Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1996

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Human Ecology

Major Professor

Delores E. Smith

Committee Members

Jacquelyn Mclnnis, Jim Moran

Abstract

The study examined the relationships among self-esteem, academic performance, school location, gender, and schooltype of 493 Jamaican adolescents attending two types of high schools (traditional and non-traditional) in Jamaica. The Offer Self Image Questionnaire-Revised was used to measure students' self-esteem. Students' academic performance was determined by examining scores on internally administered examinations in the schools under investigation. It was hypothesied that there would be significant relationships among students' self-esteem and academic performance as a function of the type of school students attend, place of residence, gender, and "passing" or "not passing" the national high school entrance examination; the Common Entrance Examination (GEE). Analyses indicated significant gender and location effects on self-esteem and academic performance of GEE scholars attending traditional and non-traditional high schools. However, schooltype was not significant for these groups. Overall, gender differences were noted on the self-esteem dimensions of sexuality, social functioning, ethical values, and vocational attitudes of GEE students. Males scored significantly higher than females on the first three dimensions whereas, females scored higher than males on vocational attitudes. Data indicated that rural GEE students scored significantly higher than their urban counterparts on academic performance and self-esteem, which might lead to the conclusion that rural students are more motivated to succeed than their urban peers because of the fierce competition they face in accessing the limited high school places in these regions. Urban students have access to more high school places. Significant differences for self-esteem, academic performance, gender, location, and examination were noted for the CEE and non-CEE students who attended the non- traditional high schools. CEE students in non-traditional high schools scored significantly higher than non-CEE students on academic performance (p<.001), and on the self-esteem dimensions of impulse control, emotional tone, social functioning, ethical values, self-confidence, vocational attitudes, self-reliance, and total self-esteem. Exam was also highly significant for this group (p<.01) which indicated that passing the CEE (national examination) had an impact on students' academic performance and self-esteem.

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