Parental Influence on Children’s Talent Development- a Case Study with Three Chinese American Families
Echo H. Wu Hong Kong Institute of Education
This paper explores the influence of parenting beliefs and practices on children’s talent development through a specific perspective of several Chinese American families with gifted children. In-depth interviews were employed to collect data from the parents, and research questions focused on the daily practice of parenting and parents’ beliefs concerning how to nurture high achievement among children. Findings of this study include evidence of a sense of responsibility for parenting, a high level of confidence over their children’s future, and a mixed strategy of parenting that combines traditional Chinese parental expectations with an adopted Western notion of respect for a child’s own decision making.
Research indicates that there are a variety of issues, such as gi edness or innate ability, intrapersonal components, and various environmental factors, that may in uence children’s talent development. Parenting is considered to be one of the most in uential factors, especially in early childhood, as it is thought to contribute directly to the talented performance of children. According to research (e.g., Bloom, 1985; Csikszentmihalyi & Csikszentmihalyi, 1993; Freeman, 2001; Rubin & Chung, 2006; VanTassel-Baska & Olszewski-Kubilius, 1989), parents and other signi cant family members play pivotal roles in the development of gi ed and talented children, not only in nurturing the academic performance of children but also in facilitating their social-emotional development (Feldman, 1999; Gross, 2004; Gross & Vliet, 2005; Moon, 2003; Nugent, 2005; Olszewski-Kubilius, 2002).
Echo H. Wu is Assistant Professor in Early Childhood Department at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. Journal for the Education of the Gifted. Vol. 32, No. 1, 2008, pp. 100–129. Copyright ©2008 Prufrock Press Inc., http://www.prufrock.com
Parental In uence on Children Literature on cultural matters in education has provided the premise that di
This paper explores the influence of parenting beliefs and practices on children’s talent development through a specific perspective of several Chinese American families with gifted children. In-depth interviews were employed to collect data from the parents, and research questions focused on the daily practice of parenting and parents’ beliefs concerning how to nurture high achievement among children. Findings of this study include evidence of a sense of responsibility for parenting, a high level of confidence over their children’s future, and a mixed strategy of parenting that combines traditional Chinese parental expectations with an adopted Western notion of respect for a child’s own decision making.
Research indicates that there are a variety of issues, such as gi edness or innate ability, intrapersonal components, and various environmental factors, that may in uence children’s talent development. Parenting is considered to be one of the most in uential factors, especially in early childhood, as it is thought to contribute directly to the talented performance of children. According to research (e.g., Bloom, 1985; Csikszentmihalyi & Csikszentmihalyi, 1993; Freeman, 2001; Rubin & Chung, 2006; VanTassel-Baska & Olszewski-Kubilius, 1989), parents and other signi cant family members play pivotal roles in the development of gi ed and talented children, not only in nurturing the academic performance of children but also in facilitating their social-emotional development (Feldman, 1999; Gross, 2004; Gross & Vliet, 2005; Moon, 2003; Nugent, 2005; Olszewski-Kubilius, 2002).
Echo H. Wu is Assistant Professor in Early Childhood Department at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. Journal for the Education of the Gifted. Vol. 32, No. 1, 2008, pp. 100–129. Copyright ©2008 Prufrock Press Inc., http://www.prufrock.com
Parental In uence on Children Literature on cultural matters in education has provided the premise that di