Self Concept, Age, Grade Level, Gender, Grades, Nationality, Family Structure and Special Classes

The purpose of the researcher was to investigate the self- concept of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. The impact of nine independent variables upon self - concept was investigated. The nine variables were: age; grade level; gender; grades; family structure; image of mother; image of father; special classes; and nationality. The sample consisted of 328 students selected from a single junior high school in southwestern Kansas. The instrument used was the Personal Attribute Inventory for Children. Six composite null hypotheses were tested at the .05 level of significance. Five of the hypotheses were rejected and one was accepted. Results from the statistically significant main effect indicated the following: (1) those who reported making A\u27s had a higher mean self-concept than those who reported making C\u27s, D\u27s, and F\u27s; (2) those living in intact and other family structures had a higher mean self-concept scores than those from a single parent family; (3) females reported a larger mean self-concept than males; (4) whites reported a higher mean self- concept score than Hispanic; (5) participants who rated their father\u27s image highest reported the largest mean self-concept scores, those who rated their father\u27s image intermediate reported intermediate mean self-concept scores, and those who rated their father\u27s image lowest had the smallest mean self-concept scores; and (6) those who rated their mother\u27s image highest reported the largest mean self-concept score, those who rated their mother\u27s image intermediate reported intermediate mean self-concept scores, and those who rated their mother\u27s image lowest had the smallest mean self-concept scores. The results of the present study appear to support the following generalizations: (1) females had a higher mean self-concept score than males; (2) whites had a higher mean self-concept score than Hispanics; (3) those living in intact family and other family structures had a higher self-concept score than single parent family; (4) participants making A\u27s had a higher self-concept score than those making C\u27s, D\u27s, and F\u27s; (5) those who rated their father\u27s image higher reported a larger mean self-concept score than those who rated their father\u27s image intermediate or low; (6) those who rated their mother\u27s image higher reported a larger mean self-concept score than those who rated their mother\u27s image intermediate or low; (7) no association between age and self-concept; (8) no association between participation in special classes and self-concept; and (9) no association between grade level and self-concept