The relationship between academic self-concept, cognitive engagement and achievement

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Melbourne, Dept. of Education, 2000Much research has documented the influence student self-perceptions of ability have on school achievement. Published literature has been investigating the mechanisms through which these self-perceptions affect performance. This research sought to determine the effect academic self-concept has on cognitive engagement, thereby identifying a possible mechanism through which self-perceptions of ability influence academic performance. After reading published literature in the areas of motivation, goals, academic self-concept, self-efficacy and cognitive engagement, an intervention was designed that aimed to alter student perceptions of their ability, improve their motivation levels and increase the effectiveness of their learning strategies. A self-description questionnaire was used to measure the academic self-concept and cognitive engagement of 221 secondary school science students. Repetitive administration of this questionnaire over a two month period allowed investigation of the relationship between changes in academic self-concept and changes in cognitive engagement and achievement levels of students. In addition repetitive administration of the questionnaire allowed the effectiveness of the intervention in altering academic self-concept and cognitive engagement levels of participants to be measured. Correlation analysis found academic self-concept to have a significant relationship with the cognitive engagement of the students and their test performance and was consistent with the following: 1) a negative correlation existed between academic self-concept and superficial engagement 2) a positive correlation existed between academic self-concept and active cognitive engagement, and academic self-concept and achievement 3) test mark had a positive correlation with active cognitive engagement and a negative correlation with superficial engagement, and 4) a positive correlation existed between measured changes in academic self-concept and changes measured in active cognitive engagement. One hundred and seventy-seven students participated in the intervention sessions. Students who participated in all of the required intervention sessions reported an increase in the use of active cognitive engagement strategies and a decrease in the use of superficial engagement strategies. The control group of students did not report these changes in cognitive engagement. ANOVA revealed the differences between the cognitive engagement of the experimental group and the control group to be statistically significant. The intervention did not significantly improve the academic self-concept of participating students