Learning Environments, Academic Self-Concepts, and Achievement in Mathematics

Previous research studies have established that students' academic achievement can be predicted from their self-concepts of academic ability and from selected characteristics of the learning environment. The present study provides evidence for the relationships between learning environments and academic self-concepts, and it has demonstrated that, for ninth-grade mathematics students, both general and mathematical self-concepts of academic ability can be predicted from combinations of classroom environment characteristics. This in turn provides a rationale for additional research to determine if it is possible to enhance self-concepts through providing suitable learning environments and thereby to increase academic achievement.