Page 133 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Training Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 133
the student’s academic self-concept and its link with esl
of negatively influencing the academic self-concept, especially in academic
subjects or areas new to the student.
In late childhood and adolescence, the social context and the school
environment become even more important factors that influence the devel-
opment of self-concept. The school structure changes from a self-contained
class with a limited number of students and guided instruction to a more
open schedule of classes with a bigger number of students and/or teach-
ers and independent instruction. Peer interactions become more important
and intense. This all brings pre-adolescents face to face with some impor-
tant changes that then lead to changes in or threats to their self-concept and
academic self-concept (Hattie, 1992). Moreover, when adolescents change
schools and move to high school their academic self-concept encounters
a fresh challenge: it is being re-evaluated in another context, in their eyes
possibly also a more serious and important context than elementary school
(Bean & Lipka, 1986; Hattie, 1992). It is thus even more important for teach-
ers who teach adolescents to understand how they can support the devel-
opment of a healthy academic self-concept among their students. This ex-
plains why it is even more important to pay attention to students’ academic
self-concept in the periods of pre-adolescence and adolescence.
Academic self-concept and risk factors for ESL
Students’ perceptions of themselves and their abilities are an important
component of achievement motivation and a predictor of student engage-
ment in school (National Research Council, 2003). Different studies have
examined a number of self-perceptions and their relationship to high school
ESL and graduation. All of these perceptions are constructed as compos-
ite measures based on student responses to questions about their academ-
ic self-concept.
Academic self-concept is often shown to be an important precursor of
school engagement, itself shown to be a predictor of ESL. More specifically,
a positive academic self-concept results in higher levels of task engagement
(Eccles, 1983). This relationship between academic self-concept and school
engagement also forms part of the conceptual model of high school perfor-
mance (Rumberger & Rotermund, 2012) where self-perception (as an over-
all term for self-concept and self-esteem) is considered a precursor of en-
gagement and engagement is viewed as a precursor of student achievement,
which in turn can influence subsequent attitudes, including self-perception,
133
of negatively influencing the academic self-concept, especially in academic
subjects or areas new to the student.
In late childhood and adolescence, the social context and the school
environment become even more important factors that influence the devel-
opment of self-concept. The school structure changes from a self-contained
class with a limited number of students and guided instruction to a more
open schedule of classes with a bigger number of students and/or teach-
ers and independent instruction. Peer interactions become more important
and intense. This all brings pre-adolescents face to face with some impor-
tant changes that then lead to changes in or threats to their self-concept and
academic self-concept (Hattie, 1992). Moreover, when adolescents change
schools and move to high school their academic self-concept encounters
a fresh challenge: it is being re-evaluated in another context, in their eyes
possibly also a more serious and important context than elementary school
(Bean & Lipka, 1986; Hattie, 1992). It is thus even more important for teach-
ers who teach adolescents to understand how they can support the devel-
opment of a healthy academic self-concept among their students. This ex-
plains why it is even more important to pay attention to students’ academic
self-concept in the periods of pre-adolescence and adolescence.
Academic self-concept and risk factors for ESL
Students’ perceptions of themselves and their abilities are an important
component of achievement motivation and a predictor of student engage-
ment in school (National Research Council, 2003). Different studies have
examined a number of self-perceptions and their relationship to high school
ESL and graduation. All of these perceptions are constructed as compos-
ite measures based on student responses to questions about their academ-
ic self-concept.
Academic self-concept is often shown to be an important precursor of
school engagement, itself shown to be a predictor of ESL. More specifically,
a positive academic self-concept results in higher levels of task engagement
(Eccles, 1983). This relationship between academic self-concept and school
engagement also forms part of the conceptual model of high school perfor-
mance (Rumberger & Rotermund, 2012) where self-perception (as an over-
all term for self-concept and self-esteem) is considered a precursor of en-
gagement and engagement is viewed as a precursor of student achievement,
which in turn can influence subsequent attitudes, including self-perception,
133
