Abstract
Self-concept and self-esteem are strongly tied to both academic achievement and risk factors for lower academic achievement. The German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) provides large-scale representative longitudinal data for mathematics, reasoning as well as risk factors, self-concept and self-esteem. Based on measurements in grades five to nine, this paper produces theory-based partially mediated latent growth models with multiple indicators and mediators. This includes the predictors of special education needs (SEN) status, socioeconomic status (SES), reasoning ability, gender, and school track, with both global self-esteem and subject-specific self-concept as mediators. Significant mediatory relationships are found for SEN, gender, reasoning ability, and school track on grade 5 math and reading competence, but neither direct nor mediated effects on rate of change were found. Implications for researchers and educators are discussed.
Highlights
The self-perception of a child plays an important role in his or her academic development throughout the school system
The models met the criteria for a good fit according to root mean squared error of approximation (RMSEA) and comparative fit index (CFI)
We prefer the mediation model in both cases. We examine both models in order to describe the mediation results
Summary
The self-perception of a child plays an important role in his or her academic development throughout the school system. Children with weaker a priori competence (DeVries et al 2018), children with special education needs (SEN; Gebhardt et al 2015), and children from lower socioeconomic status (SES; DeVries et al 2018; Hanushek et al 2011) are at risk of not reaching the same levels of academic achievement as their peers. Previous research has suggested that self-perception may play a critical role as a mediator affecting both the pace of development and level of attainment (Diseth 2011; Ferla et al 2009; Pullmann and Allik 2008). Our study longitudinally models the complex multivariate relationship of SEN, SES, gender, subjectspecific self-concept and self-esteem using data from a large-scale assessment for math and reading achievement though early to middle secondary school (5th to 9th year students).
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