The purpose of the study was to determine if differences existed in perceptions expressed by selected eighth grade students concerning relations between personal academic achievement and influence of family encouragement and expectation.Three Indiana school corporations were selected to participate in the study. From school records of 1979-80 eighth graders, students were classified by specific criteria of intelligence and grade point average into three groups: (1) highly capable academic achievers, (2) average ability academic overachievers, (3) highly capable academic underachievers. Twenty-five students for each group were randomly selected, making a total of seventy-five students.The Questionnaire, developed by combining the .Brookover Scales with modified sections of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, was administered to small groups of selected students. Completed Questionnaires were computer processed using an analysis of variance to examine nine null hypotheses. The hypotheses compared expressed perceptions among the three groups concerning Family Encouragement and Expectation, Self-Concept, and Academic Achievement.A ratio of between group sum of squares and within group sum of squares provided an F value to determine significant difference of means between compared groups. Degrees of freedom were 1 and 48, used to determine the .05 level of confidence.Data showed significant differences in expressed perceptions of personal academic achievement compared between highly capable achievers and average ability overachievers and between highly capable achievers and highly capable underachievers to reject two hypotheses. Seven hypotheses were not rejected.Data analysis showed significant mean differences for two of three groups comparing male and female responses. Highly capable achiever males and females showed no difference in perceptions for any area. Average ability overachiever males showed higher mean scores than females of the group in areas of Academic Achievement, Family Encouragement and Expectation, and Family Encouragement as isolated. Highly capable underachiever females showed higher mean scores than males of the group in areas of Self-Concept, Family Encouragement and Expectation, and Family Encouragement as isolated.Based on data, conclusions are:1. Grade point average has no bearing on perceptions of students concerning family encouragement and expectation. Highly capable achievers show stronger family expectation than highly capable underachievers show. Average ability overachiever males indicate stronger family encouragement than females of the group. Highly capable underachiever females indicate stronger family encouragement than males of the group.2. Grade point average is not related to personal self-concept. Within the highly capable underachiever group, females express higher self-concept than males.3. Average ability overachievers identify with highly capable underachievers in personal academic achievement rather than with highly capable achievers. Within the average ability overachiever group, males feel more capable academically than females of the same group.Recommendations were made based on findings and conclusions:1. Educators should early identify highly capable students to cooperatively encourage maximum development of student academic potential.2. Educators should incorporate sound, innovative academic processes to interest and challenge underachieving students regarding school activities. Experiences with activities would enable underachievers to experience self satisfaction at school.3. Educators should cooperate actively with parents in encouraging students.4. Educators should ascertain if average ability students achieving academically beyond predicted levels feel as capable as highly capable achieving students.Recommendations for further research were based on using different populations and modified hypotheses.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/174736 |
| Date | January 1980 |
| Creators | Akers, Marilyn S. |
| Contributors | Pole, E. John |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | 4, vii, 127 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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