Social representations of student achievement in developing countries: a case study in Gabon
This paper presents the results of a study on the social representation of academic success in a developing country. A case study was conducted in Gabon with high school students, teachers and parents living in urban and rural areas. The conceptual framework is based on Moscovici’s theory of social representations as well as on Rivière, Sauvé and Jacques’s (1997, 2002) typology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 students, 19 teachers and 19 parents. Data was analysed using Alceste software. Results highlight the diverse social representations of academic success in Gabon according to social status (student, teacher, and parent), gender, geographical environment, and school results. Results also brought to light a confrontation between these social representations according to a vision of academic success as a prerequisite for financial, professional, social or personal success.