Psychology

Article Jiang, Xiaoli et al. How do children with different levels of self-concept perceive their school activities. JIA 05445. Accessed from  HYPERLINK httpwww.aare.edu.au05papjia05445.pdf on February 2 httpwww.aare.edu.au05papjia05445.pdf on February 2, 2010.

There are three generalized constructs in the study self-concept, perception, and positivist paradigm. Self-concept is defined as informal definition of oneself while perception is the interpretation of the immediate environment. Positivism or positivist paradigm serves as the discussion ground of the study. In the study, self-concept (X) is the independent variable while perception of school activities (Y) may be regarded as the dependent variable. Other variables considered are academic achievement, contentment, and motivation.

How is self-concept and perception measured Self-concept is measured through a multidimensional matrix which included physical, social, emotional and academic self-concepts. The purpose was to capture both the entirety and essence of the variable. Perception is measured by obtaining the generalized contentment levels of children (individual satisfaction to particular academic subjects). A Likert Scale was provided to enhance ordinality (to transform qualitative variables into measurable units of analysis).

After the survey, the children were asked to describe or express their opinions concerning different activities utilizing predesigned pictures reflecting the levels of childrens happiness and their perception of importance. The interview procedure followed a sequence of structured pictures. Structured role playing interview regarding the levels of happiness and importance was added to enhance the interview itself.

The results of the survey were analyzed with the help of statistical tools. With the use of one-way ANOVA, the authors determined (levels of significant 1 and 5 - both acceptable) that children with a high level of self-concept experienced higher levels of contentment in some of their school subjects, significantly higher in two demanding subjects  mathematics and project. Children with a high physical ability self-concept appeared to enjoy physical education and sports more than the other children.

In this study, the formal definition of self-concept and perception was generalized to allow the inclusion of related activities. Self-concept for example is divided into several parts  all of which are subject to hypothetical play. In some studies, concepts are intentionally limited to fully substantiate theoretical claims.