Jebmh.

com Original Research Article

STUDY THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND SELF-ESTEEM OF

SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
Ajay Malhotra1, Archna Sharma2, Ajanta3, Sanju Bala4
1Associate Professor and Head, Department of Psychiatry, Maharaja Agrasen Medical College, Agroha, Haryana.
2ClinicalPsychologist, Maharaja Agrasen Medical College, Agroha, Haryana.
3Intern, Department of Psychiatry, Maharaja Agrasen Medical College, Agroha, Haryana.
4Intern, Department of Psychiatry, Maharaja Agrasen Medical College, Agroha, Haryana.

ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND
Mental-, physical-, emotional- and social-well-being are various aspects influenced by education. And so is self-esteem. The
term self-esteem comes from Greek word meaning “reverence for self”; self-esteem is acceptance of us for who and what we
are at a given period of time in our lives; it may be positive or negative orientation towards self. Past literature reveals that
academic achievement is directly proportional to self-esteem. According to random house dictionary of English, Academic
Achievement has been defined as accomplishment especially by superior ability, special effort and great valour. Is self-esteem
really boosted by academic achievement?

MATERIALS AND METHODS

To verify the above fact, a study was planned to find the relationship between self-esteem and academic achievement of senior
secondary high school students. For this, 100 high school children both male and female were randomly selected from various
senior secondary schools of Hisar and adjoining villages. Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale was used to measure self-esteem after
taking consent from students and their principals. To measure academic achievement, students’ annual scores of 10th standard
were taken from school records.

RESULTS
After entering data in SPSS, data was analysed using appropriate statistical techniques. Descriptive and correlation methods
were used to analyse data. There was no statistical difference observed between academic achievement and self-esteem when
boys and girls were compared. But when the sample was taken as whole there is significant positive relationship between self-
esteem and academic achievement scores of senior secondary school students.

CONCLUSION
Academic achievement increases self-esteem also linearly and symmetrically.

KEYWORDS
Self-Esteem, Academic Achievement, Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale, Pearson Correlation.
HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Malhotra A, Sharma A, Ajanta, et al. Study the relationship between academic achievement
and self-esteem of senior secondary school students. J. Evid. Based Med. Healthc. 2019; 6(11), 899-903. DOI:
10.18410/jebmh/2019/189

BACKGROUND be topper in class, Do the academic achievement really

Role of education for proper development of human beings
has long been advocated and most of the developed
countries had reached the goal of ‘education for all’ till
matriculation. But, our country is still struggling to reach that
goal. With modernization and changing culture to be
educated had become a necessity hence boosting the self-
esteem of an individual. Academic achievement is the only
way for measuring educational status of individual. With
increasing pressure by the parents that their siblings should
Financial or Other, Competing Interest: None.
Submission 22-02-2019, Peer Review 27-02-2019,
Acceptance 09-03-2019, Published 16-03-2019.
Corresponding Author:
Dr. Ajay Malhotra,
Associate Professor and Head,
Department of Psychiatry,
Maharaja Agrasen Medical College,
Agroha, Haryana.
E-mail: malhotraajaymalhotra@yahoo.co.in
DOI: 10.18410/jebmh/2019/189
increases the self-esteem of an individual?
The term self-esteem comes from the Greek word
meaning “reverence for self”. The self-part of self-esteem
pertains to the values beliefs and attitudes that we hold
about ourselves. It is positive or negative orientation
towards oneself. The self-esteem can be referred as person’s
global judgment of competency regarding one’s self-worth
((HARTER, I988).1 This comparison between the perceived
self and ideal self leads to adolescent turmoil. Hence
development of self-esteem is most important
developmental processes of adolescence (Sirin and Rogers
2004).2 According to MASLOW an American Psychologist
self-actualization can only be achieved by fulfillment of self-
esteem. According to him healthiest expression of self-
esteem is the one which manifests in respect we deserve for
others, more than renown, fame and flattery. Jame’s3
formula of self-esteem cited in Seligman (1996 p30) appears
to be well respected-

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Where pretensions means feeling good about ourselves
and success means how we actually do. We can feel better
about ourselves by succeeding in the World but also by
varying the level of hopes and expectations.
Academic achievement is defined as measurable
behaviour in standardized series of test (Simpson and
Weiner 1989). According to Bruce and Neville (1979)4
educational achievement is measured by standardized
achievement test developed for school subjects. GOOD
(1973), has defined, academic achievement as knowledge
attitude or skill developed in the school subject usually
designed by test scores or by marks assigned by teacher or
both. Consequently, academic achievement could be defined
as self-perception and self-evolution of one’s objective
success.
Lots of studies were conducted showing direct
correlation with self-esteem and academic achievement.
High self-esteem is associated with high academic
achievement (Marsh, Byrne and Yeung 1999).5 Rubie et al in
20046 demonstrated that best way to improve student
achievement is to increase their self-esteem. Low self-
esteem is viewed as the cause of evil and high self-esteem
as the cause of all good. (Manning, Bear and Minke 2006).7
Self-esteem is associated with depression, anxiety,
motivation and general satisfaction with one’s life (Harter,
Original Research Article
Rosenberg 1986)8 keeping these facts this study was
planned to see whether self-esteem has any association with
academic achievement especially in Indian population that
too from rural area where it is a taboo for a girl child to go
outside home and study, Where a son of farmer has no
importance for education because he has to work with his
father in fields. On the other hand there are thriving new
generation who wants to improve their quality of life with
higher education and increased self-esteem.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Sample
The sample for the study was consisted of 100 students of
standard XI of which 50 were males and 50 were females
from Hisar and adjoining school from Hisar city. The school
were selected through simple random sampling technique.
Test and Tools
Rosenberg self-esteem scale was used to measure both
positive and negative feeling about the self. To measure
academic achievement student’s annual score of class 10th
were taken. To collect the data first approval from school
principal was taken. Only those students were taken who
gave the consent to participate in the study. Help of teachers
were taken and metric scores were recovered from the
school records. After entering the data in SPSS data was
analysed using appropriate statistical techniques i.e.
descriptive and co relation method was used to analyse the
data.

