Context (archaeology)

Mathematics education

Multilevel model

Neuroscience

Statistics

Chromatography

Secondary education

Cognition

Longitudinal study

Archaeology

Developmental psychology

Self-concept

Context effect

Psychology

Mathematics

Geography

Academic achievement

Geometry

Medicine

Chemistry

Sample (material)

Word (group theory)

Pathology

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Academic self-concept is one of the most important non-cognitive variables in determining students' attitudes towards school and their performance. The objective of this study was to use a longitudinal approach to analyze how academic self-concept changed between primary and secondary schools and to analyze the factors that affected that progression. The sample consisted of 7379 students (47.4% girls) evaluated at two time-points: fourth grade and eighth grade. Six schooling pathways were analyzed: repeating a year before fourth grade, repeating between fourth and eighth grade, and repeating eighth grade. Five two-level hierarchical linear models of intrasubject means were assessed. The results indicate that academic self-concept falls dramatically between primary school and secondary school, varying according to background variables. Nevertheless, the most influential factor was the students' schooling pathway. This study reinforces the evidence that, at least in the Spanish context, educational policies need to address alternatives to repetition.

Academic Self-Concept Dramatically Declines in Secondary School: Personal and Contextual Determinants