The parent participants had some difficulty in verbalising their understandings of the concept of achievement. For example, two parents asked me “is this what you want?” during the discussion. Many chose to express their views in relation to their own child, in order to ground the concept in their own experiences. Inter-participant analysis of the data collected from this group showed that responses can be
encompassed under three major meaning units: achievement is about doing the best you can with your ability, it is about putting in the effort and it is about being well- rounded. As with the student data, connections between the themes can be seen in several of the responses.
Doing your best
Maximisation of the students’ abilities was one of the strongest ideas about
achievement that emerged from the data collected from this group of parents. This theme of ‘doing your best,’ of maximisation, aligned with the pattern that came through in the data from the student group. Parents believed that achievement meant that the student had to have worked to the best of his or her ability. Doing your best
meant doing the best that each particular student was capable of, in whatever area a task may be set.
I sort of say, look, achievement and high achievement is, you know, the best of your ability and you strive to do your best, you know, that’s the most important thing, whether it’s in a test you get 70 or 80 or 60 – if you have strived to do your best, then that person, that’s their achievement.
(Rambo’s parent)
There was a feeling of responsibility among several of these participants that it was their parental role to ensure that their own children were working to the best of their ability during their school years.
I always say to my children that all I want them to do is achieve to the best of their ability.
(Mr Bubbles’ parent)
Encapsulated in this belief was an implicit but not overtly stated understanding that their children did have high ability and that the “best of their ability” could be seen to be at a different level from that of other students. Thus expectations of achievement for these students were frequently high. At the same time they did not want to be seen as ‘pushing’ their own child to achieve unrealistic goals. Some were aware of the negative connotations around ‘pushy parents,’ that seem often to be associated with parents of gifted and talented children. This notion is discussed further in the next chapter.
Um, what I have always said to Bruce Wayne is if at the end of the day you can say to yourself, I did my very best and I achieved to the best of my ability, then I am happy. I don’t need him to be getting 100 out of 100 every time for me to be happy and for him to be happy. (Bruce Wayne’s parent)
I mean we have high expectations of them to do their best with their ability basically. But you know we don’t sort of say, well, because you didn’t get 10 out of 10 on his algebra test he’s not achieving to the best of his ability.
The term ‘best of your ability’ was frequently used by parents when talking about their understandings of the phenomenon of achievement, but just as frequently, and meaning a similar thing, was the phrase ‘reach your potential.’ Many parents related the concept of achievement to ‘reaching your potential.’ They likened doing the best you can to fulfilling your potential, and these two phrases formed the most common descriptions of how the parent group described achievement.
Reach their potential would be my answer. I think everybody can achieve. I think it’s about setting realistic goals and meeting them. I – at realistic, at your potential, I think, yeah, that’s my achievement. (Hubert Cumberdale’s parent)
Nearly all the parents talked about achievement as a maximisation of a student’s abilities. They felt that, particularly as parents of highly able students, they should encourage this but tempered this by distancing themselves from a ‘pushy parent’ label, a label which they clearly felt uncomfortable about.
Putting in the effort
For several of the parents, understandings about achievement were intrinsically linked with effort. Parents felt that ‘true’ achievement could only be gained if there was effort involved. Responses indicated that some kind of struggle and persistence was necessary for achievement.
Mastering something that has required effort, and sort of was out there and has taken effort to get there.
(April’s parent)
So a high achiever to me is someone who works really hard and is always pushing themselves to do better and better.
(Astrid’s parent)
Astrid’s parent linked effort with the maximisation of one’s abilities. In her view, both were needed. This overlapping of the two themes represented a common belief for this group of parents. There was a realisation from these parents that for many of their own children, succeeding at school had come easily and they didn’t equate this with ‘true’ achievement for their children. One parent used the example of her child winning the school cross country and being acknowledged by the school for this
achievement, but as she felt there was really no competition for her child in the school she didn’t see this win as a particularly significant achievement. The child had not had to put in much effort in order to win. The parent felt that achieving too easily would not help a highly able student in future and that “it is hard when you meet these kids that are naturally able” (Hubert Cumberdale’s parent). She thought that these
“naturally able kids” should be presented with greater challenges in order to
understand that persistence and achievement were linked, as this understanding would be valuable for gifted students in their future endeavours.
Another talked about the experiences of both her highly able children as they went through primary school:
… you know, it was pretty easy for them to achieve but each of them gets to a point where at some point effort has to go in, where they start to have a dream of something that they are going to work towards, that is, and does require effort. And that’s when you see achievement.
