QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

METHODOLOGY (HMEF5093)

Assignment 2

A Research Proposal to a Quantitative Research

Sobeeha Abdul Latheef

S1400131

Academic Achievement, Gender & Socioeconomic Status: Their Relation to

Students’ Self Esteem

Introduction

Extensive research on the concept of self-esteem has recognised the important role of high

self- esteem for people of all ages. The development of human abilities and skills are

increased through high self- esteem. Self-esteem can be defined as the assessment of one’s

own self. This self-assessment maybe either positive or negative. It specifies the degree to

which an individual believes himself or herself to be competent in different roles of life.

(Naderi, Abdullah, Aizan, Sharir, & Kumar, 2009).

The relationship between self-esteem and academic achievement have received much

attention as self-esteem has been recognized as an important factor for students in their

academic achievement (Zhi, 2014). Studies conducted to investigate the relationship between

self-esteem and academic achievement found that high self-esteem increases academic

achievement. However, some researchers have also found there is no significant influence

between self-esteem and academic achievement (Naderi, et.al, 2009).

A number of studies have investigated the relationship between self-esteem and gender. It is

believed that there is a direct association between the self-esteem and gender. These studies

indicate there is a significant difference in self-esteem between males and females. Once

again there are researches conducted that showed that there is no gender differences in

students' level of self-esteem (Rafei, 2008).

Research shows that socioeconomic status of students has a clear influence on their

development of self-esteem. These studies suggest that socioeconomic status to be

significantly related to self-esteem. In general, students with higher socioeconomic status

have a higher self-esteem than those form a lower socioeconomic status (Wood, 2010).

The purpose of this research is to study the relationship between students’ level of self-

esteem and their academic achievement. The study also aims to investigate the relationship

between students’ level of self-esteem and gender and its relation with their socioeconomic

status.

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Research questions and Hypotheses

Based on the objectives of the study described in the introduction, the following research

questions will be addressed in the study.

1. What is the relationship between students’ level of self-esteem and their academic

achievement?

2. What is the effect of students’ gender and their socioeconomic status on their level of

self-esteem?

Based on the research questions and literature review, the research is to be directed by the

following null hypotheses and alternate hypotheses.

Null hypotheses

1. The correlation between students’ level of self-esteem and their academic

achievement is negative and not significant.

2. The correlation between students’ level of self-esteem and their socioeconomic status

is negative and not significant.

3. The correlation between students’ level of self-esteem and their gender is negative

and not significant.

Alternate Hypotheses

1. There is a positive and significant correlation between students’ level of self-esteem

and their academic achievement.

2. There is a positive and significant correlation between students’ level of self-esteem

and their socioeconomic status.

3. There is a positive and significant correlation between students’ level of self-esteem

and their gender.

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Methodology

Research design

The research design used for this study is an explanatory correlational design. In explanatory

correlational design the relationship between two or more variables are investigated and the

extent to which the variables are related is investigated. Only one sample will be used and

variables will not be manipulated. Correlational statistical test will determine the strength of

the relationship and the direction of the correlation (Correlational Research, n.d.).

In this study a single sample of 15-17 year old students studying in five different schools will

be used. The correlation between their self-esteem in relation to their academic achievement,

gender and socioeconomic status will be investigated.

Population and Sample

The target population of the study is all 15-17 year old students in government secondary

schools of the capital city of Republic of Maldives, Male’. This target population will be

narrowed down to 15-17 year old students in five government secondary schools in Male’.

These five schools will be systemically selected to ensure similarity between this accessible

population and the target population. These five schools selected consists of one all girls’

school, one all boys’ school and three co-ed schools.

The accessible population consists of all 15-17 year old students in these five schools. From

this accessible population, students those who are living with one or both of the parents will

be identified. Since socioeconomic status is a variable that is investigated in this study,

identification of students living with parents and guardians or caretakers is important. If this

factor is not taken into account it may decrease the external validity of the study as the

socioeconomic status of the guardian or care taker may not be the same as the student.

The sample for the study will be obtained from the students identified as living with their

parents. An appropriate sample size will be calculated from this population using 95%

confidence level and a confidence interval of +/- 5.

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The sample will be selected using a simple random method. The students’ name will be

ordered in alphabetical order and every third name will be selected from this list to be

included in the study.

Instrumentation

A self-esteem scale will be used to determine students’ level of self-esteem (appendix 1). It

consists of 20 items scored on a four-point Likert scale from ‘Strongly disagree’ (1) to

‘Strongly agree’ (4). The highest self-esteem score for the scale is 80 and the lowest is 20.

The scale has equal number of positive and negative items.

Two commonly used self-esteem scales are used for the development of the scale used in the

study. Ten items of the Rosenberg self-esteem scale and another 10 items form the

Coppersmith Self Esteem Inventory. The items are used as it is or is slightly modified form

the original item. The validity and the reliability of both these scales are high. (Thomas & Dr

Raj, 1982). To establish the reliability and the validity of the scale adopted for this study, the

instrument will be pre tested using a small group of students and the Cronbach’s alpha was

will be measured.

