Alt Title

The effect of the human development program on the self-esteem of middle school children

Publication Date

1972

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Carroll, Margaret L.

Degree Name

M.S. Ed. (Master of Education)

Legacy Department

Department of Administration and Services

LCSH

Self-evaluation; Junior high school students

Abstract

The present study was concerned with the effect of the Human Development Program on the self-esteem of middle school students. There were three major questions: 1. Is there a significant difference in the self-esteem of middle school students who have experienced the Human Development Program for five months over students who have not? 2. Is there a significant difference in the effect of the program on boys or girls? 3. Is there a significant difference in the effect of the program on different grade levels? In the light of the present emphasis on the self-concept as an important variable in the learning process, research is needed on the question of whether the self-concept can be changed in a positive way by experiences in school. Research is also needed to help answer the question of what kinds of experiences have the highest probability of affecting the self-concept in a positive way. This study is an attempt to provide empirical data to help answer both of those questions. The research design used in the present study was a pre and post-test design with a control group. A random sample of 150 students from two equivalent middle schools was taken and both groups were given the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. Pre-test data indicated that school means were not significantly different. Pre-test means for boys and girls and for grade levels at the experimental school were also found to be not significantly different. The Human Development Program was implemented in one of the schools for a five month program while the control school continued its regular academic program. The Self-Esteem Inventory was administered at the end of the five month period and posttest means were analyzed using the Critical Ratio test of significance to establish whether differences were significant at the .05 level. With respect to the first major question, it was found that there was no significant difference in the self-esteem of middle school students who had experienced the Human Development Program for five months over students who had not. With respect to the second major question, it was found that the program had no significantly different effect on boysor girls. With respect to the third major question, it was found that the program had no significantly different effect on different grade levels. In the light of these findings, additional research is needed to examine the question of whether the self-concept can be changed in a positive way by the Human Development Program or other school experiences.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references.

Extent

iv, 59 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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