The basic aim of this thesis is to establish the relationship between the academic self-concept, attributions and the mindset of the students of the second triad of the primary school. We are particularly interested in the student's learning self-concept, what attributions ascribe to their successful performance at school and the mindset. Furthermore, we are interested in the differences between boys and girls, as well as between the identified gifted students and thier classmates, all within measured variables.
The theoretical part of this thesis describes the following constructs related to the theme: student's learning self-concept, attributions for the academic achievement and the mindset, taking in the interpretation of relations between them rely on theoretical and empirical findings of different authors.
In the theories of the learning self-concept, attributions and the mindset, we find common ground on which the various studies confirmed that they are connected.
Students' beliefs about their abilities are among the most important attributions that guide the students' perception of their successes or failures. According to Dweck, when interpreting their abilities, each individual has two assumptions: the first one being the belief that people are given certain abilities and skills and thus they cannot be changed, whereas the second assumption being that people believe they can develop and upgrade their knowledge and skills.
The belief, whether these abilities are of a fixed or variable capacity influences the individual's behaviour, judgement and knowledge. The reasons for a student's success or failure are described in Weiner's attribution theory. It describes how individual explanations, apologies and excuses affect their learning motivation and to what the students attribute thier credits for the success or failure.
Attributions answer the question »Why?«. The consequences of the given attributions are of great importance, since they impact the student's further
expectations of success or failure, as well as their academic self-concept. The latter is being moulded by the student's subjective knowledge about their own learning abilities which are reflected in the experience of learning and academic achievement, as well as in the selection and use of learning strategies.
In the empirical part, in accordance with the objectives of the thesis, 194 fifth and sixth graders, attending four different primary school from Gorenjska region, were surveyed.
The data were quantitatively analyzed in a descriptive and inferential level of statistical analysis. The results showed there are certain correlations and statistically significant differences between treatments constructs. There were no differences in learning self-concept among boys and girls, the results show the benefit of positive learning self-concept. Both, boys and girls, are dominated by growth mindset. Statistically significant gender difference was seen in a permanent internal attributions of success, in favor of boys. Statistically significant differences between the identified gifted students and their classmates are in learning self-concept, in favor of positive learning self-concept when identified gifted students, in the growth mindset, also in favour of identified gifted students, in the attributions for academic success, again in favour of identified gifted with variable internal attributions of success. Classmates significantly higher than the rated continuous identified talented external attributions of success and failure, changing external attributions of success and constant internal attributions of failure.
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