What if you are a big fish in a small pond? Research suggests that parents should target on getting their child into a school that will assist in boosting his or her confidence towards academic ability, or what researchers termed as 'academic self-concept'.
If you are a big fish in a small pond, one will find that one is at the top of the food chain. As a result, one will tend to feel more confident about his or her ability to perform consistently well in his or her studies. One will also have peers looking up to him or her, thus, building up confidence level.
This group of people will have higher aspirations and be more determined in what they are aiming for; self-discipline is cultivated to keep them going. They may then be motivated to maintain their edge. Likewise, they may get a boost from their average performing classmates if they were to attend a neighbourhood school, giving them a sense of significant achievements in their school.
The reverse is likely to be the case at an Elite school, where a child with average academic ability may feel less confident in school, therefore, feeling demoralised and performing worse. Most parents presume that putting their children in an Elite school is the right thing to do.
However, by taking the ‘Big Fish, Little Pond’ theory in mind, is it really true? The above content was referenced from Malcolm Gladwell’s book titled ‘David and Goliath’.