Academic self-concept and teachers' perceptions of normal, mentally retarded, and learning disabled elementary students

Abstract

The self-concepts of educable mentally impaired, learning disabled, and nonhandicapped children were assessed using the Student Self-Evaluation (SSE), Teacher Evaluation Scale (TES), and How I See Myself (HISM) test. A Groups X Age X Sex analysis of covariance, with 1Q effects statistically controlled, was computed for each measure. On the SSE, the groups were significantly different, with nonhandicapped students having better self-concepts than learning disabled students, and learning disabled students having better self-concepts than educable mentally impaired students. Teacher estimates of self-concept (TES) indicated that nonhandicapped students have better self-concepts than have handicapped students. For the HISM scores, there was a Group X Sex interaction, but no significant main effects; there was no consistent pattern to the interactions. The results suggest that handicapped children, as a group, have a lower self-concept than have nonhandicapped children. Implications for educational programming and future research are offered.

Individual Differences in the Self-image of Adolescents with Learning Disabilities: The Roles of Severity, Time of Diagnosis, and Parental Perceptions

“…Thirteen comparative studies including specific measures of academic self-image were identified in the literature-seven with school-age students (Black, 1974;Boersma & Chapman, 1979;Carrol, Friedrich, & Hund, 1984;DeFrancesco & Taylor, 1985;Margalit & Zak, 1984;Rogers & Saklofske, 1985;Winne et al, 1982) and six with high school students (Bender & Golden, 1988;Donnell, 1975;Hiebertetal., 1982;Ribner, 1978;Silverman & Zigmond, 1983;Tollefson et al, 1982). Six of these 13 studies (i.e., Boersma & Chapman, 1977;Carroll et al, 1984;Hiebert et al, 1982;Ribner, 1978;Rogers & Saklofske, 1985;Winne et al, 1982) reported results indicating lower academic self-image among students with LD compared to their normally achieving peers.…”

Self-Perceptions of First- and Second-Grade Children with Learning Disabilities

“…In general, studies that compare children with learning disabilities to normal achievers utilizing a global assessment of selfconcept have shown lower self-perceptions among the students with learning disabilities (Larsen, Parker, & Jorjorian, 1973;Margalit & Zak, 1984). On the other hand, the evidence reported by studies measuring global as well as academic self-concept evaluations is rather equivocal; while some studies report that the two groups of students vary only on academic self-concept measures (Carroll, Friederich, & Hundt, 1984), others have found that both the global and the academic self-concept measures differentiate between students with LD and normally achieving students (Rogers & Saklofske, 1985). In a recent study, Cooley and Ayres (1988) indicated that differences in self-concept between children with learning disabilities and normally achieving students could stem mainly from lower academic self-concept evaluation among the former.…”

Predictors of Self-Esteem

“…Though self-concept and achievement are probably interactive, successful school experiences appear to be positively correlated with selfconcept. Students who do well in school tend to rate themselves higher on tests of self-esteem than do those who do not perform well (Black, 1974;Carroll, Friedrich, & Hund, 1984;Dyson, 1967;Purkey, 1970;Smith, Zingale, & Coleman, 1978). Next to the home, school is the most important force in shaping and maintaining the child's self-concept (Purkey, 1970), and there is evidence that the frustrations of repeated school failure lead to emotional and behavioral problems in children (Schwyhart, 1967).…”