Chinese students' self-concept: Structure, frame of reference, and relation with academic achievement

The school effects on students' academic self-concept and achievement were evaluated in a large-scale longitudinal study of Chinese secondary students in Hong Kong (7997 students, 44 high schools, 4 years). Consistent with prior "Big-Fish-Little-Pond-Effect" (BFLPE) research on academic self-concept, this study showed that attending schools of high school-average ability led to initially lower academic self-concept and a further decline over time. Unlike previous research on ability grouping and school-sector effects, attending schools of high school-average ability did not result in an extra gain in academic achievement beyond that could be expected from students' prior advantages in academic ability.; The present study extended previous BFLPE research by including a measure of perceived school status to tap the potentially positive effects on academic self-concept in attending high-ability schools. Consistent with the a priori prediction, perceived school status was positively related to the school-average achievement and had positive effects on subsequent students' academic self-concept (reflected glory assimilation effects). Also in line with the theoretical hypotheses, when the perceived school status was controlled, the negative social comparison contrast effects on academic self-concept in attending high-ability schools became even more negative. These results have provided a strong empirical support for the argument that BFLPE is a net effect of counterbalancing positive reflected glory effects and negative social comparison effects. Students in high-ability schools are facing a more demanding comparison from classmates. But they are also enjoying the pride for being members in these prestigious schools.; This study examined the internal/external frame of reference effects (I/E model) on subject-specific self-concept in students' native language (Chinese), non-native language (English), and mathematics. Consistent with the predictions of the I/E model, Chinese language academic achievement had strong and positive effects on subsequent Chinese language self-concept, but weak and negative effects on mathematics and English language self-concepts. Similar patterns of results were found in the relations between mathematics and English language achievement with various subject-specific self-concepts. Furthermore, analysis showed that Chinese and English language self-concepts were distinguishable and separable. The results provided strong support for the I/E model and the juxtaposition of self-concepts in native and nonnative languages.; Using structural equation and multilevel modeling, this study provided strong support for the reciprocal causal effects between academic self-concept and achievement. Furthermore, the size of effects of academic self-concept on subsequent academic achievement was not affected by the school average ability and the effect did not vary from one school to the other. The validity of a Chinese version of a widely used self-concept instrument (SDQ-II) was evaluated by confirmatory factor analysis, multitrait-multitime analysis and factorial invariance analysis. The psychometric properties of the Chinese instrument were found to be as strong or even stronger than those of the original Australian (English) version. This, along with support for findings based on Western settings, provides very strong support for the cross-cultural validity of responses to the Chinese version of the SDQ-II.