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Abstract. Educators often assume that the self-concept of children with learning disabilities (LD) is less favorable than that of children without LD. The present study, a meta-analysis of 61 studies of self-concept, was conducted to examine this assumption. Results showed that children with LD perceived their academic ability less favorably than their non-LD peers. In other domains of self-concept, however, group differences were less clear. In contrast to a previous meta-analysis (Chapman, 1988), the results of this study indicated no differences in self-concept as a function of special education setting. Implications for research and practice in school psychology are discussed.
By definition, children with learning disabilities (LD) experience difficulties in specific areas of academic functioning (Kavale & Forness, 2000). In addition to their academic difficulties, many children with LD exhibit behavior problems or social skill deficits (Gettinger & Koscik, 2001; Gresham & Reschly, 1986; Kavale & Forness, 1996) and experience peer rejection (Kuhne & Wiener, 2000; Ochoa & Olivarez, 1995; Swanson & Malone, 1992). Given their academic, behavioral, and social deficits, it is understandable why many children with LD would perceive themselves less favorably in these three domains of self-concept.
It is much less clear, however, if children with LD harbor feelings of low global selfworth, or self-esteem. Global self-worth is the "overall evaluation of one's worth or value as a person" (Harter, 1999, p. 5). As a distinct component of self-concept, global self-worth is not simply a summary statement of self-perceptions across different domains of competency (e.g., academics, social, behavioral, physical). Rather, it is measured by its own set of items that tap general happiness, satisfaction, and overall affect about oneself. Feelings of low global self-worth are commonly associated with poor achievement motivation and with mental health problems, particularly depression (Harter, 1999). On the one hand, low global self-worth should be predicted among students with LD based on their unfavorable self-perceptions in the academic, behavioral, and social domains. These are domains that children, including those with LD, value highly (Clever, Bear, & Juvonen, 1992). On the other hand, because the relation between global selfworth and self-perceptions in areas of competence is not direct but is mediated by other factors (Bear, Minke, Griffin, & Deemer, 1997), children with LD may maintain favorable feelings of...