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The Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect: Persistent Negative Effects of Selective High Schools on Self-Concept After Graduation

University of Oxford

Ulrich Trautwein, Oliver Lüdtke and Jürgen Baumert

Max Planck Institute for Human Development

Olaf Köller

Humboldt University

According to the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE), attending academically selective high schools negatively affects academic self-concept. Does the BFLPE persist after graduation from high school? In two large, representative samples of German high school students (Study 1: 2,306 students, 147 schools; Study 2: 1,758 students, 94 schools), the predictive effects of individual achievement test scores and school grades on math self-concept are very positive, whereas the predictive effects of school-average achievement are negative (the BFLPE). Both studies showed that the BFLPE was substantial at the end of high school and was still substantial 2 years (Study 1) or 4 years (Study 2) later. In addition, because of the highly salient system of school tracks within the German education system, the authors are able to show that negative effects associated with school type (highly academically selective schools, the Gymnasium) were similar—but smaller—than the BFLPE based on school-average achievement.

Key Words: academically selective schools • big-fish-little-pond effect • frame-of-reference effects • German educational system • grade-on-a-curve effect • multilevel modeling • self-concept

American Educational Research Journal, Vol. 44, No. 3, 631-669 (2007)
DOI: 10.3102/0002831207306728


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