A Questionnaire consisting of 12 items is used to measure the socioeconomic status of the

students (appendix 2). The highest score that could be obtained for the questionnaire is 53

and the lowest score is 3. The items used in the questionnaire is adopted from the

questionnaire used by Aggarwal, Bhasin, Sharma, Chhabra, Aggarwal, & Rajouraalso (2005)

in their study titled A New Instrument (Scale) for Measuring the Socioeconomic Status of a

Family :Preliminary Study. Once again the socioeconomic status questionnaire that will be

used in this study will be tested for its reliability and validity.

Their academic achievement will be measured using the subject average marks of their last

school examinations.

Research Procedure

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The participants will be given the self-esteem scale to measure the level of their self-esteems.

The parents of the participants will be asked to complete the questionnaire on socioeconomic

status.

Participants will be categorized into two groups, on the basis of their score on the self-esteem

scale. Participants with self-esteem scores ranging from 20 to 40 will be considered as having

low levels of self-esteem and those with self-esteem scores ranging from 41- 80 will be

considered as high levels of self-esteem.

Participants will be categorized into another two groups, related to their subject average

marks. Participants with subject average marks ranging from 0 to 50 will be considered as

low academic achievers and those who have subject average marks ranging from 51- 100 will

be considered high academic achievers.

Participants will also be categorized depending on their gender. Males for one group and

females for the other group.

Another category where the participants will be divided is on the basis of their socioeconomic

status. From the scores obtained from the socioeconomic status questionnaire, participants

will be divided into students with high socioeconomic status and students with low

socioeconomic status. The high socioeconomic status group has a score ranging from 53-26

and the low socioeconomic status group has a score ranging from 25-3.

Framework of data analysis

The data obtained from the investigation will be analysed using two statistical techniques:

Pearson’s and a t-test. Pearson’s correlation is used to measure the linear relationship

between two set of data (Statistics How To, n.d.). An independent t-test is used to measure the

significant difference between the means of two unrelated groups (Statistics Tutorial, n.d.).

The extent of relation between self-esteem and academic achievement, gender and

socioeconomic will be obtained by using Pearson r. The significance of the correlation co-

efficient will be determined. The value of the coefficient will indicate whether there is

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negative or positive correlation between students’ level of self-esteem and their academic

achievement, gender and their socioeconomic status (Statistics How To, n.d.).

Two extreme groups of the participants will be formed on the basis of subject average marks,

gender and socioeconomic scores. Significant difference between the high academic

achievers group and the low academic achievers group will be calculated for the variable self-

esteem using an independent t-test. The significant difference between the males and females

and low socioeconomic group and high socioeconomic group will also be calculated using

the same technique. The results of the t-tests will show if there is a significant difference

between the self-esteem levels of these extreme groups. (Statistics Tutorial, n.d.).

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References

Aggarwal, O.P., Bhasin, S.K., Sharma, A.K., Chhabra, P., Aggarwal, K., & Rajoura, O.P. (2005). A New Instrument (Scale) for Measuring the Socioeconomic Status of a Family: Preliminary Study. Indian Journal of Community Medicine. Retrieved from http://medind.nic.in/iaj/t05/i4/iajt05i4p111.pdf

Correlational Research. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2014 from https://www.aea267.k12.ia.us/system/assets/uploads/files/1470/correlationalresearch.pdf

Naderi, H., Abdullah, R., Aizan, H.T., Sharir, J., & Kumar, V. (2009). Self Esteem, Gender and Academic Achievement of Undergraduate Students. American Journal of Scientific Research. Retrieved from http://www.eurojournals.com/ajsr.htm

Rafei, S. E. (2008). The Relationship between Self-Esteem and Gender, Grade Level and Academic Achievement, in Secondary Schools’ Classes in Lebanon. Retrieved from https://lra.le.ac.uk/bitstream/2381/7583/1/2%203The%20Relationship%20between%20Self%5B1%5D.pdf

Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. (n.d.) Retrieved December 2, 2014 from www.yorku.ca/rokada/psyctest/rosenbrg.pdf

Statistics How To. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2014 from http://www.statisticshowto.com/what-is-the-pearson-correlation-coefficient/

Statistics Tutorial. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2014 from http://www.gla.ac.uk/sums/users/narjis/stroke/indept1.html

Thomas, I., & Dr Raj H.S.S (1982). Self-Esteem and Academic Achievement: A Study on: Ninth Grade Students. JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH. Retrieved from). https://www.academia.edu/6231834/Self esteem_and_Academic_Achievement_A_study_on_Ninth_Grade_Students

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Wood, M.(2010). Social Class and Self-Esteem. Academia.edu. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/1511865/Social_Class_and_Self_Esteem

Zhi, A.C.H. (2014). Understanding Our Students: Does High Self-Esteem Produce GoodAcademic Achievement among Undergraduate. IMPACT: IJRHAL. Retrieved from www.impactjournals.us

 Appendix 1 (Self- Esteem Scale)

The scale is a 20 item Likert scale with items answered on a four point scale - from strongly agree to strongly disagree.

