Assessment of academic self-concept and self-esteem of elementary school students in relation to teachers' professional skills

Subject Areas : Instructional Excellence of management

Zahra Maarefmand ¹ , Zahra Zarei ²

1 - عضو هیئت علمی گروه علوم تربیتی. دانشکده ادبیات و علوم انسانی. دانشگاه قم. قم. ایران
2 - M.A. Educational Sciences. Department of Educational Sciences. Islamic Azad UniversityQom branch, Qom, Iran

Received: 2025-04-16 Accepted : 2025-06-22 Published : 2025-12-21

Keywords: Academic self-concept, students' self-esteem, elementary schools, teachers' professional skills,

Abstract :

Introduction: Academic self-concept refers to an individual's perception of their own academic abilities, which plays a crucial role in motivation, academic progress, and overall well-being. Self-esteem is the feeling of self-worth that individuals have about themselves and shapes their positive or negative self-image. These two variables significantly influence social behaviors, emotions, and academic outcomes and have always been of interest to researchers. Various factors such as the quality of teacher-student relationships, school environment, family influences, and surrounding conditions contribute to the development and enhancement of these traits. Research indicates that academic self-concept and self-esteem within educational settings can interact and mutually affect academic progress and mental health among students. Therefore, assessing the current status of these variables in elementary students and understanding the factors influencing them are vital for designing effective educational and psychological programs. This study aims to explore the relationship between teachers' professional skills and these two variables, providing strategies to improve students’ psychological and academic well-being. Ultimately, enhancing academic self-concept and self-esteem can play a key role in students' personal and academic development and in improving the quality of education.

According to the presented materials, this research evaluates the academic self-concept and self-esteem of elementary school students and its relationship with teachers' professional skills and seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is the status of academic self-concept and self-esteem in elementary school students?
2. What is the status of professional skills in elementary school teachers?
3. What is the relationship between teachers' professional skills and the academic self-concept of elementary school students?
4. What is the relationship between teachers' professional skills and the self-esteem of elementary school students?

Methodology: The statistical population of this study consisted of all teachers and students in the fifth and sixth grades of primary schools in Qom Province. The sampling method was multi-stage cluster sampling. The statistical sample included 400 students and 40 teachers. The research instruments used were Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Questionnaire, Chen's Academic Self-Concept Questionnaire, and Hajizadeh’s Teacher Professional Skills Questionnaire.

Rosenberg Self-Esteem Questionnaire (RSES): This scale consists of 10 self-assessment questions, and each statement of this scale has 4 options, ranging from strongly disagree (score 4) to strongly agree (score 1). In the present study, the reliability of this questionnaire was obtained using Cronbach's alpha of 0.784.

Chen Students' Academic Self-Concept Questionnaire: This scale has 15 items and 3 dimensions: general, school, and non-school. This questionnaire is arranged on a 5-option Likert scale from very high to very low. Cronbach's alpha was used to calculate its reliability, and its reliability was obtained as 0.796.

Teacher Professional Skills Questionnaire: The Teacher Professional Skills Questionnaire was developed by Hajizadeh (2011). This questionnaire has 25 questions and 4 components (teaching method, educational technology, educational design, and evaluation) and is based on a five-point Likert scale (very low to very high). Cronbach's alpha coefficient test was used to determine reliability, which resulted in a total reliability of 0.816. In this study, the face and content validity of the questionnaires was confirmed by examining the opinions of some professors.

The reliability of these questionnaires was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, and their face and content validity were verified by experts. To analyze the data, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test was used to assess the normality of the variables. One-sample t-tests, Pearson correlation coefficients, and one-way covariance analysis (ANCOVA) were employed to examine the relationships and differences among variables. The results indicated that, in terms of teachers’ professional skills, students’ academic self-concept and self-esteem were in a favorable state. Furthermore, teachers’ professional skills had a positive impact on students' self-esteem and academic self-concept, and developing and improving teachers' professional skills could significantly influence students’ self-perception and academic achievement.

Results and Discussion: The results show that teachers have a good level of professional skills and these skills have a positive effect on students' academic self-concept and self-esteem. Multiple regression analysis shows that teacher skills are significantly important in predicting students' academic self-concept, so that about 14% of its variance is explained by teachers' professional skills. The results of the t-test also indicate that teachers' professional skills are at a good level and are significantly different from the expected level.

Also, the results of correlation tests and analysis of covariance show that general self-concept of education, school and non-school self-concept play an important role in interpreting teachers' professional skills and say that they positively affect professional skills. In addition, the level of academic self-concept and self-esteem of students in the study samples indicates their desired status, and this is due to the influence of teachers' professional skills on these changes.

Conclusions: Overall, the findings indicate that teachers' professional skills can improve students' academic self-concept and self-esteem and ultimately increase the quality of teaching and learning in elementary schools. These results indicate that paying attention to teachers' professionalism and improving their skills plays a key role in promoting students' mental health and education..

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