Development of Adolescents' Self-Esteem and General Academic Self-Concept: Perceived Classroom Climate Makes a Difference (Poster 35)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Two
  In Poster Session: Motivational Beliefs in Context

Abstract

We investigated mean-level change in students’ self-esteem and academic and social self-concepts and tested whether four classroom climate dimensions assessed on an individual student level and on a classroom level could explain interindividual differences in intraindividual change. The study comprised 2722 students from 98 classes who participated in four waves of measurement from grades 5 to 8. Multilevel regressions revealed a significant nonlinear mean-level change in all constructs under investigation, indicating an initial decrease that became smaller over time. All classroom climate dimensions on the individual level predicted change in academic self-concepts. Two dimensions (teachers’ focus on students; pressure related to social or achievement issues) on the individual level predicted change in self-esteem. No dimension predicted change in social self-concepts.

Authors

• Vsevolod Scherrer, University of Trier
  Presenting Author

• Petra Hank, University of Trier
  Non-Presenting Author

• Franzis Preckel, University of Trier
  Non-Presenting Author