measuring self-esteem of adolescents based on … 6 social...measuring self-esteem 2 problem studied...

Measuring Self-Esteem 1

Running head: MEASURING SELF-ESTEEM INADOLESCENTS

Measuring Self-Esteem of Adolescents Based on Academic Performance

Grambling State University


Problem Studied

Self-esteem is a very critical issue in regards to academic performance in school.

It is considered a person’s overall evaluation or judgment of his or her own self-worth. If an

individual has low self-esteem it causes him/her not to use the best of their capabilities. The self-

worth of that individual also creates insecurities which allow him/her not to reach their full

potential. Therefore academic performance in school begins to decline. However, if an individual

thinks highly of oneself and view themselves in a more positive aspect, they will achieve more

accomplishments and perform better in school. An individual’s belief of his/her self-worth is

important throughout life. In order to continue working, living, striving, and excelling in school,

one must not think negative of themselves, but be optimistic. It is very important because it

affects how you think, act and even how you relate to other people. It affects your potential to be

successful. Researchers chose to study the impact of self-esteem on academic performance

because self esteem effects whether or not you are confident, happy, highly motivated and have

the right attitude to succeed throughout your academic performance.

Research Methodology

Design

The research design in this study is a survey design that observes the behaviors and

beliefs of specific groups identified, reported, and interpreted. This study utilizes the application

of a mixture of qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Sample

The sample was obtained at Gibsland Coleman High School’s Twenty-First Century after


school tutorial program. Participants selected to take part in the survey were not representative of

the school’s student body. The sample consisted of Jr. High and high school students in 6th

through 10th grade that were selected to participate in this study. The students participating were

not required to complete a parental consent form; however, formal permission was requested and

obtained by the schools higher administrative staff to administer surveys. The students in this

sample were provided a letter of intent describing the instructions, purpose, goals, and

measurements associated with the survey. By this, the students participating were encouraged to

express their values, beliefs, and concerns regarding self esteem and academic performance.

Surveys were disseminated to students who attended Gibsland Coleman High School’s, Twenty-

First Century after school tutorial program. All students attending the after school program

completed a survey. The actual composition of the participants consisted of 17 sixth graders, 24

seventh graders, 18 eighth graders, 15 ninth graders, and 30 tenth graders. The sample consisted

of 50 junior high and high school students attending Gibsland Coleman High School, located in

Gibsland, Louisiana, however; 25 of the 50 students were randomly selected during data

analysis. The participants ranged in age from 12-16 years of age. Twenty-five surveys were

randomly selected by utilizing the simple random sampling process in which all fifty surveys

were placed in a box and only twenty-five were selected and examined.

Method of Data Collection

The method of data collection utilized was self administered surveys. The survey

consisted of twenty one variables including six demographics in nature and the remaining fifteen

questions were used to answer the research question. For the purpose of this study, academic

achievement was measured through the cumulative grade point average (CGPA). The CGPA was

calculated by dividing the total amount of grade points by the number of classes taken. Self


esteem was measured by a revised version of the Project Self, Self Esteem Scale (PSSES). This

scale consisted of 15 questions designed to measure self esteem exhibited in Table 2. Responses

to this scale were made on a 3 point likert scale ranging from strongly agrees to strongly

disagree. Scoring for these items were represented from lowest to high percentile ranging from

0-75. Thus, the lower the self esteem the lower the average number on the instrument and vice

versa.

Data Analysis

Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Due to the nature of

the project, time constraints, and unavailability of access to resources, the researchers were not

able to utilize the statistical package for Social Science (SPSS) to perform the analysis of the

data. However, the researchers were able to analyze and interpret the raw data received

manually. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the demographic variables of gender,

race/ethnicity, grade point average, sports to identify central tendencies and percentages for key

variables.

Preliminary results informed us that while 92% of the males agreed that they did not

depend on others for happiness, only 50% of the females did. A 2 x 2 Chi Square analysis

revealed that there is a statistically significant relationship, x2 (1, N = 25) = 5.53, p =0.05,

suggesting that there was a relationship between gender and whether or not the students depend

on others for happiness. Self esteem is possibly linked to gender.

Findings

The purpose of the study was to examine and measure the self esteem of adolescent

students based on academic performance. Research was conducted in a rural northwestern part of

the region located in Gibsland, Louisiana. The sample of 50 students was obtained from students


participating in the “21st Century after School Tutorial Program at Gibsland Coleman High

School. Formal consent to administer survey was obtained through school officials. Student

participants completed a two part questionnaire consisting of a demographic section and PSSES

tool measuring self esteem. Chi Square statistics was utilized to determine a measure of

association between two single variables G.P.A and a Self Esteem question of whether or not a

student tends to depend on others for happiness.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the test statistic, x2 (obtained) =2.67, does not fall into the critical region,

which, for alpha=0.05, df=degrees of freedom is 8 begins at x2 (critical) of 15.51. Therefore, we

fail to reject the null hypothesis. The observed frequencies are not significantly different from

the frequencies we would expect to find if the variables were dependent and only random chance

were operating. Based on these sample results displayed in Table 1, we can conclude that the

academic performance of adolescent students is not dependent on whether or not they tend to

depend on others for happiness.


Appendix ATable 1 Chi Square Bi-variate Analysis

Table 2 Percentage Breakdown of Survey Items


Table 1Chi Square for Variable 1= GPA(Grade Point Average) and Variables 2= I tend to depend onothers for happiness.

