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A developmental study of the relationship between reading development and the self-system

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Abstract

The aims of this three-year longitudinal study were to examine 1) the concurrent development of different components of the self-system; 2) how the development of this self-system relates to cognitive and metacognitive development in reading; and 3) whether or not there are gender differences both in the development of the self-system as well as in its relation to the development of reading. One hundred and seventy-eight elementary school children were first assessed in the fourth grade and then again in each of the two following years. A similar pattern of intercorrelations between self-system components was evident for boys and girls, and this pattern was quite stable across the three school grades. In addition, similar patterns of moderate relations between the self-system and cognitive and metacognitive development in reading were observed across time. According to these findings, there appears to be some stability, consistency and coherence in how late elementary school children’s beliefs about themselves as learners are organized in their self-system. It is also evident that children of this age are able to make valid self-appraisals of their capabilities.

Résumé

Les buts de cette étude longitudinale conduite pendant trois ans étaient d’examiner: 1) le développement conjoint de différentes facettes du système du soi; 2) dans quelle mesure le développement de ce système est en relation avec le développement d’aspects cognitifs et métacognitifs de la lecture; 3) dans quelle mesure le développement de ces relations est différent chez les garçons et chez les filles.

Cent soixante-dix-huit enfants de l’école élémentaire ont été examinés en 4ème année (10 ans) et au cours des deux années suivantes. Une même structure corrélationnelle entre composantes du soi a été trouvée pour les enfants des deux sexes, cette structure restant stable durant les trois années considérées. Les relations entre les composantes du système de soi et le développement des aspects cognitifs et métacognitifs de l’acquisition de la lecture se sont avérées plutôt faibles aux trois étapes de l’étude longitudinale. Les données indiquent la stabilité et la cohérence des croyances que les enfants ont de leurs caractéristiques en tant qu’apprenants à la fin de la scolarité élémentaire. Il est clair enfin que les enfants de cet âge sont capables d’évaluations valides de leurs propres capacités.

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  1. University of Québec at Montréal, Canada

    Thérèse Bouffard

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Bouffard, T. A developmental study of the relationship between reading development and the self-system. Eur J Psychol Educ 13, 61–74 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03172813

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