The influence of academic achievement in pupils’ academic self-concept construction during the transition to lower secondary education

Year 2014, Volume: 1 Issue: 2, 83 - 94, 01.12.2014

Pranvera Kraja

https://doi.org/10.17275/per.14.11.1.2

Cited By: 3

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess pupils’
academic self-concept before and after the transition to lower secondary
education (LSE) and showing changes in this indicator during this period. To
assess pupils’ academic self-concept in Albanian language and Math were
combined data from three different sources: children's self-beliefs about their
capabilities, the grades received in the two main subjects during the two study
periods, and the third source was pupils competency assessment by teachers of
the respective subjects. As a survey instrument it was used that of Gniewosz et
al. (2011). The study aims to answer these research questions: How does pupils’
academic self-concept change when they pass to LSE? Do achievements in Albanian
language and Math influence pupils’ self-concept? What role do teachers’
perceptions play in the construction of pupils’ self-concept abilities?
Questionnaires of pupils and teachers were filled through self-reporting.
Measurements were conducted twice: at the end of fifth grade and at the end of
first semester of the sixth grade. Results of the study will be referred to the
theoretical framework of reference and differential of information 'sources for
student self-concept construction. Tests showed that there was high correlation
between verbal and mathematical achievement. Correlations between language
grades and Language self-concept were strong and positive, while in Math this
relation was low. The relations between grades and self-concept in Language
before and after the transition, were more influenced by teachers’ perceptions,
while in Math this effect was not significant. Pupils’ self-concept in Math
were not affected neither by grades nor by teachers’ perceptions, suggesting
that learners may have used other sources of information for their self-concept
construction. Sixth grade teachers showed less confidence in the abilities of
pupils than teachers of fifth grade.

Keywords

pupils’ academic self-concept, grades, teacher, lower secondary education, school transition

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