How Gifted Indian American Students and Their Families Perceive Factors of Success

Abstract

There is a sparsity of research focusing on the experiences of Asian-Indian American students. This study describes how gifted Indian American students and their families perceived factors contributing to students’ academic success. Specifically, this study used a qualitative case study design to describe the perceptions of four families. The data collection of open-ended interviews, observations of students during school, and student-selected artifacts were utilized for an in-depth understanding of their perspectives on home, school, culture, and self. Through analysis, the following themes emerged: academic home climate, parents push—in a good way, planning for the future, the gifted label, participants’ schools in the United States, teachers matter, values of Indian culture, challenges of living in the United States, the model minority stereotype, parents’ educational backgrounds, competition, motivation, and mindset: intelligence results from work ethic. Results indicated that participants believed a confluence of these factors contributed to the students’ academic success.