RESULTS

Group N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean T-value Significance

Self Esteem
1. Boys 50 19.04 4.402 .6226
-0.1 0.92
2. Girls 50 19.12 3.532 .4995
Academic
Achievement
1- Boys 50 69.02 17.810 2.518
-1.47 0.15
2- Girls 50 73.83 15.299 2.163
Table 1

It is evident from the table 1 that there is no significant difference between self-esteem and academic achievements
between boys and girls.

Self Esteem Academic Achievement

Pearson
Self Esteem 1 .632**
Correlation
Sig. (2 tailed) .000
N 100 100
Academic Pearson
.632** 1
Achievement Correlation
Sig. (2 tailed) .000
N 100 100
Table 2
**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2 tailed)

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Jebmh.com Original Research Article
Table-2 indicates that there is significant positive RESULTS
relationship between self-esteem and academic Our study also proves the fact that as academic achievement
achievements scores of scores of senior secondary school of students increases their self-esteem also increases. Our
students it means as the academic achievement increases results are in consonance with number of studies like
self-esteem also increases linearly and symmetrically. (Coopersmith S.A.1967,9 Wyliie.R.C.1979,10 Walz G & Bleuler
J1992.11 Purky1970,12 Covington. M, 1989).13

DISCUSSION
Number of studies correlates both positive and negative influence of academic achievement on self-esteem. Regarding this,
many studies had also been conducted in India and abroad. These studies are tabulated in short form as under-

Year of
Author
Study
Srivastava14
Demo and Parker15
Sebastian16
Carlson, Uppal & Prosser17
Singh18
Kelly and Jordan19
Wiggins20
Pullmann and Allik21
Joshi and Srivastava22
Whitesell et al23
Alves-Martins et al24
Rahmani25
Type of Study Results
Study effect of SE and AA among Significant main effect of SE and
1981
Indian students interaction effect of SE and AA
SE scores of both black and white
Study AE and SE in black and students were same despite black
1987
white students students have significantly low AE
scores
Parental pressure as perceived by
Effect of parental pressure on
1997 children had negative influence on
school achievement, SE, creativity
SE, creativity and AA
Men scored slightly higher in global
2000 Effect of Gender on SE and AA
SE than women.
Relation between SE AND AA is
2005 Relationship between SE &AA bidirectional. Causation flows in both
direction
SE of gifted student was much higher
Studied SE of gifted
than students with low AA scores.
1990 students(those with high degree
They have more positive self-image
of AA)
and self-concept.
Other variables are quality of family
life, appreciation from teacher and
What are other variables
1987 parents, participation in co-curricular
contributing to SE?
activities and positive peer
relationship.
Academic self-esteem is strong
predator of school achievement.
Relationship of academic and
General SE is a significant predictor
2008 general self-esteem to school
of superior school performance when
achievement.
academic self-esteem and
multicollinearity is controlled
No significant difference between SE
Compare SE and AA of rural and of rural and urban adolescents.
2009
urban adolescents. Urban adolescents scored higher in
AA than rural adolescents
Longitudinal study of SE, cultural Relationship between SE and AA is
2009 identity and AA among American mediated by personal resources and
Indian adolescents problem behaviours.
There is significant difference
between the SE of successful and
Studied SS and AA of seven grade
2010 unsuccessful students of 7th grade
students
but this difference wades away in
eighth and ninth grade.
Relationship between SE and AA in SE, goal orientation components and
2011
primary school children. AA are correlated

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Study on SE and academic High in AA and co-curricular activity

Okoko and Odingo26
Jain and Dixit27
Patel
Raju and Others28
Patel and Hot
2012 performance in public secondary
school in Nidhiwa district Keniya
2014 SE-Gender based comparison
Investigated the relationship
1992 between AA and some selective
personality variables.
Comparison of AA between
1995
students of SC and non-SC
Study on self-concept and
achievement motivation in relation
1995
to AA of socially backward
secondary school students
have high SE. Age, Gender, Teachers
have effect on student SE
No significant gender differences in
the SE of participants.
Significant relation was found
between AA and intelligence, self-
concept and level of aspiration
Non SC tribe students
were better in AA
1-self-concept was positively related
to AA
2-Academic motivation was
significantly related to AA
3-no positive relation with self-
concept and achievement motivation.

SE- Self Esteem

AA- Academic Achievement

CONCLUSION [5] Marsh H, Byrne B, Yeung A. Casual ordering of

Taking into consideration all the above studies and results
of our study, one thing is clear that self-esteem and
academic achievement have positive correlation with each
other. More the self-esteem, better the academic
performance and vice versa. But since measuring self-
esteem is very subjective, a student whose target is just to
get 60% marks may have more self-esteem when he is able
to do so as compared to the topper who is unable to top the
class. On the other hand, measurement of academic
achievement is very objective. In our country, he who gets
more marks is better academic achiever. Whereas multiple
factorial approach should be taken used to assess academic
achievement of the student for e.g. participation in
extracurricular activities, his communication skills, his
problem-solving capabilities, his attitude towards his friends
and so on. As it is said, school is second to home or
sometimes better than home in improving self-esteem of
students. Such activities should be carried out to decrease
academic pressure without deteriorating academic
performance.
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