ABSTRACT
In chapter 2 I described a procedure for testing children's knowledge of the relative abilities in their class and of their own position within it. It was found that children as young as eight years were able to make assessments of their class positions which correlated highly with those of their teacher. It has been suggested that the academic self-concept which this procedure tests is an important variable affecting educational progress. The concept ultimately derives, as I argued in chapter 5, from the symbolic interactionist theory of George Herbert Mead. Mead (1934) suggested that individuals construct a ‘me’ for each distinct social setting in which they find themselves. In each classroom, therefore, the child must construct a self-concept and a pattern of behaviour consistent with the expectations he perceives others to have for him. Through his interactions with others his conception of himself in relation to others and the conceptions others have of him are realized. Kagan (1967) states that interactions which convey praise, respect, and understanding lead to mutual liking and positive self-evaluations on the part of both actors, whereas interactions which convey criticism and rejection create self-derogatory evaluations.
