-fish-little-pond effect
title_short Long-term total negative effects of school-average ability on diverse educational outcomes: Direct and indirect effects of the big-fish-little-pond effect
title_sort long term total negative effects of school average ability on diverse educational outcomes direct and indirect effects of the big fish little pond effect
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AT omaraa longtermtotalnegativeeffectsofschoolaverageabilityondiverseeducationaloutcomesdirectandindirecteffectsofthebigfishlittlepondeffect