Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T17:52:24.307Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The impact of attributional feedback on the self-concept of children aged four to six years in preschool

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2016

Carrol S. Penn*
Affiliation:
Education Queensland
Paul C. Burnett
Affiliation:
Centre of Research and Graduate Training, Charles Sturt University
Wendy Patton
Affiliation:
Centre for Cognitive Processes in Learning, Queensland University of Technology
*
Monkland State School, Brisbane Rd, Gympie 4570, Email. [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The present study aimed to improve the self-concept of 116 children aged four to six years of age in their preschool classrooms through the use of attributional feedback strategies by their teaching staff. Staff from five preschool centres working with nine class groups participated. Staff were involved in a professional development process aimed at improving their knowledge of self-concept in children aged four to six years of age. The self-concept of all children involved in the study was measured using Bornholt's (1996) Aspects of Self Knowledge about Activities (ASK-KIDS) and Burnett's (1997) Behavioural Indicators of Self-Esteem (BIOS) checklist. Data from these quantitative measures indicated that the self-concept scores of all students improved and this positive effect was measured in all three areas of self-concept: academic, social and physical.

Type
Research papers
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bornholt, L.J. (1996). The ASK-KIDS Inventory for Children. Test manual and test booklets. University of Sydney.Google Scholar
Bornholt, L.J. (1997). Aspects of self knowledge about activities with young children. Every Child, 3 (1).Google Scholar
Bornholt, L.J. (2000). Social and personal aspects of self knowledge: A balance of individuality and belonging. Learning & Instruction, 10, 415429.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burhans, K.K. & Dweck, C.S. (1995). Helplessness in early childhood: The role of contingent worth. Child Development, 66, 17191738.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burnett, P.C. (1997). Enhancing self-esteem behaviours in the classroom. Unpublished manuscript, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.Google Scholar
Burnett, P.C. (1999). Behavioural indicators of self-esteem (BIOS). In Frederickson, N. & Camerson, R.J. (Eds.). Psychology in Education Portfolio, 1112). NFER-Nelson: London.Google Scholar
Cain, K.M., & Dweck, C.S. (1995). The relation between motivational patterns and achievement cognition's through elementary school years. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly 41(1), 2552.Google Scholar
Craven, R.G. (1989). An examination of self-concept: The interrelationship of teachers', parents' and children's perceptions of self-concept. Unpublished Bachelor of Arts Honors thesis submitted to the University of Sydney.Google Scholar
Craven, R.G. (1996). Enhancing Academic self-concept: A Large-Scale Longitudinal Study in an Educational Setting. Unpublished Doctoral thesis, University of Sydney.Google Scholar
Craven, R.G., Debus, R.L., & Marsh, H.W. (1997). New techniques for enhancing children's academic self-concepts in educational settings: Advances in new times. Paper published by Australian Association for Research in Education on the Internet. http://www.swin.edu.au/aare/welcome.htmlGoogle Scholar
Craven, R.G., Marsh, H.W., & Debus, R.L. (1991). Effects of internally focused feedback and attributional feedback on enhancement of academic self-concept. Journal of Educational Psychology. 83(1), 1727.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Damon, W., & Hart, D. (1982). The development of self-understanding from infancy through adolescence. Child Development, 53, 841864.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Damon, W., & Hart, D. (1988). The development of self-understanding in childhood and adolescence. New York: Cambridge Press.Google Scholar
Dunlop, R. (1990). Professional Development: A Review of Contemporary Literature. Queensland: Research Services, Division of Curriculum Services. Department of Education.Google Scholar
Eccles, J., Wigfield, A., Harold, R.D., & Blumenfeld, P. (1993). Age and gender differences in children's self- and task perceptions during elementary school. Child Development, 64, 830847.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Guskey, T.R. (1994). Results-oriented professional development: In search of an optimal mix of effective practices. Journal of Staff Development. 15(4), 4250.Google Scholar
Hand, B., & Treagust, D.E. (1995). Development of a constructivist model for teacher inservice. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 20(2), 2838.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harter, S. (1983). Developmental perspectives on the self-system. In Mussen, P. H. (Ed.), Handbook of Child Psychology. (4th Ed., Vol 4. pp.275385.) New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Harter, S. (1990). Issues in the assessment of the self-concept of children and adolecents. In La Greca, A.M. (Ed.), Through the eyes of the child: Obtaining self-reports from children and adolescents. (pp. 292322). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.Google Scholar
Harter, S. (1996). Historical roots of contemporary issues involving self-concept. In Braken, B.A. (Ed.), Handbook of self-concept developmental, social and clinical considerations, (pp. 137). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.Google Scholar
Hattie, J. (1992a). Measuring the effects of schooling. Australian Journal of Education, 36(1), 513.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hattie, J. (1992b). Self-concept. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Hord, S.M., & Boyd, V. (1995). Professional development fuels a culture of continuous improvement. Journal of Staff Development, 16(1), 1015.Google Scholar
Jones, E. (Ed.). (1993). Partnerships in staff development. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children.Google Scholar
Lieberman, A. (1995). Practices that support teacher development. Phi Delta Kappan, 8, 591596.Google Scholar
L'Ecuyer, R. (1992). An experiential-developmental framework and methodology to study the transformations of the self-concept from infancy to old age. In Brinthaupt, T.M. & Lipka, R.P. (Eds.), The self: Definitional and methodological issues (pp. 96134). Albany, NY: State University of New York.Google Scholar
Lovett, S. (1999). Professional development from NEMP: The learning journeys of eight New Zealand teachers. Paper published by Australian Association for Research in Education on the Internet. http://www.swin.edu.au/aare/welcome.htmlGoogle Scholar
Marsh, H.W., Craven, R.G., & Debus, R. (1991). Self-concepts of young children 5 to 8 years of age: Measurement and multi-dimensional structure. Journal of Educational Psychology, 83(3), 377392.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marsh, H.W., Craven, R.G., & Debus, R. (1998). Structure, stability, and development of young children's self-concepts: A multicohort-multioccasion study. Child Development, 69(4), 10301053.Google ScholarPubMed
Penn, C.S. (2001). An evaluation of the impact of attributional feedback on the self-concept of children aged four to six years of age. Unpublished Doctoral thesis, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane.Google Scholar
Shavelson, R.J., Hubner, J.J., & Stanton, G.C. (1976). Self-concept: Validation of construct interpretations. Review of Educational Research, 46, 407441.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Treagust, D.F., Duit, R., & Fraser, B.J. (1996). Overview: Research on students' preinstructional conceptions- the driving force for improving teaching and learning in science and maths. In Treagust, D.F., (Ed.), Improving teaching and learning in Science and Maths, (pp. 114). New York, Teachers College Press, Columbia University.Google Scholar