Middle school students' academic and exercise: Possible selves in Taiwan (China).

摘要

Possible selves are a set of one's future-oriented self-conceptions, which are formatted by one's self-schemas. Possible selves are important in the learning process—not only because they function as incentives for individuals' future behavior, but also they provide an evaluative and interpretive context for the current view of self (Markus & Nurius, 1986). Based on the theoretical and empirical guidelines, possible selves are proposed to affect individuals' performance.; The primary focus of this study was to predict and interpret early adolescents' academic and exercise achievements using the framework of possible selves. A total of 166 middle school students, comprised of 87 student non-athletes and 79 student athletes, in Kaoshiung City, Taiwan, completed four possible selves-related scales. Academic achievement was measured by examining students' average grades of five subjects including Chinese, English, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science, whereas Physical Education grades were used as exercise achievement.; The results indicated that the patterns of possible selves generated by middle school students varied by athletic status. For instance, student athletes reported higher exercise possible selves than did student non-athletes. Regression analyses revealed that middle school students who have reported higher academic possible selves tended to have higher academic achievement; similar results were also found in the exercise domain. In addition, self-efficacy was found to be a significant predictor of achievement in the academic domain. In the exercise domain, the perceived likelihood of the exercise possible self significantly predicted exercise achievement.; In sum, the results of this study were consistent with the possible selves theory. The findings offered evidence to suggest that the relationship between possible selves and achievement during early adolescence is predictable and domain-specific. Recommendations for future studies and implications for education are also discussed.