The role of self-concept in academic performance among Grade Eleven pupils

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of self-concept in academic performance among Zambian grade eleven pupils. The primary objective was to examine
self-concept and academic performance in order to show how they contribute to the
academic success and healthy personality development of students in Zambia.
By means of purposive sampling, four schools were selected from Lusaka city. From
each school, grade eleven pupils constituted the sample for the study. The sample
consisted of 147 males and 106 females, yielding a total of 253 participants in the study.
Data collection primarily involved the use of questionnaires and school records. The
instrument used to measure self-concept was a modified version of the Canadian Self-
Esteem Inventory. The inventory was answered using the 1-to 6 Likert-type scale, which
also formed the basis for scoring. Pupils' academic performance was gauged from their
performance in the grade ten final examinations. The school subjects of interest in this study were English, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. In addition, a test of Raven's
non-verbal cognitive ability was administered to two classes.
Through statistical analyses, the following findings were revealed: (1) Boys were found
to have a higher self-concept than girls, (2) Self-concept seems to be stronger related to
academic performance more among girls than among boys, and (3) Raven's non-verbal
cognitive ability revealed no statistically significant correlations with either self-concept or academic ability.
In view of the above findings, the following recommendations were made:
a. Teachers should emphasize fostering a positive self-concept in students from the
onset of their academic years. The curriculum for teacher training in Zambia
could include courses whereby teachers are taught how to instill positive attitudes
in their students. It might be advisable that the curriculum for students includes
"lifestyle education" whereby students are emotionally prepared for the
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challenges that they will encounter in the course of their development, with
particular emphasis on adolescence.
b. Educators should move away from promoting traditional stereotypes wherein
males are encouraged to pursue academic goals and females are encouraged to
pursue domestic goals. Teachers should engage in equal student interaction
between boys and girls.
c. Parents should complement teachers' efforts in eradicating the negative attitudes
that girls have towards themselves. Since the self-concept of an individual begins
to develop as soon as the individual interacts in society, parents should treat boys and girls equally. Girls should be encouraged as much as boys to excel
academically, in an effort to produce positive role models for female students