The development of self-worth and competence in school perceptions in 5th to 9th grades students

Abstract

The present paper analyses the developmental patterns of children’s perceptions of their competence in school and global self-worth and the impact of school performance, grade retention and school transitions on those same perceptions. These variables were assessed in 526 Portuguese students, 245 girls and 281 boys, from 5th to 9th grades. The results showed that: (a) the boys’ self-perceptions are generally more positive than the girls’ perceptions of themselves; (b) the students with a better school performance see themselves as more competent in school than those with poor performance; and (c) school transitions seem to have a negative impact on students’ self-perceptions but only after 7th grade. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the development of interventions to promote school achievement.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17575/rpsicol.v18i1.419