The impact of school organization and transition on students' self-concept.

Abstract

This study evaluated the impact on the self-concept and self-assessed levels of anxiety of sixth grade students as they made the transition from elementary school to the middle school environment. In particular, the research focused upon the difference in the impact on students' self-concept and anxiety level as they transitioned from a departmentalized elementary instructional organization as compared to a self-contained elementary instructional organization. The research utilized a pre- post-test design. The Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale and the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale were administered in the sixth grade in schools in two separate, but similar, districts. The tests were administered in the fall of 1992 and the spring of 1993. The spring and fall data were interpreted and analyzed following the publisher's directions for scoring and interpreting the individual student responses. Comparisons of data for student self-concept and anxiety were made for each population and for gender and age between the two sample populations. The analysis of data as it pertains to the impact of school transition on student self-concept resulted in the following conclusions. (1) The instructional organization of sixth grade in the elementary school does not appear to have a significant impact on students' self-concept. (2) There is no significant difference in impact on self-concept between males and females. (3) There may be a more significant positive impact on the self-concept of 12 year old students than on 13 year old students. (4) The instructional organization of the sixth grade in the elementary school does not appear to have a significant impact on students' anxiety level. (5) The transition has a greater negative impact resulting in higher anxiety levels for 12 year old females than for 12 year old males, regardless of the instructional organization in the sixth grade. (6) There is no significant difference across age levels in the impact on anxiety levels between 12 year olds and 13 year olds regardless of the instructional organization in the sixth grade.