Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

The authors explored the relationship between measures of self-belief, behavioural development, and academic achievement in Canadian Aboriginal children. Standardized measures of intelligence are unable to consistently predict academic achievement in students from indigenous populations. Exploring alternative factors that may be both predictive and amenable to improvements with interventions is therefore important in order to address the growing educational disparity in Canadian Aboriginal children. In this study, significant correlations were found between the Self-Perception Profile for Children rating of behavioural conduct and close friendships, the Behavior Assessment Scales for Children ratings of leadership and study skills, and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test measures of academic achievement. A school environment that provides opportunities for developing social skills and creating friendships as well as culturally appropriate interventions that support the development of leadership and study skills may provide Canadian Aboriginal children with the tools they need to achieve academically.

Nous avons exploré la relation entre les mesures d'individu-croyance, le développement comportemental et la réussite scolaire dans les enfants indigènes canadiens. Les mesures normalisées d'intelligence ne peuvent pas prévoir uniformément la réussite scolaire dans les étudiants des populations indigènes. Explorer les facteurs alternatifs qui peuvent être prédictifs et favorables aux améliorations avec des interventions est donc important afin d' adresser la disparité éducative croissante dans les enfants indigènes canadiens. Dans cette étude des corrélations significatives ont été trouvées entre le profil d'Individu-Perception pour l'évaluation d'enfants de la conduite comportementale et clôturent des amitiés, les échelles d'évaluation de comportement pour des estimations d'enfants des qualifications de conduite et d'étude, et les différentes mesures d'essai d'accomplissement de Wechsler de la réussite scolaire. Un environnement scolaire qui présente des moyens de développer des qualifications sociales et de créer des amitiés aussi bien que les interventions culturellement appropriées qui soutiennent le développement des qualifications de conduite et d'étude peut fournir aux enfants indigènes canadiens les outils qu'ils doivent réaliser scolaire.

Keywords

Aboriginal education academic achievement social skills friendships leadership study skills

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Alberta Learning. (2002). Charter school handbook. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: Author.

Baydala, L. , Letourneau, N. , Bach, H. , Pearce, M. , Kennedy, M. , Rasmussen, C. , et al. (2007). Lessons learned through research with Mother Earth's Children's Charter School. Pimatisiwin: A Journal of Indigenous and Aboriginal Community Health, 5(2), 201-216.

Beiser, M. , Sack, W. , Manson, S.M. , Redshirt, R. , & Dion, R. (1998). Mental health and the academic performance of First Nations and majority-culture children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 68(3), 455-467.

Borman, G.D. , & Overman, L.T. (2004). Academic resilience in mathematics among poor and minority students. Elementary School Journal, 104, 177-197.

Brady, P. (1996). Native dropouts and non-native dropouts in Canada: Two solitudes or a solitude shared? Journal of American Indian Education, 35(2), 10-20.

Brooks, R.B. (1999). Creating a positive school climate: Strategies for fostering self-esteem, motivation, and resilience. In J. Cohen (Ed.), Educating minds and hearts: Social emotional learning and the passage into adolescence (pp. 61-73). New York: Teachers College Press.

Brooks, R. , & Goldstein, S. (2008). The mindset of teachers capable of fostering resilience in students. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 23, 114-126.

DiPerna, J.C. , & Elliott, S.N. (1999). The development and validation of the academic competence evaluation scales. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 17, 207-225.

DiPerna, J.C. , & Elliott, S.N. (2000). Academic competence evaluation scales. San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation .

10.

DiPerna, J.C. , & Elliott, S.N. (2002). Promoting academic enablers to improve student achievement: An introduction to the miniseries. School Psychology Review, 31, 293-297.

11.

DiPerna, J.C. , Volpe, R.J. , & Elliott, S.N. (2002). A model of academic enablers and elementary reading/ language arts achievement. School Psychology Review, 31, 298-312.

12.

Grahn, J. , Swenson, D. , & O' Leary, R. (2001). A comparative analysis between American Indian and Anglo American leadership. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 8, 3-20.

13.

Harter, S. (1985a). Manual for Self-Perception Profile for Children . Denver, CO: University of Denver .

14.

