社會支持與自我效能對於資優生領導才能之中介效果：教育階段與性別差異之研究

Abstract

本研究旨在探討教育階段與性別對學術性向資優學生領導才能的影響，並檢驗「社會支持」與「自我效能」在此歷程中所扮演的心理中介機制。本研究採混合研究法，以全國505位國、高中學術性向資優學生為對象，使用「領導技能問卷」、「社會支持量表」與「中學生自我效能量表」進行調查，並輔以16位學生的深度訪談。量化資料以結構方程模型（SEM）驗證中介效果，質性資料則以主題分析法進行詮釋。主要研究發現條列如下：一、領導力的表現呈現「階段性質變」：國中生在「領導才能」、「社會支持」與「自我效能」的量化得分上，均顯著高於高中生。然在控制了心理適應成本後，「教育階段」的提升對「領導才能」具有顯著的正向直接影響，揭示其中「成長紅利」與「心理代價」的拉鋸現象。二、「自我效能」是性別影響領導才能的完全中介變項：性別不直接預測領導才能，而是完全透過自我效能此一心理機制進行傳遞；相較之下，「社會支持」的中介效果則不顯著。三、「社會支持」與「自我效能」是教育階段影響領導才能的部分中介變項：教育階段的提升，會透過降低學生的「社會支持」與「自我效能」，進而對領導才能產生負向的間接影響。四、不同教育階段存在領導內容的質性差異：教育階段的轉變涉及領導內涵從「管理執行」到「策略合作」的深化；而男女學生則在「自我效能」來源與「社會支持」需求上有所不同。本研究結論指出，「自我效能」是解釋資優生領導才能差異的核心機制。據此建議，資優教育的實務核心，應在於建構一個能緩衝壓力、且具不同類型敏感度的支持系統，並將系統化地提升學生自我效能感，作為培育領導才能的首要目標。This study aims to investigate the effects of educational stage and gender on the leadership ability of academically gifted students, and to examine the mediating roles of social support and self-efficacy in this process.A mixed-methods design was adopted. A total of 505 academically gifted junior and senior high school students nationwide completed the Leadership Skills Questionnaire, Social Support Scale, and Self-Efficacy Scale for Junior High School Students, and 16 of them participated in in-depth qualitative interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test mediation effects, and qualitative data were interpreted via thematic analysis. The main findings of the study were as follows: 1. Stage-based qualitative change in leadership performance: Junior high students scored significantly higher than senior high students on leadership ability, social support, and self-efficacy. However, after controlling for psychological adjustment costs, advancing to a higher educational stage exerted a significant positive direct effect on leadership ability, revealing a tension between developmental gains and psychological costs. 2. Self-efficacy as a full mediator for gender's effect on leadership ability: Gender did not have a direct impact on leadership ability; instead, its influence operated entirely through self-efficacy. The mediating role of social support was not significant. 3. Social support and self-efficacy partially mediate the effect of educational stage: The progression to a higher educational stage was associated with decreased social support and self-efficacy, which in turn produced a negative indirect effect on leadership ability. 4. Qualitative differences in leadership across stages: Interviews showed that as students move from junior to senior high, the concept of leadership deepens from “managerial execution” to “strategic collaboration.” Male and female students also differ in their sources of self-efficacy and in their social support needs. This study concludes that"self-efficacy" is the core psychological mechanism explaining developmental and gender-based differences in leadership ability among gifted students. It is therefore recommended that gifted education practice focus on building a support system capable of buffering psychological stress and sensitive to diverse needs, with the systematic enhancement of student self-efficacy as the primary goal for cultivating leadership talent.