A Comparative Analysis of the Self-concept and Academic Achievement of Black and White High-school Students

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the relationships between the selfconcept and academic achievement of black and white tenth-grade American students. Data on these variables were collected from 440 tenth-grade students in the Pacific Northwest School district. Self-concept was measured by the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI), and academic achievement by the California Achievement Test (CAT). For black students no significant relationship was found between self-concept and academic achievement, although the relationship reached significance for white students. Growing up black in a predominantly white society and the opposite experience are considered in the light of self-concept and academic achievement.

Exploring social and psycho-social factors that might help explain the Afro-Caribbean boy underachievement in England

“…USA researchers have demonstrated that academic self-concept generally has a positive direct relationship with achievement (Marsh and Martin, 2011) or reciprocal relationship with achievement (Guay et al, 2003). It is important to point out though that this relationship does not hold true for all ethnic groups as school environments play a role in moderating this relationship for African Americans high school students (Mboya, 1988;Singh et al, 2010). Nevertheless, the findings from this study demonstrate that is does hold true for Afro-Caribbean students in England.…”

Black Children's Perception of Self: Implications for Educators

“…We suggest that educators must first deal squarely with the consistent finding of no significant relationship between global self-esteem and academic achievement in African-American samples (Haw 1991;Jordan 1981;Mboya 1988). This, coupled with the fact that African-Americans in integrated settings manifest equal or higher levels of academic self-esteem, despite lower academic achievement (Crain, Mahard, and Narot 1982), suggests a rethinking of traditional interventions.…”

“…This, coupled with the fact that African-Americans in integrated settings manifest equal or higher levels of academic self-esteem, despite lower academic achievement (Crain, Mahard, and Narot 1982), suggests a rethinking of traditional interventions. For example, some writers (e.g., Mboya 1988) have suggested that many AfricanAmerican students do not include academic achievement as part of their general self-concept, particularly in integrated settings. Other research suggests that in integrated settings they develop a noncooperative and belligerent antiachievement ethos that serves as a proxy for high self-esteem (Fordham and Ogbu 1986;Haw 1991;Ogbu 1987).…”

Gender, Ethnicity, and the Structure of Self-Esteem: An Attitude Theory Approach

“…For example, degree of sexual development may predict general self-esteem more strongly among African-American males than among others . Although the relationship between academic achievement and self-concept has been found to be positive and significant among White adolescents (Mboya, 1988), it does not seem to hold among African Amencans. Although African-American adolescents have consistently scored higher than Whites on measures of general self-esteem, as well as self-beliefs regarding attributions of attractiveness and popularity, their self-beliefs in school-related areas have been lower than Whites' (Hare, 1985).…”