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Abstract

Afrikaans

Indian children's perceptions of their own competency in different domains of school functioning as well as in the general area of self-worth were examined using the Perceived Competence Scale of Harter (1982). Six hundred Indian school children, comprising 75 boys and 75 girls from each of Stds 2 to 5, were tested. In addition, their teachers were asked to complete a similar form reflecting their perceptions of the children's competencies. Teacher assessments were obtained for 138 randomly selected children. The major results indicated that (a) the children perceived their competencies to be higher in the cognitive and social domains than in the physical and general self-worth areas; (b) their perceptions varied less across the standards tested in the latter domains than in the former; and (c) there were significant correlations between the perceptions of teachers and children. The results are discussed in terms of their practical and educational implications.

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Perceived Competence in School Functioning of Indian Children

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