Chi Square Test Statistic

Agreement A B C D F Rows

Somewhat Agree

Cell A(fe=.4)(fo=1)

Cell B(fe=1.36)(fo= 1)

Cell C(fe=.24)(fo=0)

Cell D(fe & fo =0)

Cell E(fe & fo =0) R1=2

Agree

Cell F(fe=1)(fo=0)

Cell G(fe=3.4)( fo=4)

Cell H(fe=.6)(fo=1)

Cell I(fe & fo =0)

Cell J(fe & fo =0) R2=5

Disagree

Cell K(fe=3.6)(fo=4)

Cell L(fe=12)(fo=12)

Cell M(fe=2.16)(fo=2)

Cell N(fe & fo =0)

Cell O(fe & fo =0) R3=18

Columns C1=5 C2=17 C3=3 C4=0 C5=0 n=25

Table 2Percentage Breakdown of Survey Items

Questions Somewhat Agree Agree Disagree 100%I tend to say yes when I really want to say no. 28% 32% 40% 100%I set my goals and stick to them. 32% 56% 12% 100%Most people like me and enjoy being around me. 16% 64% 20% 100%I feel good about my appearance. 4% 84% 12% 100%I feel my life has meaning. 8% 84% 8% 100%My problems seem overwhelming to me. 32% 24% 44% 100%I tend to depend on others for happiness. 12% 16% 72% 100%I'm good at solving problems. 36% 52% 12% 100%I can talk to people without feeling nervous. 36% 56% 8% 100%I find it easy to say good things about myself. 4% 84% 12% 100%


Appendix BFigure 1 Sex of RespondentsFigure 2 Respondents GPA


Figure 1 Pie ChartSex of Respondents (N=25)

Figure 2 Pie ChartRespondents GPA


Appendix CTable 3 Demographics of Respondents


Table 3Demographicsof Respondents

Student Sex Grade Race GPA Sport Age

A Male 9th African American C Basketball 15

B Male 8th African American C Basketball 14

C Female 9th Other C Basketball 16

D Female 8th African American B Other 13

E Male 7th African American B Basketball 13

F Male 9th African American B No Sport 16

G Male 10th African American B Basketball 15

H Female 8th African American B Basketball 14

I Male 8th African American B No sport 14

J Female 8th African American B No Sport 15

K Female 7th African American B Basketball 13

L Male 7th African American B Basketball 13

M Female 7th African American B No Sport 12

N Female 8th African American B Other 14

O Male 8th African American B Basketball 14

P Male 7th African American B Basketball 13

Q Female 10th African American B Basketball 15

R Male 7th African American B Basketball 13

S Female 8th African American B Basketball 13

T Male 9th African American B Basketball 14

U Female 10th African American A Basketball 16

V Female 10th African American A Basketball 15

W Male 10th African American A Basketball 16

X Male 8th African American A Basketball 14

Y Female 10th African American A Basketball 15


Appendix DTables 4-19 Frequency Tables for Variables


Table 4Sex of Respondents, Self Esteem Survey

Sex TalliesFrequency(f)

Male ///////////// 13

Female //////////// 12

N=25Table 5Grade of Respondents,Self-Esteem Survey

Grade TalliesFrequency

(f)CumulativeFrequency Percentage

Cumulative

Percentage

6th 0 0 0% 0%

7th ////// 6 6 24% 24%

8th ///////// 9 15 36% 60%

9th //// 4 19 16% 76%

10th ////// 6 25 24% 100%

N=25 100%

Table 6Race of Respondents,Self-Esteem Survey

Race TalliesFrequency


Cumulative

Percentage

African American //////////////////////// 24 24 96% 96%

Asian American 0 24 0% 96%

Caucasian American 0 24 0% 96%

Hispanic American 0 24 0% 96%

Other / 1 25 4% 100%

N=25 100%


Table 7GPA of Respondents, Self-Esteem Survey

GPA TalliesFrequency


CumulativePercentage

A ///// 5 5 20% 20%

B ///////////////// 17 22 68% 88%

C /// 3 25 12% 100%

D 0 25 0% 100%

F 0 25 0% 100%

N=25 100%

Table 8

Sport of Respondents, Self-Esteem Survey

Sport TalliesFrequency



Basketball /////////////////// 19 19 76% 76%

Football 0 19 0% 76%

Track 0 19 0% 76%

Other // 2 21 8% 84%

No Sport //// 4 25 16% 100%

N=25 100%

Table 9

Age of Respondents, Self-Esteem Survey

Age TalliesFrequency



12 / 1 1 4% 4%

13 /////// 7 8 28% 32%

14 /////// 7 15 28% 60%

15 ////// 6 21 24% 84%

16 //// 4 25 16% 100%

N=25 100%


Table 10I tend to say yes when I really want to say no.

Agreement Frequency (f) Percentage

(0) Somewhat Agree 7 28%

(1) Agree 8 32%

(2) Disagree 10 40%

N=25 100%

Table 11I set my goals and stick to them.



(1) Agree 14 56%

(2) Disagree 3 12%

N=25 100%

Table 12Most people like me and enjoy being around me.



(1) Agree 16 64%

(2) Disagree 5 20%

N=25 100%

Table 13I feel good about my appearance.



(1) Agree 21 84%

(2) Disagree 3 12%

N=25 100%

Table 14I feel my life has meaning.

Agreement Frequency (f) Percentage(0) Somewhat Agree 2 8%

(1) Agree 21 84%(2) Disagree 2 8%

N=25 100%


Table 15My problems seem overwhelming to me.


(1) Agree 6 24%(2) Disagree 11 44%

N=25 100%

Table 16I tend to depend on others for happiness.


(1) Agree 4 16%(2) Disagree 18 72%

N=25 100%

Table 17I'm good at solving problems.


(1) Agree 13 52%(2) Disagree 3 12%

N=25 100%

Table 18I can talk to people without feeling nervous.


(1) Agree 14 56%(2) Disagree 2 8%

N=25 100%


Table 19I find it easy to say good things about myself.


(1) Agree 21 84%(2) Disagree 3 12%

N=25 100%

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