The relationship between academic self-concept and reading competence in second and third grade Hispanic students.

摘要

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between reading competence and academic self-concept in second and third-grade Hispanic English language learners. Reading competence was treated as a general measure being that it is a critical skill to possess in today's challenging classrooms across the United States. Despite increases in spending to fund education, frequent reforms, and addition of new curricula and standards, Hispanic students still seem to underperform in school and to have lower academic self-concept than their white peers. Students were selected from a school that serves Hispanic students and asked to complete the Self-Description Questionnaire-I three times during the school year. Additional data regarding reading scores were collected from teachers during those three times. Running record scores (competence in reading) revealed significant correlations (p < .0005), for second graders but not for third. in the categories of reading, math, and "all school subjects." Only the scores from the second-grade students showed a significant increase in reading competence over the course of the school year. However, the opposite was true for the third-grade group. Additionally, a statistical significant relationship was found between running record scores (reading competence) and the three domains of academic self- concept for both the second and third graders (p < .0005). Recommendations for extending this study in the future include using larger sample sizes, working with Hispanic sub-groups, exploring differences between genders, and examining groups that receive Academic Intervention Services.;Keywords: academic self-concept, English language learners, Academic Interventions Services.