Perceived Competence, Self-Description, Expectation, and Successful Experience Differences among Students in Grades Seven, Eight, and Nine

Abstract

This study compared grade, gender, and achievement differences on competence-related measures. Students in grades seven, eight and nine were compared on measures of perceived competence, self-descriptive characteristics, successful experiences, expectations on a mathematics test, and math achievement differences. Grade differences found that ninth grade scored higher on perceived competence and listed more mental successes while seventh graders had more incorrect categories of self-descriptions. Some gender differences were consistent with previous research findings where males score higher on competence factors, although females listed more successful experiences. High achievers scored higher than low achievers on the cognitive competence scale and on other measures. Implications for facilitating competence at grade seven are discussed.