How ability grouping turns big fish into little

Dr. Ivan Ferbežer

Summary:  In our descriptive research we have studied the changes in self-esteem and motivation of gifted pupils, who are homogeneously classifi ed according to abilities and those gifted and talented who did not participate in any form of acceleration. We have analyzed viewpoints of teachers and research results about classifi cation according to abilities and about acceleration. Besides that we studied the acceleration of gifted pupils in view of school accomplishment and cognitive as well as affective consequences. In this sense we have also analyzed homogeneous classifi cation of gifted pupils according to abilities. The mentioned was compared in elementary and middle schools and in relation to heterogeneous classifi cation. The mentioned specifi c forms of education of gifted pupils have been studied also in view of affective components especially in view of changes in self-esteem.