THE IMPACT OF TEENAGERS’ SELF VIEWS AND HOW IT AFFECTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

People's accomplishments and failures in many aspects of life are directly tied to how they have learnt to perceive themselves and their interactions with others. The self-concept is acquired, structured, and dynamic. Self-perception is acquired: As far as we know, no human being is born with a self-concept. It emerges gradually over the first few months of life and is moulded and altered by repeated perceived experiences, especially with significant persons. The notion that self-concept is acquired has significant ramifications.

The self has been characterized as the conscious essence of one's personality. It refers to all traits, attributes, attitudes, and emotions, especially sentiments of moral worth, that a person claims to possess (Charmaz, 2022). Similarly, self-concept can be defined as "the set of perceptions or reference points that the subject has about himself; the set of characteristics, attributes, qualities and deficiencies, capacities and limits, values and relationships that the subject knows to be descriptive of himself and which he perceives as identity data (Sanchez & Roda, 2022). A person's self-concept encompasses all convictions, ideals, and values held deeply inside his or her mind. In other words, an individual's self-concept is a summary articulation of his or her standing (Ossorio, 2022). The self-concept consists of three main components: the identity of the subject or self-image, also known as the perceptions of him/her; self-esteem, which is related to the value individuals attach to the way they see themselves; and a behaviour component, which reflects how self-concept influences and formulates the individual's behavior (Zagol 2022 and Tuttel & Tuttel 2022).

It is commonly accepted that a person needs have a good self-concept in order to perform effectively in all aspects of life. Self-concept, however, is not inherited; it is the consequence of evolutionary contact with others, which is continually refined by maturation and new experiences. Though self-concept construction begins in childhood, adolescence is a crucial era for the development of a genuine self-concept since it is during this time that the basis of adulthood is constructed. With physical and psychological maturation, adolescents begin to explore the world. Their surrounding environment, consisting of family, school, and peers, plays a key part in their identity formation. At this age, every accomplishment and failure has a major impact on their sense of self-worth. This is the phase in which individuals define their interests and passions; with the proper direction and encouragement, this phase becomes the cornerstone of a successful adulthood. Due to the fact that teenagers spend a large amount of time in school, strong academic accomplishment during this period is crucial for the development of a healthy sense of self. Academic accomplishment was described by Pandey (2022) as the pupils' performance in the topics they learn in school. Children's grades in a variety of courses serve as a measure of their subject-matter expertise, which aids in deciding their path of study in higher education. Globally, children with high academic success are likely to be viewed as capable, whereas children with low academic achievement are likely to get negative feedback from parents, teachers, and peers. The significance of academic success stems from the fact that academic records in the school/college years have the greatest influence on social reactions and teenagers' future employment prospects.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

As far as the link between academic accomplishment and self-concept of Indian students is concerned, prior researchers have discovered a favorable correlation between the two variables (Kaur, et al. 2022; Mara, 2022; Pandey, 2022; Nuthana, 2022; Tiwari & Bansal 2022). Currently, the school system in rural and remote parts of the nation is through a challenging period. Primary and secondary schools administered by the government are the only educational opportunities available in some rural communities. Typically, these schools experience teacher shortages, infrastructure issues, a lack of modern teaching techniques and resources, and a lack of exposure. Students that are schooled and educated in such environments must compete with others for further education and work opportunities, which explains the frequency of high unemployment. Numerous studies have been conducted to examine the self-concept of kids, but none have previously investigated the self-concept of students who live in such underprivileged places.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The broad aim of this study is to examine the impact of teenagers’ self views and how it affects academic performance. Specifically, this study seeks to:

i.          To determine whether teenagers’ self views affects academic performance.

ii.        To determine whether there is a difference in teenagers’ self views based on gender.

iii.      To determine whether socio economic factors affects teenagers’ self views.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions will be answered in this study:

i.          Does teenagers’ self views affects academic performance?

ii.        Is there any difference in teenagers’ self views based on gender?

iii.      Does socio economic factors affects teenagers’ self views?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The Guidance Counselor, the school curriculum creators, the instructors, the teenagers, and the parents will all benefit greatly from this study.

For instance, the research will give the counselor in-depth information on adolescents' self-concept and how it influences their academic and social adjustments. Since counselling is a helping profession, the counselor must be able to devise techniques to assist teenagers with a poor or high self-concept in making the required adjustments so that they may achieve their goals.

The creators of school curricula will profit from this study. It will help them build a curricular component that would encourage students to be more proactive and hopeful about life.

Teachers are not excluded from the group of individuals who will benefit from this study. It will expose them to the consequences of self-concept on the academic and social adjustment of students and then modify their attitude toward such students in order to inculcate the proper values and foster a successful teaching-learning connection.

Moreover, this study will assist the students in that it will help them become aware of the evils connected with an unhealthy self-views, enabling them to evaluate themselves in order to emerge from their shells and develop a more rational self-perception. In doing so, individuals can focus their efforts on developing a more positive self-perception in order to improve their academic and social integration.

Finally, this study will inform parents about the impact of self-concept on academic and social adjustment in adolescents. The awareness will enable parents in being cognizant of the style of child parenting to adopt in order to support the kid in developing a healthier sense of self. By involving their children in chores and skill-acquisition programs, parents should encourage their children to acquire a feeling of industry. The youngster develops a favorable attitude toward working with others, as well as self-confidence and prestige.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study focuses on the impact of teenagers’ self views and how it affects academic performance. Specifically, this study focuses on determining whether teenagers’ self views affects academic performance, determining whether there is a difference in teenagers’ self views based on gender and determining whether socio economic factors affects teenagers’ self views.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

In the course of carrying out this study, the researcher experienced some constraints, which included time constraints, financial constraints, language barriers, and the attitude of the respondents. However, the researcher were able to manage these just to ensure the success of this study.

Moreover, the case study method utilized in the study posed some challenges to the investigator including the possibility of biases and poor judgment of issues. However, the investigator relied on respect for the general principles of procedures, justice, fairness, objectivity in observation and recording, and weighing of evidence to overcome the challenges.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Teenagers: Teenage is the period of ones life in which one develop from being a child into being an adult. This period falls within the age bracket of 13-19years