Self-concept and children with learning disabilities: observer-child concordance across six context-dependent domains.
This study assessed the self-concept of students with learning disabilities (LD), comparing observer ratings and self-reports both within the LD group and across LD, nondisabled, and high-achieving (HA) classes. Using the Multidimensional Self Concept Scale (MSCS) a total of 135 students from the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades rated their self-concepts. Teachers and parents also rated the children's self-concepts using an abbreviated form of the MSCS. Compared to students' ratings, teachers generally underestimated the LD and nondisabled students' self-concepts, but overestimated the HA students' self-concepts. Parents' ratings of children with LD and HA children generally matched their children's self-reports, but the agreement between nondisabled children and their parents varied depending on the domain of self-concept. This study demonstrates the importance of assessing multiple self-concept domains when working with children who have learning disabilities.
Montgomery
M S
MS
Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison 53706.
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D010290:Parents; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012649:Self Concept; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013223:Statistics as Topic