Augmenting grade three reading achievement through self-concept of ability enhancement using parents and teachers as significant others

• Main Author: Smith, Hubert Garland
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 1979
• Subjects: Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/7780/; https://research.library.mun.ca/7780/1/Smith_HubertGarland.pdf; https://research.library.mun.ca/7780/3/Smith_HubertGarland.pdf

The major purpose of this study was to investigate experimentally the relationship between self-concept of ability and reading achievement and determine whether grade three students in rural Newfoundland would improve their self-concept of ability and, indirectly, reading achievement, as a consequence of working closely with parents and teachers. To clarify this relationship and determine the intervening variables, several minor hypotheses were investigated: the relationship between self-concept of ability and the self-concept of the child held by parents and teachers; the relationship between academic self-concept of ability and the self-concept of the child held by parents and teachers; and the parents' and teachers' perception of how the child would rate his own ability. -- Fifty-five students were selected from the third grade population of two schools outside the city of St. John's. These fifty-five students, who were selected on the basis of their performance on a standardized achievement test, were performing at or below the class average. Data collection took place between February and June 1977, using a teacher questionnaire, a parent questionnaire, a reading achievement test, and a self-concept scale. A complete set of data was obtained for fifty-five students, thirty parents, and two teachers in two schools. -- Pearson product-moment correlation, "t" test, and analysis of covariance were used to test the hypotheses. By means of four tables, the complete scores were presented for each student. The major proportion of the data analysis was effected by the computer at Memorial University. -- The major finding of this study revealed that there does exist a significant relationship between self-concept of ability and reading achievement. Further, the teacher's perception of the child's self-concept was closely related to the child's self-concept. The teacher's perception of the child's reading ability was closely related to the child's reading achievement. In all cases the teacher occupied a vital role. ...