A Comparison of African American Students’ Self-Perceptions of School Competence With Their Performance on State-Mandated Achievement Tests and Normed Tests of Oral and Written Language and Reading

Abstract

This study measured self-perceptions of school competence among 263 4th- and 6th-grade African American students who attended an academically challenged school district. Self-perceptions of school competence are defined as self-perceptions of ability, confidence, and school satisfaction. Results indicated that 4th-grade students had lesser perceptions of themselves as able and confident, but their school satisfaction was notable. Sixth-grade students perceived themselves as able, but they reported less confidence and school satisfaction. Students’ self-perceptions were correlated with their performance on state-mandated achievement tests and normed language and reading tests. Better self-perceptions of ability and confidence correlated with better test scores; lesser self-perceptions correlated with lower test scores. Therefore, self-perceptions bore a consistent relation to academic capabilities. These findings suggest that students who do not perceive themselves as able, who lack confidence, or who have diminished school satisfaction may be at risk for school disengagement.

Keywords:

• academic achievement
• academic self-perceptions
• achievement testing
• African American
• self-evaluation