School grades as predictors of self-esteem and changes in internalizing problems: A longitudinal study from fourth through seventh grade

6533b85dfe1ef96bd12bdec6

RESEARCH PRODUCT

School grades as predictors of self-esteem and changes in internalizing problems: A longitudinal study from fourth through seventh grade

Eija Pakarinen Marja-kristiina Lerkkanen Riitta-leena Metsäpelto Poikkeus Anna-maija Friederike Zimmermann

subject

Longitudinal study Social Psychology media_common.quotation_subject Early adolescence education school grades koululaiset Sample (statistics)pitkittäistutkimus behavioral disciplines and activities Education Developmental psychology latent change score modeling Reading (process)Developmental and Educational Psychology internalizing problems 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences media_common self-esteem Change score Language arts matematiikka 4. Education 05 social sciences Self-esteem 050301 education itsetunto tunne-elämän kehitys arvosanat tunne-elämä ongelmat Psychology 0503 education vertaissuhteet 050104 developmental & child psychology

description

This longitudinal study of 562 students (from ages 10 to 13) investigated whether developmental changes in internalizing problems (emotional and peer problems) can be predicted by school grades in mathematics and language arts and whether these predictive relations are mediated by students' self-esteem. The data comprised of teacher-rated internalizing problems, grades in math and language arts, and student self-ratings of self-esteem. The latent change score modeling indicated that math grades positively predicted self-esteem. Furthermore, lower self-esteem was related to an increase in internalizing and emotional problems in the total sample, and to an increase in peer problems in boys. The indirect effect of poorer math grades, via lower self-esteem, on increases in internalizing and emotional problems was significant. The sample included an overrepresentation of children at risk of reading difficulty, but the tested models did not differ between at-risk and not-at-risk children. Overall, the findings revealed that low math grades contribute negatively to students' global self-esteem and predict an increase in internalizing problems in early adolescence. peerReviewed

year	journal	country	edition	language
2020-01-01	Learning and Individual Differences

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2019.101807