The relationship between self-concept and achievement in TIMSS 2007: A comparison between American and Japanese students

Int Rev Educ (2012) 58:199219 DOI 10.1007/s11159-012-9283-7

Asako Yoshino

Published online: 16 March 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012

Abstract The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between eighth-grade students maths-related self-concepts and their achievements in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007. The students maths self-concept was compared with other variables, namely their mothers education, their fathers education and the amount of books held in the students households. To investigate the potential role of culture, a comparison between American and Japanese students scores was also included. The ndings demonstrated that students maths self-concept was positively associated with their achievement both in the United States and Japan, but Japanese students, while having higher achievement, had a lower maths self-concept than American students. Maternal education, paternal education and the number of books at home were also found to be positively related to achievement. Examining standardised coefcients, the study conrmed a strong interaction between maths self-concept and country, as well as a positive connection between maths self-concept as such (irrespective of the country) with maths achievement.

Keywords Maths self-concept Achievement Cultural differences Race

Ethnicity Gender

Rsum Relation entre auto-valuation et rsultats de ltude TIMSS 2007 : comparaison entre lves amricains et japonais Ce travail de recherche avait pour objectif dexaminer la relation entre lauto-apprciation en mathmatiques dlves de huitime classe, et leurs niveaux tablis par ltude des tendances internationales en sciences et mathmatiques (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, TIMSS) de 2007. Cette auto-apprciation a t compare dautres variables, savoir le niveau dtudes des mres, celui des pres et le nombre de livres

A. Yoshino (&)

Seattle, WA, USAe-mail: [email protected]

The relationship between self-concept and achievement in TIMSS 2007: A comparison between Americanand Japanese students

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200 A. Yoshino

prsents dans le foyer. Pour analyser linuence ventuelle de la culture, il a t en outre procd une comparaison entre les notes des lves amricains et japonais. Les rsultats rvlent que, tant auxtats-Unis quau Japon, lauto-apprciation est proportionnelle aux niveaux obtenus. Nanmoins, lauto-valuation des lves japonais est infrieure celle des lves amricains, mme sils atteignent des niveaux suprieurs. Le niveau de formation des mres et des pres ainsi que le nombre de livres existant dans le foyer savrent galement tre des...