CHANGES IN SELFCONCEPT AMONG HIGH ABILITY AND AVERAGE
CHANGES IN SELF-CONCEPT AMONG HIGH ABILITY AND AVERAGE ABILITY ADOLESCENTS IN THE TRANSITION TO SECONDARY EDUCATION School Logo Here Alicia Ramos, Bieke De Fraine, Jeroen Lavrijsen, Stijn Smeets, & Karine Verschueren Project Logo Here CONCLUSIONS This decline, which is related to decline in general self-concept, is likely due to big-fish-little -pond is (BFLP) effect, whereby students’ self appraisal is negatively affected by changes in peer context. High ability students, especially boys, experience a steeper decline than their peers in math selfconcept in the transition to secondary school. Self-concept in Adolescence • Adolescence is a crucial time for self-concept development, especially during changes in interpersonal environments such as the transition to secondary school. Self-concept of high ability students • We previously found that, although high ability students have higher levels of self-concept overall, their academic self -concept decreases more than that of average ability students during the transition to secondary school. Ramos, A. , De Fraine, B. , Lavrijsen, J. , Smeets, S. & Verschueren, K. (2018). Reciprocal Relationships of Change in General, Academic, and Social Self-Concepts among Gifted and Non-gifted Adolescents in the Transition to Secondary Education. EARA conference, Gent, Belgium, September 13 -15, . 2018 • Longitudinal design focused on the last year of primary and first year of secondary school Language Self-Concept by Grade • Participants: 3800 students from representative sample • High ability students: scores within highest 10% (N=365) • Average ability students: scores within middle 80% (N=3088) • Lowest 10% of scores (N=347) excluded from analysis • IQ measured by standardized test in 3 rd grade (Gf & Gc) • Math (α=. 88) and language (α=. 84) self-concepts measured by 6 items on an annual student questionnaires (Likert scales, 1 -5). For example: • “I am good at math/language”; “I learn quickly in math/language” • General self concept (α=. 77) measured by 7 items on annual student questionnaires (Likert scale, 1 -5) • “I am good the way I am”; “I have a lot to be proud of” • Latent change models (Mplus 8. 1) used to model change in selfconcept over time, and relationships between change. SELECTED LITERATURE What are the domain-specific changes in academic self-concept (math and language) in the transition to secondary school? • How do these changes relate to each other? • Do they differ between boys and girls? Math Self-Concept by Grade • Si. BO study: quasi-representative Flemish databank on student outcomes spanning the years 2002 -present. RESEARCH QUESTIONS Do these changes, and relationships between changes, differ for high ability students? RESULTS METHODS BACKGROUND Self-concept • Self-concept is the perception that individuals have about themselves, generally or in regard to specific abilities (such as academic abilities). • Linked positively to academic achievement and psychological flourishing and negatively to underachievement and depression/anxiety. Despite the steeper declines in math and general self-concept, the overall levels of both remain higher among high ability students than among their average ability peers. • • Arens, A. , & Watermann, R. (2015). How an early transition to high-ability secondary schools affects students; academic self-concept. Learning and Individual Differences, 37, 64 -71. Marsh, H. (1986). Verbal and Math Self-Concepts: An Internal/External Frame of Reference Model. American Educational Research Journal, 23(1), 129 -149. Sebastian, C. , Burnett, S. , & Blakemore, S. J. (2008). Development of the self-concept during adolescence. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 12(11), 441 -446. Villatte, A. , Couritnat-camps, A. , & Leonardis, M. (2014). Typology of Self-Concept of Adolescents in France: A Comparison of Gifted and Nongifted French High School Students. Roeper Review, 36, 30 -42. Language Self-Concept did not change for females, and it slightly increased for males. There were no significant differences between high and average ability students. Math Self-Concept declined among all groups except average ability female girls. The decline was steeper among high ability students. Change Scores of Self-Concept from Grade 6 to Grade 7 Average Ability Students Math Self Concept General Self Concept Language Self Concept -. 098*** -. 034* -. 021 High Ability Students -. 342*** -. 075* -. 012 The highest degree of change in self-concept occurred in math self-concept of high ability students Correlations of Self-Concept Change from Grade 6 to Grade 7 (Average Ability/High Ability) Math Self-Concept General Self-Concept Language Self-Concept Math Self-Concept -. 145***/. 126***. 116***/. 048 General Self-Concept -. 127***/. 071* Changes in language and math self-concept were correlated with general selfconcept in small but significant ways for both high ability and average ability students Changes in language and math self-concept are correlated among average ability students but not among high ability students More info? alicia. ramos@kuleuven. be
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