title: Self-Concepts, Self-Esteem, and Academic Achievement of Minority and Majority North American Elementary School Children.
abstract: Minority and majority elementary school students from a Native American reservation (N = 188; K-fifth grade; 5- to 10-year-olds) completed tests of academic self-concepts and self-esteem. School grades, attendance, and classroom behavior were collected. Both minority and majority students exhibited positive self-esteem. Minority students demonstrated lower academic self-concepts and lower achievement than majority students. Two age-related patterns emerged. First, minority students had lower academic achievement than majority students, and this effect was stronger in older (Grades 3-5) than in younger (Grades K-2) students. Second, children's actual achievement was related to their academic self-concepts for older students but more strongly linked to self-esteem in younger students. The authors offer a developmental account connecting students' developing self-representations to their school achievement.
authors.affiliation: University of Washington.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cvencek
authors.affiliation: University of Washington.
authors.forename: Stephanie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Fryberg
authors.affiliation: University of California, Santa Cruz.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Covarrubias
authors.affiliation: University of Washington.
authors.forename: Andrew N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Meltzoff
mesh_terms: D000076363:Academic Success; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology*; D015205:Northwestern United States / Q000208:ethnology; D044469:Racial Groups; D012574:Schools; D012649:Self Concept; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*