身處不同社會文化、學校階層與教室結構脈絡的學生，其對於「能力」意義的形塑勢必有所差異，進而影響其行為發展與學習適應。本研究之國中音樂班因擁有諸多優於普通班的條件資源，可謂學校階層中的特殊階級，再加上現實社會中濃厚的升學主義氛圍縈繞，音樂班學生對於「能力」的詮釋亦可能隨著結構與互動而改變。故本研究欲深入探析國中音樂班之實際運作如何模塑音樂資優生的能力觀點，以及學生自身對於能力的定義與感知又是如何受到老師、同儕與學校的影響，進而引領其思想與行動。 為厚實描述國中音樂班學生能力觀的形塑與發展，本研究採取長期參與觀察、深度訪談與文件分析等質性研究方式，選取臺北縣某所設立音樂班的國中作為研究現場，以二年級音樂班的學生為研究對象。在國二上學期開學之後，隨即進入現場進行實徵資料的蒐集，直至國二下學期末結束，研究時程為期一年左右。透過教室現場觀察以及學生、老師與行政人員的深度訪談後，已獲得相關研究發現，可歸納為以下幾點：（一）課業表現為學生詮釋能力概念的主要參照；（二）班級人際互動是學生能力觀形成的中介；（三）學校階層化乃判定學生能力優劣的信號；（四）班級運作形塑學生的身分認同與發展。

This study assumed both macro structure and micro interaction influence school administration and teacher’s classroom activities which, in turn, affect teacher’s expectations to students. This study aimed to explore how the macro structure factors led the operation of a gifted music class, which directly shaped student’s perception of ability, as well as teacher’s, peer’s, and school’s influences on student’s perception of ability. This qualitative study employed long-term participatory observations in the classroom and on campus, in-depth interviews with students, teachers, and administrators, and documentation analyses in a gifted music class of a junior high school in Taipei County. This year-long study lasted the academic year of the eighth graders. The study findings are as the following: (1) Academic performance was the main criteria for gifted students in music to interpret the ability conception; (2) Interpersonal interaction became the mediator of the formation of student’s perception of ability in the gifted music class; (3) School stratification was taken as the signal for justifying the potency of student’s ability; (4) The operation of gifted music class played a significant role which affected student's identity and development.