(April’s parent)
She feels her University-aged son does now appreciate the difference. You know he’ll probably get an ‘A’ in his law papers. He still worked hard but if he gets a ‘B’ in his French, that would have been super- achievement because it really took a lot of effort.
(April’s parent)
Several were at pains to report that they, as parents, wanted to ensure that their child knew that there was a relationship between effort and achievement. They believed that it was their responsibility, as the parent, to teach their children that, in their view, achievement gained through effort was more valued than achievement that relied solely on natural ability and required little or no effort on the part of the individual. This reflected social norms that these parents seemed to understand and share, whereby effort and hard work are respected as traits in individuals.
Being well-rounded
In addition to the prizing of traits of hard work and effort, it was very clear that these parents believed that all round achievement was the most valued in a New Zealand
cultural context. While acknowledging that to do well at school academically or to gain high marks in exams was esteemed, particularly at the secondary level, they wanted their children to learn that achievement was also about being a ‘good citizen,’ about being able to contribute to relationships and to society and to be able to follow talents that may not be related to academic pursuits. There was a widespread view that achievement was about being “well-rounded” or “all-round” and these terms were repeated frequently in the interviews with the parents.
For Kurt to achieve at high school then I’d say he, my idea is that he’s well–rounded. He plays his sport, he’s into his music, yes, he does well at school and his circle of friends are a nice bunch of boys.
(Kurt’s parent)
A high achiever I would think would be a good sort of all-round person.
(Rambo’s parent)
Although they recognised the importance of academic success as part of the well- roundedness, for these parents achievement was about more than just academic results.
And it’s not just academic either; it’s social and emotional areas, getting on with people, relationships … all sorts of areas.
(April’s parent)
Yeah, there’s more to life, I think, than just receiving high marks when you sit a test.
(Kurt’s parent)
Aligned with this understanding that achievement was about being well-rounded, every parent interviewed expressed the belief that a sense of well-being is linked with achievement. The parents seemed to define this well-being in terms of social
constructs and emotional states. Achievement and happiness were linked. Happiness came from an ability to relate to people and to ‘fit in’ socially and emotionally. The concept of ‘fitting in’ is an important theme that arose from the data from this study and this is developed further in the next chapter. Parents held the belief that life would be smoother for their child if they could develop positive feelings of well-being.
Well, it needs to be the whole person, doesn’t it? Because I think, you know, um, achievement has to be tied up with being happy too and trying to have a whole life.
(Lewis’ parent)
A few parents talked about the importance of “balance.”
You have to still have the balance, really. We all want them to achieve and be – but we want them to be happy more.
(Autumn Ashes’ parent)
Some parents seemed uncomfortable with the view that achievement was solely about attaining good grades and were keen to emphasise that this was not what they
necessarily wanted for their able child. In this, they can be understood and seen to reflect the socio-cultural expectations of New Zealand society, which values all-round achievement over purely academic achievement. There was a genuine wish for their child to attain this balance and sense of well-being, which seemed to include being a good citizen and being happy, but they also understood that high academic success could be part of this achievement equation.
Achievement as related to NCEA assessment
There was some interesting divergence in the initial responses of two of the parents to the questions about what they saw as achievement. This was very much related to the New Zealand context in that they interpreted the phenomenon of achievement in terms of the NCEA vernacular. 2 In NCEA, ‘Achievement’ is a term used to indicate a particular level of performance in the New Zealand examination system. An
‘Achievement’ grade is a level that these parents believed was below the capabilities of their able children. In this context, ‘Achievement’ would not be seen as being at the top end.
Well, see, achieve was a different word until we got to NCEA and now we get this blasted ‘Achievement.’ So the word ‘achievement’ for me now means it’s OK.
(Oliver Stone’s parent)
2
NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement) is the examination system used in New Zealand secondary schools. Assessment is based around three levels: Achievement, Merit or Excellence.
This parent expressed frustration with the assessment levels used in the NCEA system and focused on how this had changed the meaning of achievement for her. She felt that ‘achievement’ used to indicate an impressive result but now it was just about a pass, “it’s 50% in my book.”
The parents’ views of achievement were about working to the best of one’s ability, but also about putting in an effort as well as using that ability. Parents understood that it was their responsibility as parents to make sure that their able students understood that effort was needed to achieve but at the same time they did not want to be targeted as ‘pushy parents.’ They also believed that achievement was about attaining a balance in life, which meant a healthy well-being. Being an all-round achiever was most valued but this did include academic success. Their views could be seen to be echoing shared social values and New Zealand cultural expectations. These understandings are explored in more depth in Chapters Five and Six.