This study assessed self-esteem and the relation between self-esteem and academic achievement in a sample of Arab-American elementary students who completed the What I Think About Myself Self-esteem Inventory. 123 students' (M age = 8.7 yr., 65 boys and 58 girls) self-esteem scores were associated with their academic achievement. Alpha internal consistency reliability was acceptable (Cronbach's α =.85) for the inventory. The results also indicated that the participants tended to have healthy self-esteem.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BaumeisterR. F.CampbellJ. D.KruegerJ. I.VohsK. D. (2003) Does high self-esteem cause better performance, interpersonal success, happiness, or healthier lifestyles?Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 4, 1–44.
2.
BeaneJ. A. (1991) Sorting out the self-esteem controversy. Education Leadership, 50, 67–72.
3.
BloomB. S. (1980) All our children learning. New York: McGraw-Hill.
4.
Bodkin-AndrewsG. H.SeatonM.NelsonG. F.CravenR. G.YeungA. S. (2010) Questioning the general self-esteem vaccine: general self-esteem, racial discrimination, and standardised achievement across indigenous and non-indigenous students. Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 20, 1–21.
5.
ChiuL. (1990) Self-esteem of gifted, normal, and mild mentally handicapped children. Psychology in the Schools, 27, 263–268.
6.
CrockerJ.WolfeC. (2001) Contingencies of worth. Psychological Review, 108, 593–623.
7.
GardnerR. C. (2001) Integrative motivation and second language acquisition. In DörnyeiZ.SchmidtR. (Eds.), Motivation and second language acquisition. Honolulu, HI: Second Language Teaching and Curriculum Center, Univer. of Hawaii. Pp. 422–459.
8.
GreenbergJ.PyszczynskiT.SolomonS. (1986) The causes and consequences of a need for self-esteem: a terror management theory. In BaumeisterR. F. (Ed.), Public self and private self. New York: Springer-Verlag. Pp. 189–212.
9.
HallA. L. (2007) The relationship between academic achievement, academic performance and self-esteem of high school juniors at a public high school in Central Florida. Dissertation Abstracts International (UMI Microform 3243583).
10.
HarterS. (2006) The self. In DamonW.LernerK. (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: social, emotional and personality development. (6th ed.) Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
11.
HogeR. D.McSheffreyR. (1991) An investigation of self-concept in gifted children. Exceptional Children, 57, 238–245.
12.
KosmoskiG. J.PollackD. R.EstepS. G. (1994) Reliability of children's self-esteem assessment: what I think about myself. Psychological Reports, 75, 83–88.
13.
MarshH. W.O'MaraA. (2008) Reciprocal effects between academic self-concept, self-esteem, achievement, and attainment over seven adolescent years: unidimensional and multidimensional perspectives of self-concept. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34, 542–552.
14.
MartinA. J.MarshH. W.McInerneyD. M.GreenJ.DowsonM. (2007) Getting along with teachers and parents: the yields of good relationships for students' achievement motivation and self-esteem. Australian Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 17, 109–125.
15.
MerryM. S. (2005) Advocacy and involvement: the role of parents in Western Islamic schools. Religious Education, 100, 374–385.
16.
O'MaraA. J.MarshH. W.CravenR. G.DebusR. L. (2006) Do self-concept interventions make a difference? A synergistic blend of construct validation and meta-analysis. Educational Psychologist, 41, 181–206.
17.
PatchinJ. W.HindujaS. (2010) Cyberbullying and self-esteem. Journal of School Health, 80, 614–621.
18.
PluckerJ. A.StockingV. B. (2001) Looking outside and inside: self-concept development of gifted adolescents. Exceptional Children, 67, 535–548.
19.
PyszczynskiT.GreenbergJ.SolomonS.ArndtJ.SchimelJ. (2004) Why do people need self-esteem? A theoretical and empirical review. Psychological Bulletin, 130, 435–468.
20.
ReasonerR. W.LaneM. L. (2007) Five keys to raising children with values and vision. Fawnskin, CA: Personhood Press.
21.
RosenbergM. (1965) Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univer. Press.
22.
VialleW.HeavenP. C. L.CiarrochiJ. (2005) The relationship between self-esteem and academic achievement in high ability students: evidence from the Wollongong Youth Study. The Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 14, 39–45.