Relationships of Selected Self-Concept and Academic Achievement Measures

The purpose of this research was to determine (a) how three self-concept measures relate to each other; (b) the relationships these selected global and specific self-concept measures have to two indices of academic achievement; and (c) the significance of differences among these self-concept-academic achievement correlations. The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Brookover Self-Concept of Ability Scale, and the Houghton Mifflin Test of Academic Progress were selected for use in this study. Three hundred and sixty-six ninth-grade students comprised the sample. In only one case did two self-concept measures correlate significantly with each other. Although significant, this coefficient was not very high. The three self-concept measures correlated with reading and mathematics achievement indices to significantly different degrees. Furthermore, the two instruments identified as being global in nature indicated greater predictive potential than did the one selected as being specific.