Instructions: Below is a list of statements dealing with your general feelings about yourself. If you strongly agree, circle SA. If you agree with the statement, circle A. If you disagree, circle D. If you strongly disagree, circle SD.

1* There are lot of things about myself I would change if I could. SA D SD SD

2* I give in easily. SA A D SD

3 On the whole, I am satisfied with myself. SA A D SD

4* I am often sorry for the things I do. SA A D SD

5* At times, I think I am no good at all. SA A D SD

6 I feel that I have a number of good qualities. SA A D SD

7 I am able to do things as well as most other people. SA A D SD

8 I feel comfortable to share my opinions to others SA A D SD

9* I feel I do not have much to be proud of. SA A D SD

10 I can make my own decisions and stick to it SA A D SD 11* I certainly feel useless at times. SA A D SD

12 I feel that I’m a person of worth, at least on an equal plane with others. SA A D SD

13 I can understand myself. SA A D SD 14* I wish I could have more respect for myself. SA A D SD

15 People usually listen to and accept my ideas SA A D SD 16*

All in all, I am inclined to feel that I am a failure. SA A D SD

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17 I am popular with people of my own age. SA A D SD 18* I do not like to be around people SA A D SD

19 I take a positive attitude toward myself. SA A D SD 20* I feel that people cannot depend on me SA A D SD

Scoring: SA=3, A=2, D=1, SD=0. Items with an asterisk are reverse scored, that is, SA=0, A=1, D=2, SD=3. Appendix 2 (Items used in Questionnaire to Measure Socioeconomic Status)

Q 1. Monthly per capita income from all sources (total monthly income /no. of family members)

1. >50000 62. 20000-49999 53. 10000-19999 44. 5000-9999 35. 2500-4999 26. 1000-2499 1

Q 2. Education of either husband or wife who is more educated among them

1. Professional qualification with technical degrees or diplomas e.g. Doctor, Eng. CA, MBA, etc. 52. Post-graduation (non-technical incl. Ph.D.) 43. Graduation from secondary school 34. Primary pass 2 5. Just literate but no schooling 1 6. Illiterate 0

Q 3. Occupation of husband, otherwise wife.

1. Service in central/State/Public undertakings orOwner of a company employing >20 persons or selfemployed professional Doctors, CAs, Eng. Etc. 52. Service in Private sector or independent businessemploying 2-20 persons 43. Service at shops, home, transport, own cultivationof land 34. Self employed e.g. shops, petty businesswith income >5000 25. Self employed with income <5000(labourer, house wife) 16. None of the family member is employed 0

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Q 4. Family possessions (presence of each item given belowwill carry score of .1.) 9

1. Refrigerator 2. TV 3. Radio/Transistor/Music system 4. AC 5. Washing Machine 6. Telephone 7. Mobile phone 8. Credit card 9. Sanitary latrine

Q 5. Living in a type of house

1. Own house with 5 or more rooms 62. Own house with 3-4 rooms 53. Rented/Govt. house with 5 or more rooms 44. Own house with 1-2 rooms 35. Rented/Govt. house with 3-4 rooms 26. Rented/Govt. house with 1-2 rooms 1

Q 6. Possession of a vehicle or equivalent

1. 2 or more cars 32. 1 Car 23. 1 or more motor cycles 14. None of the above 0

Q. 7 No. of earning members in the family (Nuclear/Joint)

1. 3 or more members earning and income pooled 32. 2 or both husband and wife earning 23. Only 1 family member earning 14. No earning member 0

Q 8. No. of children head of the family has/had

1. 1 52. 2 43. 3 34. 4 25. 5 16. >6 0

Q 9. Facility of some essentials in the family

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1. Both tap water supply and electricity 22. Only one of above two is present 13. None is present 0

Q10. Education of children (in relation to head of the family)Note: Exclude under 5 children for this item. A child applicablehere is one who is 5 years or above.

1. All children going/ever gone to school/college 32. >50% children ever gone/going to school/college 23. < 50% children ever gone/going to school/college 14. No child ever gone/going to school/college 0

Q. 11. Members of family gone abroad in last three years(official or personal)

1. Whole family 32. Only husband and wife 23. Only 1 family member 14. None 0

Q 12. Employment of a domestic servant at home

1. Employed >2 full time servants on salary for domesticwork 32. Employed only 1 full time servant on salary fordomestic work 24. Employed 1-2 part time servants on salary fordomestic work 15. Employed no servants for domestic work 0

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