Author(s): Anderson, Brittany N.
Published: July 2018 in Gifted Child Today
URL to article
Research Focus Area: Asset-based best practices for serving Black and Latinx teens
Abstract:
Perfectionism is commonly associated with gifted females, yet little research examines perfectionism across racial groups. Although gifted Black girls’ perfectionistic tendencies mirror other females, they experience perfectionism uniquely at the intersection of race and gender. Perfectionism can contribute to gifted Black girls’ desire to exceed academic expectations and guidelines, but emotional distress can arise when compounded by stereotype threat. This article will highlight ways perfectionism can be psychologically distressing to gifted Black females in the K-12 setting, and how perfectionism and stereotype threat affect achievement, emotional well-being, and motivation of gifted Black girls. Finally, this article concludes with promising practices for educators in the K-12 setting who work with gifted Black girls.
Research Question(s):
What are the ways in which perfectionism can be psychologically distressing to gifted black girls in the K-12 setting? How do perfectionism and stereotype threat affect the achievement, emotional well-being, and motivation of these students?
Methods:
Literature Review
Setting:
Black girls identified as “gifted” in the k-12 levels of American schools
Key Findings:
- Along with the stress of being under constant evaluation, gifted black girls experience additional sources of stress - due to compounding factors of race and gender- that can have crippling effect on both their psyche. As a result, these students may begin to underachieve, self-sabotage, or exhibit anxiety.
- Gifted black girls may experience excessive self-scrutiny and a tendency to be overly critical of themselves, focusing on others’ perceptions of their achievement. This perfectionism affects achievement and motivation in gifted black girls.
- Black girls are consistently exposed to stereotypes about Black inferiority in their educational environments and therefore may have lower self-esteem. In a phenomenon known as “stereotype threat”, black girls’ fear of confirming these stereotypes (ie., by failing) causes young black students to underperform, procrastinate, or forgo assignments/opportunities altogether
- As they grow up, Black girls are socialized with the expectation that they will exude strength and resilience. Despite positive associations of strength as a virtue, scholars have raised concerns about the attribution of strength to black women. This social conditioning causes
- Gifted Black girls to continuously feel they must meet academic expectations by “any means necessary” at the detriment of their physical and emotional health.
- Because of the disproportionate numbers of representation for Black girls, being placed in a gifted program or class will more than likely be an isolating experience. Furthermore, the social stigma of being identified as gifted can mean there are few social outlets to diffuse the negative feelings associated with the stressors described.
Implications:
The classroom should be a safe psychological space for gifted Black girls to feel like they can make mistakes, and that the mistakes will not be perceived as a reflection of their race or gender. Educators should:
- Create safe spaces where students can express their experiences and challenges while battling perfectionism and stereotype threat. Be open to students sharing their experiences, without minimizing or negating the experiences of gifted Black girls.
- Provide opportunities for students to “shine” and do well, which can provide self-confidence and increase self-efficacy.
- Help students develop coping strategies for experiencing issues dealing with perfectionism, whether that’s getting started, getting through the anxiety, or navigating a roadblock.
- When students do not meet expectations, or have an experience with failure, make it a teachable moment where they learn from the experience rather than being defined by the experience.
- Prior to beginning an experience, ensure that your instructions do not focus on the results only. Be sure the student focuses on the learning process(es), rather than how their performance will be graded.
- Unpack assumptions, misconceptions, and gender norms regarding this population to fully meet the needs of Black gifted girls. Delving into the literature and PD around implicit and explicit bias will be imperative for the educator to unpack their own assumptions and misconceptions. This should be continuous work; achieving cultural competence does not happen in a vacuum or over the course of a few PDs.
- Find ways to bring the students’ culture into their curricular practices so that students are able to “see” themselves in what they learn.
- Understand that just because students are identified as gifted does not mean they are gifted in all areas.
- Pair Black gifted girls with a mentor, preferably a woman of color, which can provide access to expertise and shared experiences.
Limitations:
nan