Harter, S. (1985b). The Perceived Competence Scale for Children. Child Development, 53, 87-89.

15.

Hull, J. (2000). Aboriginal post-secondary education and labor market outcomes in Canada, 1996. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada: Prologica Research.

16.

Malecki, C.K. , & Elliott, S.N. (2002). Children's social behaviors as predictors of academic achievement: A longitudinal analysis. School Psychology Quarterly , 17(1), 1-23.

17.

Mishra, S.P. , & Lord, J. (1982). Reliability and predictive validity of the WISC-R with Native-American Navajos. Journal of School Psychology , 20, 150-155.

18.

Mother Earth's Children's Charter School Society. (2002). Charter application for Mother Earth's Children's Charter School. Presented to the Minister of Learning , Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

19.

Mushquash, C.J. , & Bova, D.L. (2007). Cross-cultural assessment and measurement issues . Journal on Developmental Disabilities, 13, 53-66.

20.

Neisser, U. , Boodoo, G. , Bouchard, T.J. , Boykin, A.W. , Brody, N. , Ceci, S.J. , et al. (1995). Intelligence: Knowns and unknowns (Board of Scientific Affairs of the American Psychological Association). Retrieved May 19, 2005, from http://www.4.ncsu.edu/~jwosbor2/otherfiles/PSY304/APA-intelligence.pdf

21.

Nickolite, A. , & Doll, B. (2008). Resilience applied in school: Strengthening classroom environments for learning. Canadian Journal of School Psychology , 23, 94-113.

22.

Padrón, Y. , Waxman, H.C. , & Huang, S. - Y. L. (1999). Classroom behavior and learning environment differences between resilient and nonresilient elementary school students . Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 4, 65-82.

23.

Pearce, M. , Crowe, C. , Letendre, C. , Letendre, M. , & Baydala, L. (2005). Mother Earth's Children's Charter School: Imagining a new story of school. Childhood Education (International Focus Issue on Education of the Aboriginal and Indigenous Child: Global Perspectives and Practices), 81(6), 343-348.

24.

Rasmussen, C. , Sherman, J. , & Baydala, L. (2004). Learning patterns and education of Aboriginal children: A review of the literature. The Canadian Journal of Native Studies, 24, 317-342.

25.

Reschly, D.J. , & Reschly, J.E. (1979). Brief reports on the WISC-R. Journal of School Psychology, 17, 355-361.

26.

Reynolds, C.R. , & Kamphaus, R.W. (1992). Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) manual. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.

27.

Rubie, C.M. , Townsend, M.A.R. , & Moore, D.W. (2004). Motivational and academic effects of cultural experiences for indigenous minority students in New Zealand. Educational Psychology, 24(2), 143-160.

28.

Silva, R. , & Radigan, J. (2004). Achieving success: An agentic model of resiliency . In H. C. Waxman , J. P. Gray , & Y. N. Padrón (Eds.), Educational resiliency: Student, teacher, and school perspectives (pp. 113-136). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.

29.

St. John, J. , Kirchev, A. , & Bauman, E. (1976). Northwestern Ontario Indian children and the WISC . Psychology in the Schools, 13, 417-411.

30.

Valentine, J.C. , DuBois, D.L. , & Cooper, H. (2004). The relation between self-beliefs and academic achievement: A meta-analytic review. Educational Psychologists , 39, 111-133.

31.

Waxman, H.C. , Gray, J.P. , & Padrón, Y.N. (2004). Promoting educational resilience for students at-risk of failure. In H. C. Waxman , J. P. Gray , & Y. N. Padrón (Eds.), Educational resiliency: Student, teacher, and school perspectives (pp. 63-86). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.

32.

Wechsler, D. (2002). Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second edition (WIAT-II) examiner's manual. San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.

33.

Zins, J.E. , Bloodworth, M.R. , Weissberg, R.P. , & Walberg, H.J. (2004). The scientific base linking social and emotional learning to school success. In J. E. Zins , R. P. Weissberg , M. C. Wang , & H. J. Walberg (Eds.), Building academic success on social and emotional learning: What does the research say? (pp. 3-22). New York: Teachers College Press.

Self-Beliefs and Behavioural Development as Related to Academic Achievement in Canadian Aboriginal Children

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References